Best states for a reactor engineer

Q: What is the best state for reactor engineers?

The best state to be a reactor engineer is Idaho based on reactor engineer salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for reactor engineers?

The highest paying state for reactor engineers is Minnesota based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for reactor engineers?

The worst state for reactor engineers is Minnesota, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar Ph.D.

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Are you thinking of becoming a reactor engineer and really want to work at Motion Recruitment Partners? Turns out, your chances to become a reactor engineer are better in some states than others.In order to help you decide which state is the best for reactor engineers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for reactor engineer jobs.

In order to get you the best states for reactor engineers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a reactor engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for reactor engineers in 2026

1. Idaho
Total reactor engineer jobs: 45
Average annual salary: $117,557
Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000
Location Quotient:
0.91
Reactor engineer jobs in Idaho
2. Utah
Total reactor engineer jobs: 153
Average annual salary: $108,411
Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000
Location Quotient:
1.6
Reactor engineer jobs in Utah
3. Nevada
Total reactor engineer jobs: 45
Average annual salary: $123,828
Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000
Location Quotient:
0.72
Reactor engineer jobs in Nevada
4. California
Total reactor engineer jobs: 1,637
Average annual salary: $119,768
Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000
Location Quotient:
1.87
Reactor engineer jobs in California
5. Delaware
Total reactor engineer jobs: 67
Average annual salary: $108,673
Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000
Location Quotient:
1.78
Reactor engineer jobs in Delaware
6. Colorado
Total reactor engineer jobs: 262
Average annual salary: $111,569
Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000
Location Quotient:
1.47
Reactor engineer jobs in Colorado
7. District of Columbia
Total reactor engineer jobs: 175
Average annual salary: $112,588
Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000
Location Quotient:
3.48
Reactor engineer jobs in District of Columbia
8. Washington
Total reactor engineer jobs: 363
Average annual salary: $108,010
Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000
Location Quotient:
1.66
Reactor engineer jobs in Washington
9. Indiana
Total reactor engineer jobs: 161
Average annual salary: $103,871
Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000
Location Quotient:
0.82
Reactor engineer jobs in Indiana
10. West Virginia
Total reactor engineer jobs: 18
Average annual salary: $108,051
Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000
Location Quotient:
0.39
Reactor engineer jobs in West Virginia

Reactor engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a reactor engineer

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a reactor engineer

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Idaho	$117,557	$82,000	1,716,943	45
2	Utah	$108,411	$75,000	3,101,833	153
3	Nevada	$123,828	$86,000	2,998,039	45
4	California	$119,768	$83,000	39,536,653	1,637
5	Delaware	$108,673	$76,000	961,939	67
6	Colorado	$111,569	$77,000	5,607,154	262
7	District of Columbia	$112,588	$79,000	693,972	175
8	Washington	$108,010	$76,000	7,405,743	363
9	Indiana	$103,871	$73,000	6,666,818	161
10	West Virginia	$108,051	$76,000	1,815,857	18
11	Rhode Island	$106,983	$74,000	1,059,639	19
12	Alaska	$108,287	$80,000	739,795	20
13	Massachusetts	$106,023	$73,000	6,859,819	322
14	New Hampshire	$104,564	$72,000	1,342,795	36
15	Connecticut	$107,337	$74,000	3,588,184	74
16	New Mexico	$102,601	$71,000	2,088,070	36
17	Wisconsin	$103,774	$74,000	5,795,483	86
18	Arizona	$100,081	$69,000	7,016,270	189
19	Kentucky	$103,267	$72,000	4,454,189	43
20	Louisiana	$103,250	$69,000	4,684,333	49
21	Vermont	$101,189	$70,000	623,657	19
22	Illinois	$99,264	$71,000	12,802,023	312
23	South Carolina	$98,899	$67,000	5,024,369	75
24	Kansas	$100,994	$70,000	2,913,123	35
25	Iowa	$97,766	$70,000	3,145,711	47
26	Mississippi	$98,764	$67,000	2,984,100	19
27	New York	$98,509	$68,000	19,849,399	403
28	Montana	$99,232	$70,000	1,050,493	16
29	North Dakota	$97,799	$71,000	755,393	7
30	Alabama	$91,195	$61,000	4,874,747	119
31	Maryland	$94,004	$66,000	6,052,177	342
32	Nebraska	$92,372	$65,000	1,920,076	57
33	New Jersey	$99,055	$69,000	9,005,644	161
34	Pennsylvania	$94,016	$65,000	12,805,537	178
35	Arkansas	$92,149	$64,000	3,004,279	46
36	Texas	$89,093	$61,000	28,304,596	555
37	Georgia	$92,276	$62,000	10,429,379	242
38	Oregon	$89,475	$63,000	4,142,776	202
39	Oklahoma	$93,525	$65,000	3,930,864	36
40	South Dakota	$92,712	$66,000	869,666	11
41	Michigan	$87,232	$61,000	9,962,311	188
42	Virginia	$81,578	$57,000	8,470,020	546
43	North Carolina	$85,363	$58,000	10,273,419	238
44	Wyoming	$83,072	$58,000	579,315	16
45	Maine	$93,053	$64,000	1,335,907	15
46	Florida	$80,360	$52,000	20,984,400	418
47	Tennessee	$85,603	$59,000	6,715,984	69
48	Missouri	$87,377	$61,000	6,113,532	72
49	Hawaii	$81,708	$59,000	1,427,538	19
50	Ohio	$80,972	$57,000	11,658,609	167
51	Minnesota	$78,509	$56,000	5,576,606	134

