The average salary for a nuclear engineer in the United States is around $133,970 per year.
Avg Salary
Nuclear engineers earn an average yearly salary of $133,970.
Wages typically start from $92,960 and go up to $196,290.
104% above national average Updated in 2025
Nuclear engineer earnings by seniority
Top-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$94.37 per hour
$196,290 per year
Senior-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$78.67 per hour
$163,630 per year
Mid-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$64.41 per hour
$133,970 per year
Junior-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$52.26 per hour
$108,690 per year
Starting level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$44.69 per hour
$92,960 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Nuclear engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | $98,270 |
| Missouri | $93,950 |
| Utah | $80,070 |
| Louisiana | $77,950 |
| Kentucky | $198,900 |
| District of Columbia | $195,190 |
| California | $172,400 |
| New Mexico | $164,300 |
| Maryland | $157,960 |
| Arizona | $152,270 |
| Oregon | $148,830 |
| Massachusetts | $145,760 |
| New York | $141,200 |
| Florida | $135,400 |
| Illinois | $134,510 |
| Idaho | $133,970 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,250 |
| Alabama | $132,570 |
| Georgia | $132,440 |
| North Carolina | $131,850 |
| New Jersey | $131,590 |
| Michigan | $129,940 |
| Washington | $129,480 |
| Virginia | $128,890 |
| Texas | $128,340 |
| New Hampshire | $128,020 |
| South Carolina | $126,570 |
| Tennessee | $126,280 |
| Kansas | $124,710 |
| Maine | $123,780 |
| Ohio | $122,920 |
| Nebraska | $120,650 |
| Connecticut | $117,350 |
| Arkansas | $107,580 |
| Wisconsin | $104,760 |
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 petroleum engineers but more than wind energy engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Petroleum engineer salary | $145K |
| Software engineer salary | $136K |
| Aerospace engineer salary | $135K |
| Nuclear engineer salary | $134K |
| Sales engineer salary | $125K |
| Chemical engineer salary | $125K |
| Mechatronics engineer salary | $123K |
| Wind energy engineer salary | $123K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)