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As of October 2025, the average salary for a Reactor Engineer is $98,752 annually, or around $47 per hour. This figure reflects the diverse roles within the industry, including positions in nuclear power plants, research facilities, and engineering firms. Factors such as experience, education, and geographic location significantly influence salary estimates.
Reactor engineers can earn more in states like California, Texas, and New York, where the demand for skilled engineers in the energy sector is high. Specific industries, including nuclear energy and defense, also offer competitive salaries. For instance, engineers working in research and development roles may command higher pay due to specialized skills and responsibilities.
It’s essential for job seekers to explore salary trends across different regions and sectors. Utilizing resources like Zippia allows you to compare salaries and job opportunities effectively. Additionally, networking and professional development can enhance your qualifications, leading to higher earning potential in the field.
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Let Zippi find your next reactor engineer job
The highest-paying states for reactor engineers are Nevada, California, and Idaho. The lowest average reactor engineer salary states are Wyoming, Hawaii, and Virginia.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $117,557 | $56.52 |
| 2 | Utah | $108,411 | $52.12 |
| 3 | Nevada | $123,828 | $59.53 |
| 4 | California | $119,768 | $57.58 |
| 5 | Delaware | $108,673 | $52.25 |
| 6 | Colorado | $111,569 | $53.64 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $112,588 | $54.13 |
| 8 | Washington | $108,010 | $51.93 |
| 9 | Indiana | $103,871 | $49.94 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $108,051 | $51.95 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $106,983 | $51.43 |
| 12 | Alaska | $108,287 | $52.06 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $106,023 | $50.97 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $104,564 | $50.27 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $107,337 | $51.60 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $102,601 | $49.33 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $103,774 | $49.89 |
| 18 | Arizona | $100,081 | $48.12 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $103,267 | $49.65 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $103,250 | $49.64 |
| 21 | Vermont | $101,189 | $48.65 |
| 22 | Illinois | $99,264 | $47.72 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $98,899 | $47.55 |
| 24 | Kansas | $100,994 | $48.55 |
| 25 | Iowa | $97,766 | $47.00 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $98,764 | $47.48 |
| 27 | New York | $98,509 | $47.36 |
| 28 | Montana | $99,232 | $47.71 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $97,799 | $47.02 |
| 30 | Alabama | $91,195 | $43.84 |
| 31 | Maryland | $94,004 | $45.19 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $92,372 | $44.41 |
| 33 | New Jersey | $99,055 | $47.62 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $94,016 | $45.20 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $92,149 | $44.30 |
| 36 | Texas | $89,093 | $42.83 |
| 37 | Georgia | $92,276 | $44.36 |
| 38 | Oregon | $89,475 | $43.02 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $93,525 | $44.96 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $92,712 | $44.57 |
| 41 | Michigan | $87,232 | $41.94 |
| 42 | Virginia | $81,578 | $39.22 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $85,363 | $41.04 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $83,072 | $39.94 |
| 45 | Maine | $93,053 | $44.74 |
| 46 | Florida | $80,360 | $38.63 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $85,603 | $41.16 |
| 48 | Missouri | $87,377 | $42.01 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $81,708 | $39.28 |
| 50 | Ohio | $80,972 | $38.93 |
| 51 | Minnesota | $78,509 | $37.74 |
The highest-paying cities for reactor engineers are San Francisco, CA, Las Vegas, NV, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $127,099 | $61.11 |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | $123,006 | $59.14 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $112,645 | $54.16 |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $111,394 | $53.55 |
| 5 | Lehi, UT | $108,627 | $52.22 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $108,590 | $52.21 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $106,121 | $51.02 |
| 8 | Indianapolis, IN | $103,831 | $49.92 |
| 9 | Madison, WI | $103,211 | $49.62 |
| 10 | Scottsdale, AZ | $100,601 | $48.37 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $99,546 | $47.86 |
| 12 | Jersey City, NJ | $98,923 | $47.56 |
| 13 | New York, NY | $98,825 | $47.51 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $94,470 | $45.42 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $94,105 | $45.24 |
| 16 | Oklahoma City, OK | $93,974 | $45.18 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $91,753 | $44.11 |
| 18 | Austin, TX | $89,541 | $43.05 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | $88,463 | $42.53 |
| 20 | Raleigh, NC | $86,312 | $41.50 |
A reactor engineer's salary ranges from $67,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $144,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $144,000 | $12,000 | $69 |
| 75th Percentile | $120,000 | $10,000 | $58 |
| Average | $98,752 | $8,229 | $47 |
| 25th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
The highest paying types of reactor engineers are radiation officer, nuclear engineer, and reactor projects engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | $92,077 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Nuclear Engineer | $99,677 | $8,306 | $47.92 | 8,747 |
| Radiation Engineer | $95,529 | $7,961 | $45.93 | 25,305 |
Top companies hiring reactor engineers now:
Reactor engineer salaries at Expensify and Cisco are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average reactor engineer salary at companies like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and CyberCoders are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expensify | $137,150 | $65.94 |
| 2 | Cisco | $127,100 | $61.11 |
| 3 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $126,173 | $60.66 |
| 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 |
| 9 | Autodesk | $116,169 | $55.85 |
| 10 | Vivid Seats | $114,903 | $55.24 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
The average reactor engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $97,149 | $46.71 |
| 2 | Education | $96,857 | $46.57 |
| 3 | Government | $95,011 | $45.68 |
| 4 | Health Care | $91,047 | $43.77 |
| 5 | Utilities | $89,351 | $42.96 |
| 6 | Hospitality | $84,290 | $40.52 |
The average reactor engineer salary has risen by $12,082 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average reactor engineer earned $86,670 annually, but today, they earn $98,752 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for reactor engineers over the last decade.
Compare reactor engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare reactor engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $98,800 | $47.48 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $96,500 | $46.38 | +5.2% |
| 2023 | $91,500 | $43.99 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $90,000 | $43.25 | +3.4% |
| 2021 | $86,900 | $41.79 | -0.7% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constellation | Engineer, Reactor | Delta, PA | 06/28/2025 | $115,000 |
| Constellation Energy Corp | Engineer, Reactor | Delta, PA | 06/28/2025 | $115,000 |
| Altruist | Senior React Native Engineer | San Francisco, CA | 06/28/2025 | $170,000 |
| Insight Global | Javascript/React Engineer-(Will GET Secret Clearance)-**MID Level | Suffolk, VA | 06/28/2025 | $90,000 |
| Skillz | React Native Engineer | Las Vegas, NV | 06/18/2025 | $154,000 |
| Cookunity | Staff React Native Engineer, Marketplace | New York, NY | 06/12/2025 | $176,000 |
| Frontera Strategies | Senior React Native/Frontend Mobile Engineer | Denver, CO | 06/09/2025 | $130,000 |
| Finvari | Staff React-Native Engineer | Seattle, WA | 06/09/2025 | $180,000 |
| Livefront | React Native Engineer | Minneapolis, MN | 06/05/2025 | $90,000 |
| Idaho National Lab | Advanced Reactor Engineer Analyst | Idaho Falls, ID | 05/26/2025 | $77,628 |
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