The average salary for a nuclear engineer in the United States is $126,950, but the range typically falls between $100,500 and $142,700. This corresponds to an average hourly wage of $61.03, with a range between $48.32 and $68.61.
There are approximately 12,710 people employed as a nuclear engineer in the United States. With Washington, New Mexico, Virginia employing the highest number of nuclear engineers.The state with the best pay for a nuclear engineer is District of Columbia, with an average annual salary of $163,610, while South Carolina has the lowest average annual salary of $107,090.
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $82,150 | $39.5 |
| 25th Percentile | $100,500 | $48.32 |
| Median | $125,460 | $60.32 |
| 75th Percentile | $142,700 | $68.61 |
| 90th Percentile | $174,020 | $83.66 |
The salary of a nuclear engineer can vary depending on the state. Below is a map of the United States showing the average annual salary for a nuclear engineer in each state. The darker the color, the higher the salary. The best states for nuclear engineers are District of Columbia, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico, Tennessee while the worst states are South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Washington, Florida.
| State | Low-end | Average | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $90,920 | $127,910 | $166,400 |
| District of Columbia | $100,670 | $163,610 | $195,000 |
| Florida | $82,400 | $122,330 | $172,440 |
| Illinois | $79,470 | $121,540 | $163,160 |
| Maryland | $94,180 | $136,710 | $193,870 |
| Michigan | $77,050 | $121,870 | $163,010 |
| Missouri | $77,910 | $113,430 | $161,010 |
| New Mexico | $84,740 | $147,350 | $217,140 |
| New York | $98,850 | $138,360 | $184,910 |
| North Carolina | $78,660 | $117,640 | $164,070 |
| Ohio | $94,060 | $122,920 | $151,080 |
| Oregon | $85,350 | $132,820 | $174,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,230 | $126,580 | $162,880 |
| South Carolina | $66,800 | $107,090 | $143,210 |
| Tennessee | $81,490 | $133,780 | $188,950 |
| Texas | $76,220 | $113,470 | $149,570 |
| Utah | $62,400 | $137,690 | $191,620 |
| Virginia | $80,780 | $112,940 | $159,570 |
| Washington | $92,100 | $117,070 | $142,400 |
| Wisconsin | $79,750 | $116,230 | $153,870 |
Even between cities, the salary of a nuclear engineer can vary. For example, the areas with the highest average salary for nuclear engineers is Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell area, GA with an average salary of $172,830.The city with the lowest average salary for nuclear engineers is Charleston-North Charleston area, SC with an average salary of $103,230.
Areas with highest average salaries for nuclear engineers
Areas with lowest average salaries for nuclear engineers
The number of nuclear engineers in the United States has been decreasing over the years. Since 2020, the number of nuclear engineers has decreased by -2,990. On average, the number of nuclear engineers has been increasing by -4.8% each year. The salary of nuclear engineers has been increasing. Since 2020, the salary of nuclear engineers has increased by $1,820. On average, the salary of nuclear engineers has been increasing by 0.4% each year.
Nuclear Engineers are part of the architecture and engineering occupations group. Below is a comparison of the average annual salary for nuclear engineers compared to other jobs in the same occupation group. View all architecture and engineering occupations jobs here.
$101,160 per year
$108,110 per year
$67,990 per year
$106,700 per year
$75,290 per year
$58,780 per year
