How to hire a reactor engineer

How to hire a reactor engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step reactor engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a reactor engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new reactor engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a reactor engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The reactor engineer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A reactor engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, reactor engineers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of reactor engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Reactor Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Reactor Engineer	Nuclear engineers research and develop the processes, instruments, and systems used to derive benefits from nuclear energy and radiation. Many of these engineers find industrial and medical uses for radioactive materials—for example, in equipment used in medical diagnosis and treatment.	$32-69
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62
   Nuclear Engineer	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... Show more	$32-70

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • DOE
   • Technical Specifications
   • NRC
   • Nuclear Power
   • Engineering Support
   • MATLAB
   • R
   • Outage
   • Nuclear Reactor
   • Nuclear Instrumentation
   • Aircraft Carriers
   • Core Physics
   • Nuclear Facilities

   Responsibilities:

   • Present recommendations to improve NRC's project management and scheduling practices to achieve realistic and dynamic project schedules.
   • Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
   • Develop programs and scripts (MATLAB) to effectively postprocess results.
   • Develop and implement NRC processes and procedures for NRC's project scheduling operations.
   • Perform physics testing following refueling outage.
   • Supervise and support the electrical engineering on-call/on-site coverage of outage relate refueling equipment services.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your reactor engineer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A reactor engineer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, reactor engineers' average salary in minnesota is 37% less than in nevada.
   • Seniority. Entry-level reactor engineers 53% less than senior-level reactor engineers.
   • Certifications. A reactor engineer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a reactor engineer's salary.

   Average reactor engineer salary

   $98,752yearly

   $47.48 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level reactor engineer salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average reactor engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$127,099	$61
   2	Nevada	$123,006	$59
   3	District of Columbia	$112,645	$54
   4	Colorado	$111,394	$54
   5	Utah	$108,627	$52
   6	Washington	$108,590	$52
   7	Massachusetts	$106,121	$51
   8	Indiana	$103,831	$50
   9	Wisconsin	$103,211	$50
   10	Arizona	$100,601	$48
   11	Illinois	$99,546	$48
   12	New Jersey	$98,923	$48
   13	New York	$98,825	$48
   14	Pennsylvania	$94,470	$45
   15	Maryland	$94,105	$45
   16	Oklahoma	$93,974	$45
   17	Georgia	$91,753	$44
   18	Texas	$89,541	$43
   19	Oregon	$88,463	$43
   20	North Carolina	$86,312	$42

   Average reactor engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Expensify	$137,150	$65.94	5
   2	Cisco	$127,100	$61.11
   3	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$126,173	$60.66	3
   4	CyberCoders	$122,769	$59.02
   5	Classy	$122,583	$58.93
   6	Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.	$121,015	$58.18
   7	iCapital Network	$119,327	$57.37
   8	American Express	$118,424	$56.93	1
   9	Autodesk	$116,169	$55.85
   10	Vivid Seats	$114,903	$55.24	2
   11	SoundCloud	$113,904	$54.76
   12	Dynatrace	$110,012	$52.89
   13	Northwestern Mutual	$109,499	$52.64
   14	Recruit	$107,861	$51.86	1
   15	Motion Recruitment	$105,605	$50.77
   16	The Plum Tree Group	$105,205	$50.58
   17	Prosum	$105,134	$50.55
   18	Dialexa	$104,307	$50.15
   19	Camden Kelly	$103,778	$49.89
   20	CVS Health	$103,772	$49.89	14

4. Writing a reactor engineer job description

   A good reactor engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a reactor engineer job description:

   Reactor engineer job description example

   Job DescriptionSr. React Native Engineer If you are a React Native Engineer, please read on!
   
   Based out of the San Francisco bay area we are a visual AI-as-a-Service platform for enterprise businesses. Our augmented reality software allow our clients to add unique features to their mobile applications and differentiate themselves from crowd. Currently we offer solutions to the home decor, construction, and heath and wellness industries.
   
   Our next React Native Engineer will be developing cross platform React Native app solutions. They will have solid experience with JavaScript and have some experience with native mobile development in either iOS or Android. Ideally they would have some exposure to the SDK deployment cycle or working on AI Edge solutions.Top Reasons to Work with Us- 100% Remote
   - Generous equity and compensation
   - Invent and build products at the cutting edge of mobile AI and AR technology
   - Join a rapidly growing and highly ambitious team building the future of AI and ARWhat You Will Be Doing- Design and develop emerging AI and AR solutions alongside our team
   - Work with our customers on integrating our edge-AI technology into applications
   - Build new React Native modules and components What You Need for this Position3+ years with:
   - React Native mobile development
   
   Some experience required:
   - iOS or Android native development
   
   Nice to haves:
   - AI or AR experience
   - Mobile SDK development What's In It for You- $150K - $180K/ Year
   - Generous Stock/Equity
   - Health/Dental/Vision
   - PTO/HolidaysSo, if you are a React Native Engineer, please apply today!Colorado employees will receive paid sick leave. For additional information about available benefits, please contact Peter Lindmark -

   Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

   
   
   CyberCoders, Inc is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Your Right to Work – In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right reactor engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with reactor engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit reactor engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your reactor engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit reactor engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting reactor engineers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new reactor engineer

   Once you've found the reactor engineer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new reactor engineer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a reactor engineer?