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The differences between nuclear engineers and chemical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a nuclear engineer has an average salary of $99,677, which is higher than the $89,449 average annual salary of a chemical engineer.
The top three skills for a nuclear engineer include security clearance, oversight and project management. The most important skills for a chemical engineer are chemistry, technical support, and co-op.
| Nuclear Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,677 | $89,449 |
| Hourly rate | $47.92 | $43.00 |
| Growth rate | -11% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 8,747 | 42,176 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A nuclear engineer directs the operation and maintenance of operational nuclear power plants. Nuclear engineers make sure that the power plants are efficient and in conformity with the safety standards. They research and create instruments, systems, and processes to derive the benefits of nuclear radiation and energy. Their duties and responsibilities include finding the medical and industrial uses of radioactive materials. They also perform other tasks related to nuclear technology and radiation.
A chemical engineer provides support for chemical operations and testing new processes. The processes they successfully come up with are used to make different products from gas, oil, food, and drink. It is their job to assist in designing new chemical processes and make improvements. They implement fresh ideas to improve standard quality and efficiency. They must be good planners and schedulers of project activities to help chemical technicians to achieve their project objectives and provide technical support to maintain safe, stable, and reliable operations.
Nuclear engineers and chemical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nuclear Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,677 | $89,449 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $147,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Sugar Land, TX |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Texas |
| Best paying company | Baker Hughes | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Energy |
There are a few differences between a nuclear engineer and a chemical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Nuclear Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between nuclear engineers' and chemical engineers' demographics:
| Nuclear Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.2% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 21.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 9% |