Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

17-2161 Nuclear Engineers

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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
18,430 9.4 % $50.56 $105,160 1.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $32.26 $40.03 $49.01 $57.92 $70.99
Annual Wage (2) $67,100 $83,270 $101,930 $120,470 $147,670


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 6,870 1.74 $47.79 $99,400
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 2,570 0.12 $44.18 $91,900
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 1,600 0.12 $56.78 $118,110
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,580 0.25 $55.51 $115,460
Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 440 0.17 $43.88 $91,270

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 6,870 1.74 $47.79 $99,400
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,580 0.25 $55.51 $115,460
Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 440 0.17 $43.88 $91,270
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 2,570 0.12 $44.18 $91,900
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 1,600 0.12 $56.78 $118,110

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (8) (8) $57.81 $120,240
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 1,600 0.12 $56.78 $118,110
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,580 0.25 $55.51 $115,460
Waste Treatment and Disposal (8) (8) $53.15 $110,550
Management of Companies and Enterprises (8) (8) $52.59 $109,390


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Virginia 1,930 0.54 3.78 $42.32 $88,020
Pennsylvania 1,680 0.30 2.11 $49.08 $102,080
Tennessee 1,330 0.51 3.56 $59.10 $122,930
Washington 1,130 0.41 2.88 $43.89 $91,290
Illinois 650 0.12 0.81 $62.45 $129,900




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Virginia 1,930 0.54 3.78 $42.32 $88,020
Tennessee 1,330 0.51 3.56 $59.10 $122,930
Idaho 280 0.47 3.26 $56.71 $117,960
New Mexico 350 0.45 3.14 $48.32 $100,510
Washington 1,130 0.41 2.88 $43.89 $91,290




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 100 0.15 1.07 $72.16 $150,080
New Hampshire (8) (8) (8) $70.63 $146,920
Illinois 650 0.12 0.81 $62.45 $129,900
Maryland 360 0.15 1.02 $61.77 $128,470
Tennessee 1,330 0.51 3.56 $59.10 $122,930





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pittsburgh, PA 690 0.62 4.33 $48.07 $99,980
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 620 0.17 1.20 $63.07 $131,190
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA 460 4.60 32.05 $48.59 $101,070
Knoxville, TN 390 1.20 8.33 $56.36 $117,220
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 320 0.26 1.83 $53.05 $110,350
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 230 1.12 7.78 $41.68 $86,690
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 190 0.11 0.80 $49.68 $103,330
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 180 0.41 2.82 $47.84 $99,510
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA 150 0.29 1.99 $53.85 $112,010
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 140 0.25 1.74 (8) (8)




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA 460 4.60 32.05 $48.59 $101,070
Knoxville, TN 390 1.20 8.33 $56.36 $117,220
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 230 1.12 7.78 $41.68 $86,690
Idaho Falls, ID 30 0.65 4.54 $85.99 $178,870
Pittsburgh, PA 690 0.62 4.33 $48.07 $99,980
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 180 0.41 2.82 $47.84 $99,510
Columbia, SC 120 0.37 2.58 $42.31 $88,000
Syracuse, NY 90 0.31 2.18 $48.61 $101,100
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA 150 0.29 1.99 $53.85 $112,010
Albuquerque, NM 100 0.28 1.93 $57.54 $119,680




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Idaho Falls, ID 30 0.65 4.54 $85.99 $178,870
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT (8) (8) (8) $64.60 $134,370
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 60 0.02 0.16 $64.44 $134,030
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 620 0.17 1.20 $63.07 $131,190
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $59.84 $124,460
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $58.98 $122,670
Baltimore-Towson, MD (8) (8) (8) $57.88 $120,390
Albuquerque, NM 100 0.28 1.93 $57.54 $119,680
Knoxville, TN 390 1.20 8.33 $56.36 $117,220
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA 150 0.29 1.99 $53.85 $112,010

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Alamos County, New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 170 10.68 74.35 $43.28 $90,030

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Alamos County, New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 170 10.68 74.35 $43.28 $90,030

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $52.17 $108,510
Kansas nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $47.78 $99,390
Los Alamos County, New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 170 10.68 74.35 $43.28 $90,030


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012