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Reactor engineer salary

Average reactor engineer salary

$98,752

$47.48 hourly rate

Entry-level reactor engineer salary
$67,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Average Reactor Engineer Salary

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.

Highest Paying States for Reactor Engineers

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.

Salary Insights

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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Where can a Reactor Engineer earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
156k
136k
116k
96k
76k
56k
Columbus, OH$127,099
Raleigh, NC$86,312
Compare salary by company
Vs
154k
134k
114k
94k
74k
Expensify$137,150
CVS Health$103,772

Reactor engineer salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, SalaryExpert, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a reactor engineer typically falls between $78,035 and $147,797.
zippia
$98,752yearly
glassdoor[1]
$147,797yearly
comparably[2]
$128,326yearly
Salary.com[3]
$120,814yearly
payscale[4]
$78,035yearly
SalaryExpert[5]
$81,911yearly

Average reactor engineer salary by state

The highest-paying states for reactor engineers are Nevada, California, and Idaho. The lowest average reactor engineer salary states are Wyoming, Hawaii, and Virginia.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for reactor engineers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Idaho$117,557$56.52
2Utah$108,411$52.12
3Nevada$123,828$59.53
4California$119,768$57.58
5Delaware$108,673$52.25
6Colorado$111,569$53.64
7District of Columbia$112,588$54.13
8Washington$108,010$51.93
9Indiana$103,871$49.94
10West Virginia$108,051$51.95
11Rhode Island$106,983$51.43
12Alaska$108,287$52.06
13Massachusetts$106,023$50.97
14New Hampshire$104,564$50.27
15Connecticut$107,337$51.60
16New Mexico$102,601$49.33
17Wisconsin$103,774$49.89
18Arizona$100,081$48.12
19Kentucky$103,267$49.65
20Louisiana$103,250$49.64
21Vermont$101,189$48.65
22Illinois$99,264$47.72
23South Carolina$98,899$47.55
24Kansas$100,994$48.55
25Iowa$97,766$47.00
26Mississippi$98,764$47.48
27New York$98,509$47.36
28Montana$99,232$47.71
29North Dakota$97,799$47.02
30Alabama$91,195$43.84
31Maryland$94,004$45.19
32Nebraska$92,372$44.41
33New Jersey$99,055$47.62
34Pennsylvania$94,016$45.20
35Arkansas$92,149$44.30
36Texas$89,093$42.83
37Georgia$92,276$44.36
38Oregon$89,475$43.02
39Oklahoma$93,525$44.96
40South Dakota$92,712$44.57
41Michigan$87,232$41.94
42Virginia$81,578$39.22
43North Carolina$85,363$41.04
44Wyoming$83,072$39.94
45Maine$93,053$44.74
46Florida$80,360$38.63
47Tennessee$85,603$41.16
48Missouri$87,377$42.01
49Hawaii$81,708$39.28
50Ohio$80,972$38.93
51Minnesota$78,509$37.74

Highest paying cities for reactor engineers

The highest-paying cities for reactor engineers are San Francisco, CA, Las Vegas, NV, and Washington, DC.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1San Francisco, CA$127,099$61.11
2Las Vegas, NV$123,006$59.14
3Washington, DC$112,645$54.16
4Denver, CO$111,394$53.55
5Lehi, UT$108,627$52.22
6Seattle, WA$108,590$52.21
7Boston, MA$106,121$51.02
8Indianapolis, IN$103,831$49.92
9Madison, WI$103,211$49.62
10Scottsdale, AZ$100,601$48.37
11Chicago, IL$99,546$47.86
12Jersey City, NJ$98,923$47.56
13New York, NY$98,825$47.51
14Philadelphia, PA$94,470$45.42
15Baltimore, MD$94,105$45.24
16Oklahoma City, OK$93,974$45.18
17Atlanta, GA$91,753$44.11
18Austin, TX$89,541$43.05
19Portland, OR$88,463$42.53
20Raleigh, NC$86,312$41.50

Reactor engineer salary details

A reactor engineer's salary ranges from $67,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $144,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average reactor engineer salary graph
Average reactor engineer salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a reactor engineer's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly 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

Highest paying reactor engineer jobs

The highest paying types of reactor engineers are radiation officer, nuclear engineer, and reactor projects engineer.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Engineer$92,077$7,673$44.27618,207
Nuclear Engineer$99,677$8,306$47.928,747
Radiation Engineer$95,529$7,961$45.9325,305

Which companies pay reactor engineers the most?

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.

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

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$95,000$94,000$93,000$92,000$91,000$90,000
MaleFemale

Reactor Engineer salary by industry

The average reactor engineer salary varies across industries:

  • The average reactor engineer salary in the professional industry is $97,149, the highest of any industry.
  • The average reactor engineer salary in the finance industry is $96,857.
  • Reactor engineers in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $84,290, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for reactor engineers

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Professional$97,149$46.71
2Education$96,857$46.57
3Government$95,011$45.68
4Health Care$91,047$43.77
5Utilities$89,351$42.96
6Hospitality$84,290$40.52

High paying reactor engineer jobs

Reactor engineer salary trends

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.

Average reactor engineer salary over time

Compare reactor engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Reactor engineer salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly 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%

Recently added reactor engineer salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
ConstellationEngineer, ReactorDelta, PA06/28/2025$115,000
Constellation Energy CorpEngineer, ReactorDelta, PA06/28/2025$115,000
AltruistSenior React Native EngineerSan Francisco, CA06/28/2025$170,000
Insight GlobalJavascript/React Engineer-(Will GET Secret Clearance)-**MID LevelSuffolk, VA06/28/2025$90,000
SkillzReact Native EngineerLas Vegas, NV06/18/2025$154,000
CookunityStaff React Native Engineer, MarketplaceNew York, NY06/12/2025$176,000
Frontera StrategiesSenior React Native/Frontend Mobile EngineerDenver, CO06/09/2025$130,000
FinvariStaff React-Native EngineerSeattle, WA06/09/2025$180,000
LivefrontReact Native EngineerMinneapolis, MN06/05/2025$90,000
Idaho National LabAdvanced Reactor Engineer AnalystIdaho Falls, ID05/26/2025$77,628

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