Nuclear engineers

SOC Code: 17-2161
Also known as:
Atomic Process Engineer, Core Measures Abstractor, Engineer, Engineering Officer, Instrumentation and Controls Engineer
Median Annual Salary
$127,520
-1.1% growth (2024-2034)
800
Openings/Year
15K
Current Jobs

What Nuclear engineers Do

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.

💰 Salary

$127,520
Median annual wage (2024)

📈 Job Growth

-1.1%
Decline

🎓 Education

Bachelor's degree
Typical entry-level requirement

🚀 Annual Openings

800
Projected average per year

Employment Projections (2024-2034)

Current Employment (2024)

15,400

Projected Employment (2034)

15,300

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Top Skills Required

Science
Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Writing

Daily Tasks & Responsibilities

  • Design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms.
  • Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations.
  • Initiate corrective actions or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations.
  • Examine accidents to obtain data for use in design of preventive measures.
  • Direct operating or maintenance activities of nuclear power plants to ensure efficiency and conformity to safety standards.
  • Design or oversee construction or operation of nuclear reactors, power plants, or nuclear fuels reprocessing and reclamation systems.
  • Direct environmental compliance activities associated with nuclear plant operations or maintenance.
  • Write operational instructions to be used in nuclear plant operation or nuclear fuel or waste handling and disposal.
  • Prepare technical reports of findings or recommendations, based on synthesized analyses of test results.
  • Prepare environmental impact statements, reports, or presentations for regulatory or other agencies.

Technology & Tools

C++ Linux Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word Oracle Java Python Salesforce software

📚 Entry-Level Education

Bachelor's degree
Most common requirement

🎯 Recommended Education

Bachelor's Degree
O*NET recommended level

Degree Programs for Nuclear engineers

These degree programs can prepare you for a career as a nuclear engineers:

Nuclear Engineering

959 degrees awarded • 33 colleges offer this program
View Colleges →

Best Colleges for Becoming a Nuclear engineers

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees in related programs. These are the top-rated colleges that prepare students to become nuclear engineers.

# College Location Related Degrees Repit Grade
1 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 58 A+
2 University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA 57 A
3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 41 A
4 Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA 34 A
5 United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD 25 A
6 United States Military Academy West Point, NY 21 A
7 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 20 A
8 Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX 105 B+
9 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN 83 B+
10 North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC 77 B+
11 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 56 B+
12 Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN 52 B+
13 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 39 B+
14 University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 29 B+
15 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA 27 B+
16 Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 8 B+
17 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA 8 B+
18 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 50 B
19 University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM 30 B
20 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO 26 B

Want this ranking as a spreadsheet? Investor Pro+ members can export any Repit table to CSV. See plans →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do nuclear engineers make?
The median annual salary for nuclear engineers is $127,520.
What education do nuclear engineers need?
Most nuclear engineers positions require a bachelor's degree. Common degree programs include Nuclear Engineering.
Is becoming nuclear engineers a good career choice?
Nuclear engineers is projected to see -1.1% job growth from 2024 to 2034, which reflects some decline in the field. With approximately 800 job openings expected annually, there are good opportunities for those entering the field.
What are the best colleges for nuclear engineers?
Top colleges for aspiring nuclear engineers include University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of California-Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus, United States Naval Academy. These schools are ranked based on their Repit grade and the number of graduates in related programs.
What other job titles are similar to nuclear engineers?
Nuclear engineers may also be known as: Atomic Process Engineer, Core Measures Abstractor, Engineer, Engineering Officer, Instrumentation and Controls Engineer, Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer, Nuclear Design Engineer, Nuclear Electrician, Nuclear Engineer, Nuclear Equipment Design Engineer, Nuclear Equipment Research Engineer, Nuclear Equipment Test Engineer, Nuclear Fuels Reclamation Engineer, Nuclear Fuels Research Engineer, Nuclear Licensing Engineer, Nuclear Mechanic, Nuclear Officer, Nuclear Plant Technical Advisor, Nuclear Power Plant Engineer, Nuclear Process Engineer. These titles often refer to similar roles with varying responsibilities or specializations.