Nuclear Engineers
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 17-2161.00United States
Conduct research on nuclear engineering projects or apply principles and theory of nuclear science to problems concerned with release, control, and use of nuclear energy and nuclear waste disposal.
- Median annual earnings
- $134,081
- Projected change
- +1.5%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 18.8K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
80.9% of the workforce
Growing to 19.09K by 2035
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The work
What nuclear engineers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms.
- Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations.
- Initiate corrective actions or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations.
- Examine accidents to obtain data for use in design of preventive measures.
- Direct operating or maintenance activities of nuclear power plants to ensure efficiency and conformity to safety standards.
- Design or oversee construction or operation of nuclear reactors, power plants, or nuclear fuels reprocessing and reclamation systems.
- Direct environmental compliance activities associated with nuclear plant operations or maintenance.
- Write operational instructions to be used in nuclear plant operation or nuclear fuel or waste handling and disposal.
- Prepare environmental impact statements, reports, or presentations for regulatory or other agencies.
- Prepare technical reports of findings or recommendations, based on synthesized analyses of test results.
- Develop or contribute to the development of plans to remediate or restore environments affected by nuclear radiation, such as waste disposal sites.
- Conduct tests of nuclear fuel behavior and cycles or performance of nuclear machinery and equipment to optimize performance of existing plants.
- Design fuel cycle models or processes to reduce the quantity of radioactive waste generated from nuclear activities.
- Recommend preventive measures to be taken in the handling of nuclear technology, based on data obtained from operations monitoring or from evaluation of test results.
- Consult with other scientists to determine parameters of experimentation or suitability of analytical models.
- Discuss construction project proposals with interested parties, such as vendors, contractors, or nuclear facility review boards.
- Perform experiments that will provide information about acceptable methods of nuclear material usage, nuclear fuel reclamation, or waste disposal.
- Conduct environmental studies on topics such as nuclear power generation, nuclear waste disposal, or nuclear weapon deployment.
- Design or direct nuclear research projects to develop, test, modify, or discover new uses for theoretical models.
- Keep abreast of developments and changes in the nuclear field by reading technical journals or by independent study and research.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $88,808
- 25th percentile
- $105,927
- 50th percentile
- $134,081
- 75th percentile
- $171,853
- 90th percentile
- $211,257
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $134,081 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+1.5%average or slower
202518,798 jobs
2035 projected19,085 jobs
287 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 80.9%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 19%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Nuclear Engineers638 postings
- 02Nuclear Mechanics259 postings
- 03Instrumentation and Controls Engineers236 postings
- 04System Safety Engineers208 postings
- 05Structural Engineers177 postings
- 06Nuclear Safety Engineers162 postings
- 07Nuclear Licensing Engineers143 postings
- 08Electrical Engineers141 postings
- 09Lead Mechanical Engineers123 postings
- 10Principal Engineers115 postings
- 11Engineers100 postings
- 12Lead Instrumentation and Controls Engineers98 postings
- 13Nuclear Engineering Interns98 postings
- 14Lead Structural Engineers89 postings
- 15Principal Systems Engineers88 postings
- 16Lead Electrical Engineers81 postings
- 17Radiation Engineers79 postings
- 18Piping Engineers74 postings
- 19Engineering Managers66 postings
- 20Nuclear Electricians65 postings
Top employers
- 01Sargent & Lundy1,290 postings
- 02Constellation Energy466 postings
- 03Kiewit Corporation178 postings
- 04Westinghouse Electric Company131 postings
- 05Black & Veatch120 postings
- 06GE Vernova107 postings
- 07Enercon98 postings
- 08Framatome USA98 postings
- 09System One90 postings
- 10Amentum86 postings
- 11Northrop Grumman82 postings
- 12Analytical Mechanics Associates76 postings
- 13Duke Energy73 postings
- 14Naval Nuclear Laboratory63 postings
- 15General Dynamics61 postings
- 16Constellation Energy Generation57 postings
- 17Blue Origin48 postings
- 18Lockheed Martin48 postings
- 19Actalent46 postings
- 20Holtec International37 postings
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