Design nuclear equipment and systems, and monitor reactor operations and radiation safety.
You may also see this posted as: Engineer, Nuclear Licensing Engineer, Nuclear Reactor Engineer, Nuclear Design Engineer, Nuclear Process Engineer, Nuclear Safety Engineer.
Power plants, labs, and offices
Full time, some on-call
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
O*NET job zone 4 of 5
High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 2.4% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Bachelor's degree
Training path: Bachelor's in nuclear engineering.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: None.
A Professional Engineer license is optional but valued for senior and safety-critical work.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Works on reactors, radiation, and the medical or power uses of nuclear energy in a field with few new openings.
Run the Reality Check — build the life you want and see the salary it takes, then compare it to this one.
Browse verified internships, fellowships, and programs — many paid — that lead into fields like this.
Free resume templates, interview practice, and getting-hired guides in the Careers kit.
Standard Occupational Classification 17-2161. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.