The average salary for a nuclear engineer in the United States is around $84,917 per year.
Avg Salary
Nuclear engineers earn an average yearly salary of $84,917.
Wages typically start from $55,603 and go up to $129,685.
36% above national average Updated in 2023
Nuclear engineer earnings by seniority
Top-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$62.35 per hour
$129,685 per year
Senior-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$51.02 per hour
$106,116 per year
Mid-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$40.83 per hour
$84,917 per year
Junior-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$32.67 per hour
$67,953 per year
Starting level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$26.73 per hour
$55,603 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Nuclear engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | $98,270 |
| Virginia | $97,510 |
| Missouri | $93,950 |
| Utah | $80,070 |
| Louisiana | $77,950 |
| Kentucky | $198,900 |
| California | $154,810 |
| Arizona | $152,270 |
| Oregon | $148,830 |
| District of Columbia | $141,190 |
| New Mexico | $136,940 |
| New Jersey | $131,590 |
| Idaho | $131,100 |
| New Hampshire | $128,020 |
| Tennessee | $126,280 |
| Kansas | $124,710 |
| Illinois | $122,920 |
| Michigan | $122,920 |
| Ohio | $122,920 |
| Nebraska | $120,650 |
| North Carolina | $120,380 |
| Georgia | $119,320 |
| Alabama | $117,460 |
| Connecticut | $117,350 |
| Maryland | $111,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $110,700 |
| Texas | $108,230 |
| Arkansas | $107,580 |
| New York | $107,220 |
| Florida | $105,120 |
| Wisconsin | $104,760 |
| Washington | $104,690 |
| Massachusetts | $102,750 |
| South Carolina | $100,460 |
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 naval engineers but more than locomotive engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Naval engineer salary | $95K |
| Chemical engineer salary | $91K |
| Agricultural engineer salary | $89K |
| Aerospace engineer salary | $87K |
| Software quality assurance engineer salary | $85K |
| Nuclear engineer salary | $85K |
| Sales engineer salary | $78K |
| Civil engineer salary | $81K |
| Engineer salary | $73K |
| Locomotive engineer salary | $73K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)