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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

17-2161 Nuclear Engineers

Conduct research on nuclear engineering projects or apply principles and theory of nuclear science to problems concerned with release, control, and use of nuclear energy and nuclear waste disposal.


National estimates for Nuclear Engineers
Industry profile for Nuclear Engineers
Geographic profile for Nuclear Engineers

National estimates for Nuclear Engineers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Nuclear Engineers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
12,250 2.2 % $ 59.88 $ 124,540 1.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for Nuclear Engineers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 38.19 $ 47.27 $ 58.89 $ 66.26 $ 81.53
Annual Wage (2) $ 79,440 $ 98,320 $ 122,480 $ 137,810 $ 169,580


Industry profile for Nuclear Engineers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Nuclear Engineers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Nuclear Engineers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Nuclear Engineers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 4,180 1.11 $ 57.13 $ 118,820
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 2,590 0.12 $ 51.73 $ 107,590
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,120 0.24 $ 64.85 $ 134,890
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 1,120 0.07 $ 67.92 $ 141,280
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 460 0.03 $ 84.79 $ 176,350

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Nuclear Engineers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 4,180 1.11 $ 57.13 $ 118,820
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,120 0.24 $ 64.85 $ 134,890
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 2,590 0.12 $ 51.73 $ 107,590
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 1,120 0.07 $ 67.92 $ 141,280
Facilities Support Services 90 0.05 $ 64.52 $ 134,200

Top paying industries for Nuclear Engineers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Employment Services 30 (7) $ 94.61 $ 196,780
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 460 0.03 $ 84.79 $ 176,350
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (8) (8) $ 77.67 $ 161,550
Waste Treatment and Disposal (8) (8) $ 77.48 $ 161,160
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 1,120 0.07 $ 67.92 $ 141,280


Geographic profile for Nuclear Engineers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Nuclear Engineers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Nuclear Engineers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of nuclear engineers by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Nuclear Engineers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Virginia 1,480 0.38 4.62 $ 52.43 $ 109,060
New Mexico 1,010 1.24 14.94 $ 70.39 $ 146,420
Washington 980 0.29 3.46 $ 53.37 $ 111,010
South Carolina 780 0.36 4.36 $ 48.64 $ 101,180
Tennessee 630 0.20 2.45 $ 63.88 $ 132,880


Map of location quotient of nuclear engineers by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Nuclear Engineers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Mexico 1,010 1.24 14.94 $ 70.39 $ 146,420
Idaho 590 0.75 9.00 $ 71.68 $ 149,100
Virginia 1,480 0.38 4.62 $ 52.43 $ 109,060
South Carolina 780 0.36 4.36 $ 48.64 $ 101,180
Washington 980 0.29 3.46 $ 53.37 $ 111,010


Map of annual mean wages of nuclear engineers by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Nuclear Engineers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kentucky 40 0.02 0.25 $ 92.81 $ 193,040
Arizona (8) (8) (8) $ 75.54 $ 157,120
California 300 0.02 0.21 $ 74.47 $ 154,890
District of Columbia 180 0.26 3.19 $ 73.36 $ 152,580
Idaho 590 0.75 9.00 $ 71.68 $ 149,100



Map of employment of nuclear engineers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Nuclear Engineers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 840 1.16 14.02 $ 47.74 $ 99,300
Idaho Falls, ID 580 7.65 92.37 $ 71.15 $ 147,980
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 530 0.42 5.06 $ 50.80 $ 105,670
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 460 0.15 1.83 $ 68.35 $ 142,180
Knoxville, TN 380 0.96 11.59 $ 64.50 $ 134,150
Portsmouth, NH-ME 350 3.89 46.98 $ 51.79 $ 107,730
Albuquerque, NM 340 0.90 10.81 (8) (8)
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 290 0.10 1.24 $ 64.37 $ 133,890
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 170 0.04 0.47 (8) (8)
Richmond, VA 150 0.25 2.97 $ 56.18 $ 116,850


Map of location quotient of nuclear engineers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Nuclear Engineers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Idaho Falls, ID 580 7.65 92.37 $ 71.15 $ 147,980
Portsmouth, NH-ME 350 3.89 46.98 $ 51.79 $ 107,730
Monroe, MI 120 3.03 36.54 $ 47.98 $ 99,810
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 840 1.16 14.02 $ 47.74 $ 99,300
Knoxville, TN 380 0.96 11.59 $ 64.50 $ 134,150
Lynchburg, VA 90 0.94 11.38 $ 49.71 $ 103,390
Albuquerque, NM 340 0.90 10.81 (8) (8)
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 530 0.42 5.06 $ 50.80 $ 105,670
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 70 0.29 3.49 (8) (8)
Richmond, VA 150 0.25 2.97 $ 56.18 $ 116,850


Map of annual mean wages of nuclear engineers by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Nuclear Engineers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 50 0.02 0.30 $ 75.89 $ 157,840
Idaho Falls, ID 580 7.65 92.37 $ 71.15 $ 147,980
Kennewick-Richland, WA (8) (8) (8) $ 70.23 $ 146,080
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 460 0.15 1.83 $ 68.35 $ 142,180
Knoxville, TN 380 0.96 11.59 $ 64.50 $ 134,150
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 290 0.10 1.24 $ 64.37 $ 133,890
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 60 0.01 0.12 $ 62.40 $ 129,800
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH (8) (8) (8) $ 58.54 $ 121,760
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 100 0.04 0.44 $ 57.68 $ 119,970
Cleveland-Elyria, OH 80 0.08 1.03 $ 57.55 $ 119,710

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Nuclear Engineers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 110 0.86 10.33 $ 57.46 $ 119,520
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.25 3.07 $ 55.56 $ 115,560

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Nuclear Engineers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 110 0.86 10.33 $ 57.46 $ 119,520
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.25 3.07 $ 55.56 $ 115,560

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Nuclear Engineers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $ 65.73 $ 136,710
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 110 0.86 10.33 $ 57.46 $ 119,520
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.25 3.07 $ 55.56 $ 115,560


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023