Nuclear Engineer salary
From 110 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 17-2161: Nuclear Engineers
At a glance
- Mostly Level IV (expert). 29% of Nuclear Engineer filings are Level IV, compared with 18% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Battelle Energy Alliance. 38 filings (35% of the total), median $138,000.
- Median up 29% since FY2020. From $99,403 in FY2020 to $128,107 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Nuclear Engineer H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 110 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Nuclear Engineer jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 17-2161, Nuclear Engineers). The median base salary is $121,812, 1% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $94,486 and $144,237. The most common wage level is Level IV (expert), at 29% of filings. Idaho Falls, ID has the most filings (35), and Battelle Energy Alliance is the employer that files the most (38).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Nuclear Engineer
Employers with the most Nuclear Engineer filings. Bar: share of all Nuclear Engineer filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 27% of filings
Mid-level · 28% of filings
Senior · 17% of filings
Expert · 29% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $101,196 | 29 |
| Level II · Qualified | $121,391 | 30 |
| Level III · Experienced | $123,152 | 18 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $144,852 | 31 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Nuclear Engineer pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 3 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho Falls, ID | $138,000 | 35 |
| Chicago, IL | $94,486 | 12 |
| Knoxville, TN | $135,888 | 12 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Nuclear Engineer does
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.
Typical tasks
- 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.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Nuclear Engineers (17-2161.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Nuclear Engineers), the median annual wage was $133,970 in May 2025, with 15,280 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $121,812, 9% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $86,266 | $92,960 |
| 25th percentile | $94,486 | $108,690 |
| Median | $121,812 | $133,970 |
| 75th percentile | $144,237 | $163,630 |
| 90th percentile | $159,443 | $196,290 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $86,266 |
| 25th | $94,486 |
| 50th (median) | $121,812 |
| 75th | $144,237 |
| 90th | $159,443 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $99,403 | $85,716 | $117,907 | 43 |
| FY2021 | $107,918 | $81,692 | $120,662 | 40 |
| FY2022 | $109,920 | $80,059 | $123,348 | 55 |
| FY2023 | $96,417 | $82,451 | $119,081 | 54 |
| FY2024 | $103,321 | $87,758 | $127,320 | 60 |
| FY2025 | $118,581 | $92,730 | $140,670 | 67 |
| FY2026 | $128,107 | $99,743 | $145,122 | 43 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Nuclear Engineer make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Nuclear Engineer jobs is $121,812 (110 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $94,486 and $144,237.
What does an entry-level Nuclear Engineer earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $101,196. Level I accounts for 27% of Nuclear Engineer filings.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Nuclear Engineers?
Battelle Energy Alliance (38), Ut-Battelle, Llc (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) (12) and UChicago Argonne (10) filed the most Nuclear Engineer LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Nuclear Engineers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($121,812) is 9% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($133,970, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.