How much does a Nuclear Engineer make?

Updated Sep 25, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$80K - $125K/yr
Base Pay
$74K - $115K/yr
Additional Pay
$6K - $10K/yr

$100K

/yr
$80K$125K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Nuclear Engineer is $99,668 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $92,255 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $7,413 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $80K-$125K/yr?

Top Paying Companies

For a Nuclear Engineer in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Nuclear Engineer in United States. Employers include AREVA, Exelon and Dominion Energy.

1
AREVA
AREVA
$121,871/yr
1 open jobs
4
TVA
$116,200/yr
See pay for all companies for a Nuclear Engineer in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Nuclear Engineer in United States

1AREVA$121,871
2Exelon$121,450
3Dominion Energy$120,711
4TVA$116,200
5FirstEnergy$115,937
6Exelon Generation$115,422
7American Electric Power$114,994
8Entergy Nuclear$112,165
9Sandia National Laboratories$111,241
10Southern Company$110,933

What are total pay estimates for a Nuclear Engineer at different companies?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
Naval Sea Systems Command
3.6
Nuclear EngineerSee 127 salaries from all locations

$98,370

 / yr
US Navy
3.7
Nuclear EngineerSee 118 salaries from all locations

$98,446

 / yr
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
3.3
Nuclear EngineerSee 75 salaries from all locations

$88,792

 / yr
University of Chicago
4.2
Nuclear EngineerSee 45 salaries from all locations

$80,548

 / yr
Newport News Shipbuilding
3.4
Nuclear EngineerSee 24 salaries from all locations

$82,552

 / yr
Argonne National Laboratory
4.5
Nuclear EngineerSee 22 salaries from all locations

$94,002

 / yr
HII
3.6
Nuclear EngineerSee 20 salaries from all locations

$100,292

 / yr

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US Department of Defense
4
Nuclear EngineerSee 18 salaries from all locations

$92,477

 / yr
HII
3.6
Nuclear Engineer ISee 18 salaries from all locations

$83,358

 / yr
Duke Energy
4
Nuclear EngineerSee 18 salaries from all locations

$109,802

 / yr
US Department of Energy
4.2
Nuclear EngineerSee 17 salaries from all locations

$98,986

 / yr
Westinghouse
3.3
Nuclear EngineerSee 16 salaries from all locations

$103,026

 / yr
Naval Nuclear Laboratory
3.5
Nuclear EngineerSee 14 salaries from all locations

$97,579

 / yr
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
3.9
Nuclear EngineerSee 14 salaries from all locations

$101,538

 / yr
Duke Energy
4
Nuclear Engineer ISee 14 salaries from all locations

$90,005

 / yr
Enercon Services
3.5
Nuclear EngineerSee 12 salaries from all locations

$97,233

 / yr
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
4.2
Nuclear EngineerSee 12 salaries from all locations

$103,024

 / yr
Dominion Energy
3.9
Nuclear EngineerSee 12 salaries from all locations

$120,711

 / yr
GE
4
Nuclear EngineerSee 11 salaries from all locations

$102,370

 / yr
General Dynamics Electric Boat
3.4
Nuclear EngineerSee 11 salaries from all locations

$89,428

 / yr
Download as data table

Nuclear Engineer Salaries

Job TitleSalary
Naval Sea Systems Command Nuclear Engineer salaries - 127 salaries reported$98,370/yr
US Navy Nuclear Engineer salaries - 118 salaries reported$98,446/yr
Norfolk Naval Shipyard Nuclear Engineer salaries - 75 salaries reported$88,792/yr
University of Chicago Nuclear Engineer salaries - 45 salaries reported$80,548/yr
Newport News Shipbuilding Nuclear Engineer salaries - 24 salaries reported$82,552/yr
Argonne National Laboratory Nuclear Engineer salaries - 22 salaries reported$94,002/yr
HII Nuclear Engineer salaries - 20 salaries reported$100,292/yr
US Department of Defense Nuclear Engineer salaries - 18 salaries reported$92,477/yr
HII Nuclear Engineer I salaries - 18 salaries reported$83,358/yr
Duke Energy Nuclear Engineer salaries - 18 salaries reported$109,802/yr
US Department of Energy Nuclear Engineer salaries - 17 salaries reported$98,986/yr
Westinghouse Nuclear Engineer salaries - 16 salaries reported$103,026/yr
Naval Nuclear Laboratory Nuclear Engineer salaries - 14 salaries reported$97,579/yr
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Nuclear Engineer salaries - 14 salaries reported$101,538/yr
Duke Energy Nuclear Engineer I salaries - 14 salaries reported$90,005/yr
Enercon Services Nuclear Engineer salaries - 12 salaries reported$97,233/yr
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Engineer salaries - 12 salaries reported$103,024/yr
Dominion Energy Nuclear Engineer salaries - 12 salaries reported$120,711/yr
GE Nuclear Engineer salaries - 11 salaries reported$102,370/yr
General Dynamics Electric Boat Nuclear Engineer salaries - 11 salaries reported$89,428/yr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 220

