Compare shields in a model
Use a computer model to weigh shielding options against each other, then question the assumptions behind its results.
Career profile
Nuclear Engineer
Nuclear engineers apply physics, planning and checking systems that release nuclear energy or contain radiation.
A workday can mean calculating a radiation shield, digging into a fuel test, or explaining why a reactor design has to change.
A day in the life
Dig into fuel test mismatches
In fuel research, you compare measurements with predictions and investigate any mismatch before suggesting changes.
Write handling steps in plain words
Rewrite an existing method for handling nuclear material as plain numbered steps the handlers can follow clearly.
Review drawings together with engineers
Sit down with mechanical and electrical engineers to review drawings so their systems fit your nuclear design.
Quick facts
Bachelor’s degree
United States
$133,970/year
United States · May 2025
Little change
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Bachelor’s degreeUsually nuclear engineering or a related field.
Pay
$133,970/yearNational median for nuclear engineers; hourly equivalent: $64.41.
Outlook
Little changeEmployment projected to grow 0.4%, with about 800 openings annually.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy checking why a calculation makes sense.
- You notice small discrepancies and want to resolve them.
- You like explaining technical choices in writing.
Things to weigh
- Much of the work happens at a computer, even when your office is at a power plant.
- Errors can have serious consequences; careful checking takes patience.
- Some jobs regularly stretch beyond a 40-hour week.
Where AI may help
Some research teams connect a computer model to live reactor measurements. This “digital twin” can help predict how the reactor will respond to changes.
What people still lead
Engineers design tests and compare the model with the real reactor before trusting its predictions.
What we can’t predict yet
How far these systems will move from helping people monitor reactors to controlling them remains uncertain; a research demonstration does not settle that question for commercial plants.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is a useful benchmark, not a starting-salary promise.
The middle of the pay range
Nuclear engineers had a median annual wage of $133,970, equivalent to $64.41 an hour. Half earned more and half earned less.
The national spread
The lowest-paid 10% earned below $92,960 a year; the highest-paid 10% earned above $196,290. These describe workers across jobs and experience levels, not beginner and senior salary steps.
Openings despite little growth
Employment is projected to grow 0.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 800 openings a year on average. Openings include replacement hiring, so they are not all new positions.
Getting started
Study nuclear engineering
- What the route involves
- Build from calculus and physics into reactor engineering, radiation, laboratory work, and design projects.
- What it can lead to
- This directly prepares you to pursue entry-level nuclear engineering positions.
- What to check
- An engineering degree does not authorize you to operate reactor controls. That work requires separate U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission operator licensing.
Enter through a related engineering degree
- What the route involves
- Complete a related engineering bachelor’s degree and seek nuclear-industry experience through internships or cooperative education.
- What it can lead to
- You can pursue nuclear engineering jobs that accept your field of study.
- What to check
- Some research positions require a master’s degree or doctorate.
A bachelor’s degree is the usual starting point. Nuclear engineering and related engineering degrees offer different ways to prepare.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
At a power plant, complete site training in safety practices and regulations.
Develop your judgment
Carry a fuel or shielding analysis through testing and written recommendations.
Lead engineering work
With experience, you may supervise engineers and technicians or move into engineering management.
Where you can work
Nuclear power plants
Your office is tied to an operating facility. Engineering decisions support plant design, maintenance, and safety.
- Office
- Safety-sensitive
Research-reactor laboratories
Projects can bring engineers, researchers, and university students together around experiments. You may collect reactor data and test whether a computer model reproduces what happened.
- Lab
- Office
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
On paper, sketch a reactor core, a cooling loop, and a place for heat to leave the system. Imagine the coolant stops moving. List what you would want to measure before judging the consequences. Notice whether tracing the problem and identifying missing evidence interests you.
Stay safe: Keep this a paper exercise; it is not a reactor operating procedure.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 17-2161.00 — Nuclear Engineers. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nuclear Engineers. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: national estimates, SOC 17-2161. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections Table 1.2, 2025–2035: Nuclear engineers. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- North Carolina State University. Nuclear Engineering (BS). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Operator Licensing. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- Idaho National Laboratory. Going digital: Idaho students, engineers demonstrate first nuclear reactor digital twin. Accessed 2026-10-10.