Architecture and Engineering Occupations

Nuclear Engineers Salary in the United States

DOL-verified data from 432 government filings, with BLS survey comparison.

DOL Median Salary
$94,759
BLS median: $127,520
DOL Median Salary
$94,759
From 432 DOL filings
BLS Median Salary
$127,520
BLS OEWS 2024 survey
Total Employers
111
Companies with DOL filings
Total Employment
14,740
Estimated US workers (BLS)

DOL Filings vs BLS Survey

What Employers File with DOL

$94,759
DOL-Filed Salary Range
$41,600$79,186$94,759$109,652$210,000

This figure comes from 432 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.

What BLS Says the Market Pays

$127,520
BLS Survey Salary Range
$88,290$103,010$127,520$157,600$187,430

This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 14,740 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.

DOL-filed salaries are 25.7% lower than BLS survey data, which may reflect that sponsored positions concentrate in high-cost locations or experience-intensive roles.

Salary Distribution

Top Paying Employers for Nuclear Engineers

Ranked by median salary from DOL filings
RankEmployerMedian SalaryFilingsvs Market
1EnergySolutions, LLC$139,8155+9.6%
2NUSCALE POWER LLC$120,8065-5.3%
3National Resource Management, LLC$114,0007-10.6%
4UChicago Argonne LLC$106,20253-16.7%
5Brookhaven National Laboratory$100,1978-21.4%
6BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC$99,40851-22.1%
7UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)$98,50851-22.8%
8Holtec International$98,50011-22.8%
9Westinghouse Electric Company$95,57515-25.1%
10H3D, INC.$92,0008-27.9%
11Oregon State University$90,0005-29.4%
12AREVA INC.$84,0006-34.1%
13UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON$82,4775-35.3%
14University of Michigan$76,20018-40.2%
15Massachusetts Institute of Technology$68,6175-46.2%
16OAK RIDGE ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES$66,90315-47.5%
17North Carolina State University$60,0006-53%

View all companies hiring Nuclear Engineers

Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs NationalFilingsEmployers
Lemont, IL$105,804+11.7%431
Idaho Falls, ID$99,408+4.9%401
Oak Ridge, TN$96,504+1.8%433
Ann Arbor, MI$84,000-11.4%192

Salary by State

StateMedianvs NationalFilings
District of Columbia$120,000-36.8%6
New Mexico$117,000-16.5%5
Mississippi$114,275N/A2
Oregon$108,741N/A6
Illinois$106,202-18.4%48
California$105,000-37.4%15
Idaho$99,408-23.7%40
Florida$97,000-24.9%5
Massachusetts$96,782-31.6%11
New Jersey$95,500N/A7
South Carolina$94,910-12%5
Tennessee$93,930N/A46
Pennsylvania$91,378-32.1%12
Washington$87,567-30%9
North Carolina$87,000-32.1%7
Maryland$85,405-43.2%4
Michigan$85,076-38.3%24
Wisconsin$82,477-11.4%4
Texas$82,430-17.6%11
Nebraska$81,500-45.4%2
Virginia$81,344-25.2%6
Connecticut$80,122N/A1
New York$77,522-51.3%10
Georgia$65,811-49.3%3
Indiana$60,153N/A3
Ohio$56,056-54.4%1
Missouri$54,888-56.4%2

Salary Trend - DOL Data

Education Requirements

From PERM filings

For Nuclear Engineers positions, 14% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 64% required a Master's degree, and 0% required no formal degree.

Education by Top Employer

Most common minimum education from PERM filings
EmployerMost Common EducationMedian Salary
UChicago Argonne LLCDoctorate$106,202
BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLCNot specified$99,408
UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)Not specified$98,508
University of MichiganNot specified$76,200
OAK RIDGE ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIESNot specified$66,903
Westinghouse Electric CompanyNot specified$95,575
Holtec InternationalMaster's$98,500
H3D, INC.Not specified$92,000
Brookhaven National LaboratoryNot specified$100,197
National Resource Management, LLCMaster's$114,000

Salary by Industry

Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)

The highest-paying industry for Nuclear Engineers is Utilities at $104,218. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Educational Services at $69,133.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Nuclear Engineers make?

Based on 432 DOL filings, the median salary for a Nuclear Engineers is $94,759, ranging from $79,186 to $109,652.

What is the highest salary for a Nuclear Engineers?

The 90th percentile salary is $187,430 according to BLS data.

Which city pays the most for Nuclear Engineers?

Based on DOL filings, Lemont, IL offers the highest median at $105,804.

Does this data include all Nuclear Engineers salaries or only visa-sponsored workers?

DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Nuclear Engineers positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.

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Source: US Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) public disclosure files (PERM Form ETA-9089 and LCA Form ETA-9035), and US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Salary figures represent employer filings and government survey estimates, not individual worker pay.