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Job outlook for radiation engineers in the United States
Are radiation engineer jobs in demand?
Radiation engineer job and salary trends over time
Radiation engineer jobs over time
Radiation engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 178 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 220 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 222 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 224 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 234 | 0.00% |
Average radiation engineer salary over time
Radiation engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $95,529 | $45.93 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $93,324 | $44.87 | +5.4% |
| 2023 | $88,504 | $42.55 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $87,032 | $41.84 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | $84,079 | $40.42 | --0.7% |
Radiation engineer jobs by state
Most common states for radiation engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 291 | 42% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,034 | 12% |
| 3 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 809 | 11% |
| 4 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 445 | 11% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 103 | 11% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 684 | 10% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 588 | 10% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 541 | 10% |
| 9 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 304 | 10% |
| 10 | California | 39,536,653 | 3,474 | 9% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 363 | 7% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 97 | 7% |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 73 | 7% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 46 | 7% |
| 15 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 40 | 7% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 434 | 6% |
| 17 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 110 | 6% |
| 18 | Alaska | 739,795 | 41 | 6% |
| 19 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 640 | 5% |
| 20 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 81 | 5% |
Most common cities for radiation engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge | 2 | 2% | $110,853 |
| 2 | Hawthorne | 2 | 2% | $111,766 |
| 3 | Redondo Beach | 1 | 1% | $111,732 |
| 4 | Austin | 1 | 0% | $86,985 |
| 5 | Saint Petersburg | 1 | 0% | $80,981 |
Radiation Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of radiation engineer experts
North Carolina State University
Pennsylvania State University
Texas A&M University
American Nuclear Society
What technical skills for a Radiation Engineer stand out to employers?
Rob Hayes: Each discipline will have their own specificities which are characteristic of the degree title required (e.g., dental, electrical, mechanical, etc.) but they all prefer someone with experience. Basically, they assess each candidate by how much money the candidate can make them in terms of how long will they have to wait for them to be productive, how productive they will be and how long they will be productive (yes, it is a profit driver in the end). This has elements such as them being able to also be a team player or do projects alone as the taskings may require various flexibilities to make whatever product they sell to their customer (even in consulting). In STEM this is largely assessed by historical accomplishments (grades, awards, volunteer activities etc.) as your past performance is almost always the primary indicator that will be used to predict your future performance.
How have salaries changed over time for Radiation Engineers?
Rob Hayes: Yes, they are continually growing, each year. A very highly performing newly minted PhD can make 6 figures, a highly accomplished nuclear engineer who gets a BSNE and then somewhat later in their career is able to get certified as a health physicist can also make 6 figures. These numbers are regularly growing as nuclear engineering is a very demanding technical discipline, partly due to exceedingly high expectations from academia but also from regulators and industry.
Erin Blumsack
External Relations CoordinatorPennsylvania State University
Nuclear Engineering Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Radiation Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Erin Blumsack: I think there will be a shift in how employees are expected to start their jobs. Obviously, many new hires may be starting remotely if their companies can operate with remote workers. Over time, I expect that there will be a shift in employer flexibility regarding how their employees complete their jobs. I think that a lot of companies were hesitant to let employees work from home before the pandemic due to concerns about productivity, interactions, and lack of oversight. Since the world was forced to let people who could do so work from home, many of the fears that employers had were unfounded. Obviously, not all jobs can be fully remote and some cannot even be partially remote, but if part of an employee's job can be done remotely, then employers can start to offer more flexibility for things like child care and sick time. It will be interesting to see if some employers will stop relocating employees if they aren't required to be in the office.
What general advice would you give to a Radiation Engineer?
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 experience really stands out on Radiation Engineer resumes?
Pavel Tsvetkov Ph.D.: Research experiences are significant, both through research engagements with the faculty and through internships.
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 Radiation Engineers 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 Radiation Engineers 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.