Nuclear Power Reactor Operators pay in the U.S.
$121,380avg. a year
$58.36 an hour · 5,150 employed
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators in the U.S. earn an average of $121,380 a year and a median of $122,890. Pay is highest in New York ($128,370) and lowest in South Carolina ($114,610).
$122,890Median pay
$58.36Average hourly
+16%Avg. pay since 2020
5,150Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for nuclear power reactor operators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 5.
1230 jobs
New York
$128,370
$61.72 an hour
2360 jobs
Alabama
$126,740
$60.93 an hour
3410 jobs
Illinois
$124,850
$60.03 an hour
450 jobs
Nebraska
$115,340
$55.45 an hour
5320 jobs
South Carolina
$114,610
$55.10 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 Power Reactor Operators 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
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Under $115k$115k–$125k$125k–$127k$127k+
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators 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 | $126,740 | $119,000 | 360 |
| Illinois | $124,850 | $123,980 | 410 |
| Nebraska | $115,340 | $108,650 | 50 |
| New York | $128,370 | $129,580 | 230 |
| South Carolina | $114,610 | $118,620 | 320 |
Questions and answers
How much do nuclear power reactor operators make?
The average is $121,380 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $122,890 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $58.36, and the median is $59.08 an hour.
Which state pays nuclear power reactor operators the most?
New York, with an average of $128,370 a year.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $98,640 a year, and the top 10% earn over $149,310.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-8011. 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.