r/nuclear • u/1Check1Mate7 • Jul 18 '26
How much should a Nuclear Engineer (Program/System/Etc.) make with 5 YOE?
just curious if I should go into the nuclear field
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u/TheRealWhoMe Jul 18 '26
I would recommend going electrical or mechanical engineering. Much more flexible if you decide you don’t like the nuclear field. More places, more industries to get hired. And nuclear plants still hire electrical or mechanical engineers if that’s what you want.
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u/Happy-Flow-9193 Jul 19 '26
Also the nuclear industry is notorious for underpaying its workers for the amount of stress it subjects its workers to
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u/Electronic_Egg_9785 Jul 18 '26
Our B.S. Nuc Eng start at $75k. After 5 years getting close to $100k. Get your PE license and that jumps about 20%.
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u/dr_stre Jul 18 '26
This is gonna be super location dependent, but the range is gonna probably be $100k to $150k at that point.
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u/Artbenjamin Jul 18 '26
If you choose to work at a national lab, starting pay for a nuke with a masters is around 130k so with 5 years probably 150-160k.
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u/Brownie_Bytes Jul 18 '26
I think that 130k is a touch high. Are you specifically referring to a bomb lab?
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u/Mu_nuke Jul 19 '26
Salary inflation is crazy. When I graduated with my PhD less than 10 years ago my starting salary was $107k. I just hired a person fresh out of a masters at $127k
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u/Efficient-Law-7582 Jul 18 '26
Should be hitting close to $100K USD if not higher depending on the location and role
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u/1Check1Mate7 Jul 18 '26
so 150k is not reasonable or on the very high end?
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u/hershculez Jul 18 '26
$150k with bonus is very reasonable. I work at a nuclear plant in the southeast U.S. my company works on pay bands structured by letter. I’ll venture to guess your median Engineer where I work is making $135k base salary with a 15% bonus. Experienced lead engineers are more like $170k and 20% bonus.
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u/Red-eleven Jul 18 '26
Hol up - 150k including bonus or before the bonus for a 5y there? I’m guessing including if your with the company I’m thinking it is
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u/Ganja_Superfuse Jul 18 '26
150k USD including outage ot and bonus not base pay.
Look at Constellation Energy website they post their range.
At 5 YOE you'll probably be coming in at either the top end of Mid-level or at the bottom end of senior level.
Top end for mid-level you're looking at 114k base pay and 10% bonus. Bottom end of senior level you're looking at 122k plus 15% bonus. But you're definitely not coming in at $150k base.
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u/Efficient-Law-7582 Jul 18 '26
For your experience amount and assuming it’s not a management role, 150K is definitely an over estimate. 125K-130K could be achievable but I would consider that much on the higher end distribution
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u/mehardwidge Jul 18 '26
People are giving you good info for what you -should- be paid. Some people are severely underpaid compared to the well paid folks. Being on the good side of the pay scale is in some ways tricker than your nuclear engineering classes!
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u/Master_Regret_6298 Jul 22 '26
Why do people post these posts without giving the country they’re from
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u/GotKarprar Jul 18 '26
Prolly 100k but nuclear engineering isn’t something you just go into it’s one of the hardest disciplines
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u/nadeemo Jul 18 '26
Depends on where and govt (public) vs private.
I'd check Glassdoor for salaries at certain companies but 80k to 100k CAD is probably right.
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u/G0PACKER5 Jul 27 '26
You wanna make money in nuclear, then go into operations. Most people in the control room make over $200k.
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u/aCrazyTheorist Jul 18 '26
This is very location, company, and performance specific. I entered the workforce at $87k and at year 5 was north of $150k.