The average salary for a nuclear engineer in Illinois is around $134,510 per year.
Avg Salary
Nuclear engineers earn an average yearly salary of $134,510.
Wages typically start from $102,890 and go up to $171,060.
92% above national average Updated in 2025
Nuclear engineer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$82.24 per hour
$171,060 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$78.10 per hour
$162,440 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$64.67 per hour
$134,510 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$53.97 per hour
$112,260 per year
10th percentile
Starting level nuclear engineer earnings begin at:
$49.46 per hour
$102,890 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 6% more than similar careers in Illinois.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Computer hardware engineer salary | $133K |
| Software engineer salary | $132K |
| Aerospace engineer salary | $109K |
| Chemical engineer salary | $122K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)