Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between nuclear engineers and physicists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physicist has an average salary of $110,869, which is higher than the $99,677 average annual salary of a nuclear engineer.
The top three skills for a nuclear engineer include security clearance, oversight and project management. The most important skills for a physicist are patients, radiology, and oncology.
| Nuclear Engineer | Physicist | |
| Yearly salary | $99,677 | $110,869 |
| Hourly rate | $47.92 | $53.30 |
| Growth rate | -11% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 8,747 | 803 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 43 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
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.
Physicists explain the effect of structures, phenomena, and forces on the natural world. Physicists determine and explore the primary principles governing the behavior and structure of matter. They study energy generation and transfer as well as the interaction between matter and energy. Their job involves the development of theories on the properties of matter, time, space, and energy. The position requires extensive research for technical papers and reports contributing to the industry. Physicians teach and lecture students on the laws associated with physics.
Nuclear engineers and physicists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nuclear Engineer | Physicist | |
| Average salary | $99,677 | $110,869 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $147,000 | Between $68,000 And $180,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Rochester, NY |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Baker Hughes | Sanford Health |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | - |
There are a few differences between a nuclear engineer and a physicist in terms of educational background:
| Nuclear Engineer | Physicist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Physics |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between nuclear engineers' and physicists' demographics:
| Nuclear Engineer | Physicist | |
| Average age | 43 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7% | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% |
| 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, 2.0% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 13.2% White, 73.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 24% |