Nuclear Engineer salary: $133,970 median, and how to negotiate yours.
The full pay range by percentile, the 18 states and DC with a published BLS median, the top-paying metro areas and similar roles, from the latest BLS survey. Place your own offer on the range.
Hourly pay, BLS May 2025: 10th percentile $44.69 · 25th $52.26 · median $64.41 · 75th $78.67 · 90th $94.37.
The median annual wage for nuclear engineers in the United States was $133,970 in May 2025 (BLS). The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $92,960 and the top 10% earned more than $196,290. That median is 2.6 times the $50,980 median for all occupations. BLS publishes a state median for 18 states and DC; among them the highest was in District of Columbia ($195,190).
- 10th percentile
- $92,960
- lowest-paid 10% earn less
- 25th percentile
- $108,690
- a quarter earn less
- 75th percentile
- $163,630
- a quarter earn more
- 90th percentile
- $196,290
- top 10% earn more
More on nuclear engineer pay
The median hourly wage for nuclear engineers in the United States was $64.41 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The middle half of nuclear engineers in the United States earned between $108,690 and $163,630 a year in May 2025 (25th to 75th percentile, BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The lowest-paid 10% of nuclear engineers in the United States earned less than $92,960 a year in May 2025, and the top 10% more than $196,290 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The mean annual wage for nuclear engineers in the United States was $140,420 in May 2025, according to BLS; the mean is a different measure from the median.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS estimated that 15,280 people were employed as nuclear engineers in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Nuclear Engineer salary in the 18 states and DC with a published median
Data BLS state estimates, May 2025. 18 states and DC publish a median for this occupation; together they employ at least 56% of the 15,280 nuclear engineers BLS counts nationally. Every other state is listed below the table with its BLS status. Sort by pay or by number employed.
- District of Columbia$195,190
- California$172,400
- New Mexico$164,300
- Maryland$157,960
- Massachusetts$145,760
- South Carolina1,440
- Washington1,380
- California1,070
- Illinois1,040
- New Mexico500
| State | 10th–90th percentile | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $195,190 | $128,960–$207,480 | 230 |
| California | $172,400 | $109,990–$207,740 | 1,070 |
| New Mexico | $164,300 | $126,780–$242,730 | 500 |
| Maryland | $157,960 | $103,990–$207,480 | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $145,760 | $67,750–$174,710 | 210 |
| New York | $141,200 | $114,610–$204,940 | 150 |
| Florida | $135,400 | $90,000–$188,720 | 120 |
| Illinois | $134,510 | $102,890–$171,060 | 1,040 |
| Idaho | $133,970 | $104,070–$176,840 | n/a |
| Pennsylvania | $133,250 | $83,250–$167,110 | 340 |
| Alabama | $132,570 | $97,950–$161,290 | 290 |
| Georgia | $132,440 | $81,800–$173,100 | 200 |
| North Carolina | $131,850 | $96,300–$166,200 | 460 |
| Michigan | $129,940 | $80,570–$159,030 | 330 |
| Washington | $129,480 | $83,100–$200,930 | 1,380 |
| Virginia | $128,890 | $81,480–$192,350 | n/a |
| Texas | $128,340 | $83,250–$170,600 | 190 |
| South Carolina | $126,570 | $83,970–$159,740 | 1,440 |
| Maine | $123,780 | $78,440–$147,200 | 420 |
- BLS publishes employment but no wage estimate: Ohio (190 employed), Tennessee (720 employed).
- no estimate in BLS's May 2025 state file: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Where the median is highest
Data Metropolitan areas with at least 100 people employed in the occupation, BLS May 2025.
How the pay compares
Data National medians for related occupations (O*NET related roles, BLS pay).
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Our view If you cite market data, cite this page's source: the BLS median for your state and the percentile your offer sits at. A specific, sourced number is easier to agree to than a feeling.
How this page is built
Wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates for May 2025 (national, state and metropolitan area), for the occupation shown. OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay: they include base pay, commissions, production bonuses and tips, and exclude overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits. Percentiles describe all workers in the occupation, not entry or senior levels.
- Pay at a specific employer, or for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Experience level: percentiles are not seniority bands.
- Equity, bonuses outside OEWS's definition, and benefits.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
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