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Job outlook for nuclear engineering technicians in the United States
Are nuclear engineering technician jobs in demand?
Nuclear engineering technician job and salary trends over time
Nuclear engineering technician jobs over time
Nuclear engineering technician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 64 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 47 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 48 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 73 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 67 | 0.00% |
Average nuclear engineering technician salary over time
Nuclear engineering technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $53,557 | $25.75 | +2.1% |
| 2025 | $52,457 | $25.22 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $51,666 | $24.84 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $50,873 | $24.46 | --0.2% |
| 2022 | $50,955 | $24.50 | +1.7% |
Nuclear engineering technician jobs by state
Most common states for nuclear engineering technicians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 246 | 35% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 207 | 28% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 247 | 26% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,638 | 24% |
| 5 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 324 | 24% |
| 6 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 644 | 21% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 160 | 21% |
| 8 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 121 | 21% |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,098 | 20% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 265 | 20% |
| 11 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 665 | 19% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 203 | 19% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 573 | 18% |
| 14 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 188 | 18% |
| 15 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,450 | 17% |
| 16 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,261 | 17% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,020 | 17% |
| 18 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 715 | 17% |
| 19 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 288 | 17% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 152 | 17% |
Most common cities for nuclear engineering technicians
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 1 | 4% | $50,901 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $51,828 |
| 3 | Dover | 1 | 3% | $52,193 |
| 4 | Juneau | 1 | 3% | $64,002 |
| 5 | Hartford | 1 | 1% | $46,738 |
| 6 | Lansing | 1 | 1% | $53,717 |
| 7 | Little Rock | 1 | 1% | $51,388 |
| 8 | Springfield | 1 | 1% | $49,082 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $44,769 |
| 10 | Baton Rouge | 1 | 0% | $47,641 |
| 11 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $42,563 |
| 12 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $49,137 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $51,896 |
| 14 | Montgomery | 1 | 0% | $44,657 |
| 15 | Philadelphia | 1 | 0% | $50,321 |
| 16 | Phoenix | 1 | 0% | $45,459 |
| 17 | Sacramento | 1 | 0% | $66,826 |
| 18 | Saint Paul | 1 | 0% | $43,012 |
Nuclear Engineering Technician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of nuclear engineering technician experts
Pennsylvania State University
Texas A&M University
American Nuclear Society
University of Texas
University of Maryland
Erin Blumsack
External Relations CoordinatorPennsylvania State University
Nuclear Engineering Department
What general advice would you give to a Nuclear Engineering Technician?
Erin Blumsack: Have an open mind: you will be surprised at what your career ends up looking like versus what you expected it to look like. Step outside your comfort zone as much as you can. Take on things that are outside your normal interests. Try not to box yourself in to one thing. Even if your goal is to become a subject matter expert, make sure you pay attention to things outside your area of expertise. Cultivate relationships with people in and out of work. Be on the lookout for gaps in your institution's skill sets. If there is one person who does a certain thing and they are going to be retiring in a decade, ask them to mentor you. Pay attention to things you do not enjoy in your job to inform your future decisions. If your relationship with your employer is not symbiotic, look for another job.
What type of skills will young Nuclear Engineering Technicians need?
Pavel Tsvetkov Ph.D.: We see many employers putting grade point average (GPA) requirements as high as 3.5 (on 4 points scale). If students are graduating with lower GPAs, that will challenge students' ability to compete for jobs. So academic performance is essential. However, it is also important to have research experiences. It is also important to have internship experiences. If a student has interests in a particular area he likes to work in, it is important to have hands-on knowledge in that area. What does it mean in reality? If you are interested in computational efforts, knowledge of effective code systems is essential. Experience in a few programming languages comes in handy as well. The cross-cutting skills and knowledge area is data science and engineering. If one is interested in the experimental pathway, hands-on knowledge of instrumentation/sensor systems and methods is essential. And so on. These skills and expertise are to be developed through research with the faculty and internships. So the message is - engage with the faculty and seek internship opportunities.
Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar Ph.D.
President of the American Nuclear Society (2020-2021) Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering Associate Dean of the College of Science and Engineering Idaho State UniversityAmerican Nuclear Society
What type of skills will young Nuclear Engineering Technicians need?
Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar Ph.D.: All the students leaving nuclear engineering degree programs have multiple opportunities for employment. Over the years, graduates have reported back that, in addition to the engineering know-how, their employers value the abilities to solve problems, work both independently and as a constructive team member, communicate in writing and verbally with many different audiences, and proactively learn new things needed to get the job done.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Nuclear Engineering Technicians to find work opportunities?
Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar Ph.D.: Nuclear engineers develop skills that are not just needed within the nuclear power industry but across a wide spectrum of industries, federal agencies, medical facilities, and education. Thus, there is a demand for nuclear engineers across all 50 states and globally.
What are the best companies to work for a Nuclear Engineering Technician?
Dr. Sheldon Landsberger: Individual nuclear power plants, national laboratories like Los Alamos, Oak Ridge.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Nuclear Engineering Technicians in the next 5 years?
Dr. Sheldon Landsberger: There may be increases or decreases in certain areas but, overall, the demand will be stable... but as older people retire, those positions will need to be filled, mostly at the national lab.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Nuclear Engineering Technicians to find work opportunities?
Dr. Sheldon Landsberger: It depends on their skillset, either BS, MS, or Ph.D. There are nuclear-related jobs all over the USA, particularly in the northeast.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Nuclear Engineering Technicians?
Mohammad Modarres Ph.D.: There has been a shortage of nuclear engineering workforce, and graduates have been in high demand. Considering the extensive uses of nuclear facilities and materials not only for design, fabrication, operation, and manufacturing in nuclear plants, but also in defense, national laboratories, and health settings, while employment like any other engineering field slowed down due to the pandemic, I expect it to remain healthy and vital in the future.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Nuclear Engineering Technicians to find work opportunities?
Mohammad Modarres Ph.D.: The nuclear power workforce is aging, and utilities that own nuclear plants have been the primary employer, followed by DOE (including national labs.), NRC, Navy, and Radiation (health) facility manufacturers. As nuclear plants age and are decommissioned, the utility owners would need fewer atomic engineers. But, I expect employment at the governmental, nuclear facility vendors, and other institutions will remain unchanged.
How do you envision technology impacting Nuclear Engineering Technicians in the next 5 years?
Mohammad Modarres Ph.D.: There are exciting technologies of small modular reactors (SMRs), with passive safety features (hands-off operations) being developed that are far more economical and will be available soon. NRC just gave a design certification to one of them last Friday (NuScale). In a scenario where decarbonization of the energy production and usage, sooner than later, will become inevitable, nuclear power will be the resource (in addition to other renewables) to rely on for sustained, safe, and economical production of our base energy.