Top Paying Industries

For a Nuclear Engineer in United States

The top 5 paying industries for a Nuclear Engineer in United States are Energy, Mining & Utilities with a median total pay of $112,165, Government & Public Administration with a median total pay of $100,262, Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services with a median total pay of $97,233, Aerospace & Defense with a median total pay of $95,424, and Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $93,250.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Energy, Mining & UtilitiesEnergy, Mining & Utilities$112,165

    9% Higher than other industries

  • Government & Public AdministrationGovernment & Public Administration$100,262

    2% Lower than other industries

  • Construction, Repair & Maintenance ServicesConstruction, Repair & Maintenance Services$97,233

    5% Lower than other industries

  • Aerospace & DefenseAerospace & Defense$95,424

    7% Lower than other industries

  • Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$93,250

    9% Lower than other industries

Energy, Mining & Utilities

Top paying companies in Energy, Mining & Utilities for Nuclear Engineer are AREVA, Exelon, and Dominion Energy.

AREVAAREVA$121,871/yr
ExelonExelon$121,450/yr
Dominion EnergyDominion Energy$120,711/yr

Recent Salaries Shared

For nuclear engineer

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Nuclear Submarine Officer

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$120,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Nuclear Submarine Officer

United States of America

 | 7-9 years

$110,000

/yr

Submitted 2 days ago

7-9 years
2 days ago
Machinist Mate (Nuclear)

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$6,430

/mo

Submitted 2 days ago

10-14 years
2 days ago
Nuclear Physicist

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$10

/hr

Submitted 2 days ago

4-6 years
2 days ago
Nuclear Reactor Operator

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$293,200

/yr

$34K | $259K

Submitted 4 days ago

4-6 years
4 days ago
Nuclear Submarine Officer

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$200,000

/yr

Submitted 4 days ago

15+ years
4 days ago
Nuclear Test Engineer

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$101,335

/yr

Submitted 4 days ago

1-3 years
4 days ago
Nuclear Engineer

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$8

/hr

Submitted 4 days ago

15+ years
4 days ago
Nuclear Engineer

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$91,000

/yr

Submitted 5 days ago

10-14 years
5 days ago

Nuclear Engineer pay FAQ

The average salary for a Nuclear Engineer is $99,668 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 914 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Nuclear Engineer employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Nuclear Engineer in United States is $124,961 per year.

The lowest salary for a Nuclear Engineer in United States is $79,837 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Nuclear Engineer or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Nuclear Engineer.

Glassdoor's anonymous ratings indicate that around 76% of nuclear engineers feel fulfilled with their salary. Specialist qualifications, advanced education, and the possibility of an extra $7,412.89 per year through factors such as bonuses and profit sharing may qualify a nuclear engineer role as well-paid.

Are you hoping to increase your nuclear engineer salary? To progress in your nuclear engineer career, you'll generally need to complete an advanced degree, such as a Master of Science or Engineering. Depending on your specialization, you should also consider obtaining additional training and certification in core design, medical nuclear engineering, thermal hydraulics, safety analysis, or radiation transport. Some states and companies require nuclear engineers to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and later the licensed professional engineers (PE) exam to advance their career. Where these exams aren't mandatory, they can add weight when you're seeking a higher salary.

If you're starting a new job as a nuclear engineer, highlighting valuable experience gained during your internships, such as field and lab work, might help you to negotiate higher remuneration. You should also mention sought-after skills, such as communication, technology, problem-solving, and leadership. If you're seeking a higher salary than in your existing job, detail additional training, education, and research you've conducted, discuss major projects you've worked on, and provide examples of supervisory or project management roles. Membership in professional organizations, such as the Royal Institute of Chartered Engineers (RICE) USA or the American Nuclear Society, may also be useful.

About 75.97% of Nuclear Engineer professionals feel satisfied with their salary, according to anonymous Glassdoor ratings. An additional $7,413 in potential pay per year, among other factors, can qualify the annual pay of a Nuclear Engineer in United States as a good salary.

Nuclear Engineer professionals in United States have a wide total pay range, between $65,423 and $152,808 depending on experience, with an estimated total pay of $99,668 following the average career path of a Nuclear Engineer.

Additional Resources

Nuclear Engineer Job Description Template

Salaries

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nuclear engineer