How To Become A Radiation Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a radiation engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Erin Blumsack

Radiation engineers typically work in energy and technology industries. Their duties encompass organizing and performing experiments to evaluate the effects of radiation in different settings. These people produce theoretical analysis, which is often premised on whatever test they've carried out.

Radiation engineers also have to supervise the activities of other staff members under them, especially those observing radiation degrees and the state of equipment used to generate nuclear energy. Since this is a somewhat dangerous undertaking, the engineer must ensure that the operation is safe and accident-free.

As an aspiring radiation engineer, the primary qualification you need is usually an advanced degree in engineering or physics. You need complex problem solving, time management, and computer skills for this job. Not to worry, all your hard work will pay off. The average annual income for a Radiation Engineer in the United States is $101,749 per year.

What general advice would you give to a radiation engineer?

Erin Blumsack

External Relations Coordinator, Pennsylvania State University

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.

ScoreRadiation EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.5

Avg. Salary $95,529

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate -11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 18.27%

Black or African American 3.19%

Hispanic or Latino 7.54%

Unknown 4.39%

White 66.34%

Gender

female 5.56%

male 94.44%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a radiation engineer

Explore radiation engineer education requirements

Most common radiation engineer degrees

Bachelor's

50.0 %

Master's

28.6 %

Associate

14.3 %

Start to develop specific radiation engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Collection	69.91%
ITAR	26.47%
CMOS	3.61%

Complete relevant radiation engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New radiation engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a radiation engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real radiation engineer resumes.

Research radiation engineer duties and responsibilities

Lead technology teams charge with full life cycle development processes involving system requirements and system architecture.
Comply with all regulatory mandates for radiation safety and ITAR restrictions.
Modele radiation environment using CREME96 and SPENVIS.
Conduct geotechnical and environmental subsurface investigations.

Apply for radiation engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a radiation engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams