Nuclear engineer vs nuclear reactor inspector

The differences between nuclear engineers and nuclear reactor inspectors 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 $60,086 average annual salary of a nuclear reactor inspector.

The top three skills for a nuclear engineer include security clearance, oversight and project management. The most important skills for a nuclear reactor inspector are NDE, III, and nuclear power.

Nuclear engineer vs nuclear reactor inspector overview

	Nuclear Engineer	Nuclear Reactor Inspector
Yearly salary	$99,677	$60,086
Hourly rate	$47.92	$28.89
Growth rate	-11%	-11%
Number of jobs	8,747	19,962
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Nuclear engineer vs nuclear reactor inspector salary

Nuclear engineers and nuclear reactor inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Nuclear Engineer	Nuclear Reactor Inspector
Average salary	$99,677	$60,086
Salary range	Between $67,000 And $147,000	Between $28,000 And $126,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	-
Highest paying state	Nevada	-
Best paying company	Baker Hughes	-
Best paying industry	Utilities	-

Differences between nuclear engineer and nuclear reactor inspector education

There are a few differences between a nuclear engineer and a nuclear reactor inspector in terms of educational background:

	Nuclear Engineer	Nuclear Reactor Inspector
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Business
Most common college	Georgia Institute of Technology	Georgia Institute of Technology

Nuclear engineer vs nuclear reactor inspector demographics

Here are the differences between nuclear engineers' and nuclear reactor inspectors' demographics:

	Nuclear Engineer	Nuclear Reactor Inspector
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7%	Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6%
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, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 17.1% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between nuclear engineer and nuclear reactor inspector duties and responsibilities

Nuclear engineer example responsibilities.

Manage the implementation of technology for better communicating and displaying radiological data used during emergency response.
Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
Perform and document technical evaluations in accordance with 10 CFR 50.59.
Provide technical support, resolutions, and oversight during shipboard operations.
Conduct technical training on MRI scanners.
Interface new equipment into the existing PACS system.

Nuclear reactor inspector example responsibilities.

Manage the implementation of technology for better communicating and displaying radiological data used during emergency response.
Monitor EKG and vitals, deal with emergency situations with patients and work under strict protocols.
Participate in emergency response exercises as part of NRC's incidence response role.
Assess utility report operational events for NRC response.
Generate radiological technology initiatives for new tools and new technologies to improve the process of overhaul.
Perform internal and INPO assessments.

Nuclear engineer vs nuclear reactor inspector skills

Common nuclear engineer skills

Security Clearance, 11%
Oversight, 10%
Project Management, 8%
Safety Analysis, 7%
DOE, 5%
DOD, 5%

Common nuclear reactor inspector skills

NDE, 35%
III, 31%
Nuclear Power, 10%
Nuclear Reactor, 8%
Level II, 5%
Destructive Testing, 3%

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Nuclear Engineer vs Nuclear Reactor Inspector

Updated January 8, 2025

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