Nuclear engineer salary

Nuclear engineer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:

$80.33 per hour

$167,080 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:

$64.70 per hour

$134,575 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:

$50.88 per hour

$105,820 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:

$40.00 per hour

$83,209 per year

10th percentile

Starting level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:

$32.22 per hour

$67,021 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Nuclear engineer salary by state

How much does a Nuclear Engineer earn?

James Madison, President of CoolHandNuke.com, a job site for nuclear professionals, says several factors help nuclear engineer salaries - the high caliber of nuclear engineering graduates, the sensitive nature of their work, and a decreasing number of people entering the field.

James Madison predicts an upswing in the need for nuclear engineers that could mean better salaries in the future. "Over the course of the next 10 plus years, these engineers will start being paid very, very well," he said. "And the benefits packages are already the best of any industry."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that nuclear engineers working for independent engineering agencies (such as scientific and consulting services and research and development) tended to earn the most.

How do nuclear engineer salaries compare to similar careers?

Nuclear engineers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than computer hardware engineers but more than electrical engineers.

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)