Nuclear Engineers pay in the U.S.
$140,420avg. a year
$67.51 an hour · 15,280 employed
Nuclear Engineers in the U.S. earn an average of $140,420 a year and a median of $133,970. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($180,480) and lowest in Maine ($123,290).
$133,970Median pay
$67.51Average hourly
+12%Avg. pay since 2020
15,280Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for nuclear engineers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1230 jobs
District of Columbia
$180,480
$86.77 an hour
2500 jobs
New Mexico
$180,290
$86.68 an hour
31,070 jobs
California
$160,980
$77.39 an hour
4180 jobs
Maryland
$155,410
$74.71 an hour
5150 jobs
New York
$150,090
$72.16 an hour
61,040 jobs
Illinois
$139,280
$66.96 an hour
7120 jobs
Florida
$137,910
$66.30 an hour
81,380 jobs
Washington
$136,540
$65.64 an hour
9460 jobs
North Carolina
$136,120
$65.44 an hour
10340 jobs
Pennsylvania
$134,740
$64.78 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Nuclear Engineers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $133k$133k–$135k$135k–$150k$150k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | $185,740 | $89.30 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $169,110 | $81.30 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $164,940 | $79.30 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $164,090 | $78.89 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $157,770 | $75.85 |
| Richmond, VA | $146,900 | $70.63 |
| Syracuse, NY | $144,690 | $69.56 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $141,630 | $68.09 |
Related jobs
- Civil Engineers$108,670
- Industrial Engineers$109,900
- Mechanical Engineers$113,610
- Electrical Engineers$125,100
- Engineers, All Other$125,330
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$137,280
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Nuclear Engineers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $134,480 | $132,570 | 290 |
| California | $160,980 | $172,400 | 1,070 |
| District of Columbia | $180,480 | $195,190 | 230 |
| Florida | $137,910 | $135,400 | 120 |
| Georgia | $133,010 | $132,440 | 200 |
| Idaho | $133,750 | $133,970 | – |
| Illinois | $139,280 | $134,510 | 1,040 |
| Maine | $123,290 | $123,780 | 420 |
| Maryland | $155,410 | $157,960 | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $134,020 | $145,760 | 210 |
| Michigan | $128,070 | $129,940 | 330 |
| New Mexico | $180,290 | $164,300 | 500 |
| New York | $150,090 | $141,200 | 150 |
| North Carolina | $136,120 | $131,850 | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $134,740 | $133,250 | 340 |
| South Carolina | $125,440 | $126,570 | 1,440 |
| Texas | $129,220 | $128,340 | 190 |
| Virginia | $132,710 | $128,890 | – |
| Washington | $136,540 | $129,480 | 1,380 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$115,140
1,260 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$169,110
840 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$141,630
710 jobsPortland-South Portland, ME
$118,620
370 jobsRichmond, VA
$146,900
350 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$164,090
330 jobsCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$136,550
240 jobsKnoxville, TN
$185,740
240 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do nuclear engineers make?
The average is $140,420 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $133,970 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $67.51, and the median is $64.41 an hour.
Which state pays nuclear engineers the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $180,480 a year. The best-paying metro area is Knoxville, TN at $185,740.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $92,960 a year, and the top 10% earn over $196,290.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 17-2161. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.