As of March 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Nuclear Engineer I in the United States is $91,216. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $84,287 to $108,616, with most professionals earning between $77,979 and $124,458.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $108,616 | $9,051 | $2,089 | $52 |
| Average | $91,216 | $7,601 | $1,754 | $44 |
| 25th Percentile | $84,287 | $7,024 | $1,621 | $41 |
An entry-level Nuclear Engineer I with less than 1 year of experience earns about $89,535. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $90,558. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $94,403. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $95,173, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $95,685.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Nuclear Engineer I | $89,535 |
| Intermediate Level Nuclear Engineer I | $90,558 |
| Senior Level Nuclear Engineer I | $94,403 |
| Specialist Level Nuclear Engineer I | $95,173 |
| Expert Level Nuclear Engineer I | $95,685 |
| Entry Level | 2% |
| Mid Level | 1% |
| Senior Level | 3% |
| Top Level | 4% |
| Experienced | 5% |
Salaries in the United States differ widely between states due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
As of March 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Nuclear Engineer I compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $81,458 in 2023 to approximately $81,168 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Nuclear Engineer I salary trends, click here.)
Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Nuclear Engineer I information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Nuclear Engineer I job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Nuclear Engineer I and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $91,216 | 70.2% | ||
| Bonus | $1,149 | 0.9% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $7,066 | 5.4% | ||
| 401K/403B | $3,879 | 3.0% | ||
| Disability | $1,847 | 1.4% | ||
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 6.4% | ||
| Pension | $4,988 | 3.8% | ||
| Time Off | $11,368 | 8.8% | ||
| Total Compensation | $129,865 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| High School | 3.8% |
| Associates | 1.3% |
| Bachelors | 58.2% |
| Masters | 27.8% |
| Doctorate | 8.9% |
What Am I Worth?
The average annual salary of Nuclear Engineer I is $91,216. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Nuclear Engineer I is $44; the average weekly pay of Nuclear Engineer I is $1,754; the average monthly pay of Nuclear Engineer I is $7,601.
A Nuclear Engineer I's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Nuclear Engineer I earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Nuclear Engineer I is $114,476.
The highest pay for Nuclear Engineer I is $124,458.
The lowest pay for Nuclear Engineer I is $77,979.
Nuclear Engineer I designs and initiates processes to gain benefit from nuclear energy and radiation. Conducts research into problems of nuclear energy systems. Being a Nuclear Engineer I designs and develops nuclear equipment. Monitors testing, operation, and maintenance of nuclear reactors. Additionally, Nuclear Engineer I requires a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering or related field. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. The Nuclear Engineer I work is closely managed. Works on projects/matters of limited complexity in a support role. To be a Nuclear Engineer I typically requires 0-2 years of related experience.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Troubleshooting: Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
Schematic: A schematic, or schematic diagram, is a representation of the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures.
Computational Science: Computational science is a discipline concerned with the design, implementation and use of mathematical models to analyse and solve scientific problems.
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