National » Architecture and Engineering » Nuclear Engineers

Nuclear Engineer Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of nuclear engineers are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of nuclear engineers within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The nuclear engineers annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Nuclear Engineer Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$79,440
25th Percentile Wage
$98,320
50th Percentile Wage
$122,480
75th Percentile Wage
$137,810
90th Percentile Wage
$169,580

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for nuclear engineers. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) nuclear engineers is $169,580. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $122,480. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $79,440. We note that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 113% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of nuclear engineers from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$122,480
1.71% 14.87%
2021
$120,380
3.52% -
2020
$116,140
2.31% -
2019
$113,460
5.16% -
2018
$107,600
1.66% -
2017
$105,810
3.39% -
2016
$102,220
-0.71% -
2015
$102,950
2.41% -
2014
$100,470
-1.12% -
2013
$101,600
-2.63% -
2012
$104,270
- -

Table 2. Nuclear Engineer Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of nuclear engineers in 8 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for nuclear engineers occupations is the administrative and support and waste management and remediation services sector with an annual salary $149,390. The lowest paying sector is the educational services sector (annual salary $95,390).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$149,390
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$129,960
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$125,110
Wholesale Trade
$123,870
Utilities
$122,480
Manufacturing
$109,430
Federal, State, and Local Government
$104,670
Educational Services
$95,390

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Nuclear Engineers by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only nuclear engineers salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of nuclear engineers in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $77,950 to $192,380. The highest paying state for nuclear engineers is Kentucky with a median annual salary of $192,380. The lowest paying state is Louisiana with a median annual salary of $77,950. For more salary information of nuclear engineers profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
Kentucky
$192,380
California
$169,090
District of Columbia
$159,620
Arizona
$155,100
Colorado
$139,280
Idaho
$133,840
New Jersey
$131,590
Alabama
$130,850
New Hampshire
$129,960
Utah
$129,960
New Mexico
$129,370
Tennessee
$128,670
Pennsylvania
$125,530
New York
$125,250
Maryland
$124,920
Kansas
$124,710
Illinois
$124,640
Texas
$122,480
Minnesota
$120,980
Florida
$120,440
Michigan
$119,970
Georgia
$119,320
Nevada
$118,510
Connecticut
$117,350
North Carolina
$116,600
Ohio
$109,030
Washington
$108,480
Arkansas
$107,580
Nebraska
$105,850
Virginia
$104,670
Oregon
$104,190
Massachusetts
$102,750
Wisconsin
$102,650
South Carolina
$101,200
Missouri
$100,550
Mississippi
$100,530
Maine
$91,880
Hawaii
$89,070
Louisiana
$77,950