Highest paying states for reactor engineers

Rank	State	Avg. Reactor Engineer Salary
1	Idaho	$117,557
2	Utah	$108,411
3	Nevada	$123,828
4	California	$119,768
5	Delaware	$108,673
6	Colorado	$111,569
7	District of Columbia	$112,588
8	Washington	$108,010
9	Indiana	$103,871
10	West Virginia	$108,051
11	Rhode Island	$106,983
12	Alaska	$108,287
13	Massachusetts	$106,023
14	New Hampshire	$104,564
15	Connecticut	$107,337
16	New Mexico	$102,601
17	Wisconsin	$103,774
18	Arizona	$100,081
19	Kentucky	$103,267
20	Louisiana	$103,250
21	Vermont	$101,189
22	Illinois	$99,264
23	South Carolina	$98,899
24	Kansas	$100,994
25	Iowa	$97,766
26	Mississippi	$98,764
27	New York	$98,509
28	Montana	$99,232
29	North Dakota	$97,799
30	Alabama	$91,195
31	Maryland	$94,004
32	Nebraska	$92,372
33	New Jersey	$99,055
34	Pennsylvania	$94,016
35	Arkansas	$92,149
36	Texas	$89,093
37	Georgia	$92,276
38	Oregon	$89,475
39	Oklahoma	$93,525
40	South Dakota	$92,712
41	Michigan	$87,232
42	Virginia	$81,578
43	North Carolina	$85,363
44	Wyoming	$83,072
45	Maine	$93,053
46	Florida	$80,360
47	Tennessee	$85,603
48	Missouri	$87,377
49	Hawaii	$81,708
50	Ohio	$80,972
51	Minnesota	$78,509

Expert opinions on the best states for reactor engineers

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for reactor engineers to find work 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 University, American Nuclear Society
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.

Reactor engineer best states FAQs

What is the best state for reactor engineers?

What is the highest paying state for reactor engineers?

What is the worst state for reactor engineers?

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Search for reactor engineer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs

Total reactor engineer jobs:	45
Average annual salary:	$117,557
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$82,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$166,000
Location Quotient:	0.91

Best states for a reactor engineer

10 best states for reactor engineers in 2026

1. Idaho

2. Utah

3. Nevada

4. California

5. Delaware

6. Colorado

7. District of Columbia

8. Washington

9. Indiana

10. West Virginia