Nebraska Nuclear jobs: 772 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Nebraska employs 772 people in the nuclear sector — about 1.3% of the U.S. total. That makes Nebraska the 25th-largest state for nuclear jobs nationwide.
Nuclear Jobs in Nebraska (2024)
National share: 1.33% of all U.S. nuclear jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Nebraska ranks 25th out of 51 U.S. states in nuclear employment. At 772 workers, the state sits below the 25th-ranked Arkansas’s tally by 206 jobs, and trails the national leader South Carolina by 3,533 nuclear workers.
1.1 Nebraska’s position vs. the top 10 and median states
1.2 Share of U.S. total
The nuclear sector nationwide employs roughly 57,942 workers; Nebraska accounts for 772 of them.
1.3 Where Nebraska sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 14,476 | #35 |
| Solar | 2,061 | #32 |
| Nuclear | 772 | #25 |
| Wind | 741 | #37 |
| Electric Vehicles | 696 | #33 |
| Storage & Grid | 292 | #46 |
| Hydropower | 223 | #33 |
| Clean Fuels | 135 | #36 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Nebraska
Every nuclear-related sub-category reported for Nebraska in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Nebraska
Nebraska contributes 1.33% of the nation’s nuclear workforce. Within Nebraska’s own clean-energy economy, nuclear accounts for 4.0% of total clean-energy jobs (772 of 19,398 workers).
Cost-of-living in Nebraska is roughly 8.5% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for nuclear roles in Nebraska is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Nebraska-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Engineer | $122,480 | $112,069 | 4 |
| Nuclear Power Reactor Operator | $120,350 | $110,120 | 3 |
See all 2 nuclear occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Nebraska employers rate 18.0% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 33.3% as “somewhat difficult”) — easier than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 51.2% of Nebraska’s clean-energy roles see some level of hiring friction.
4.1 Employer hiring difficulty
4.2 Jobs by NAICS industry group
| Industry (NAICS group) | Jobs (2024) |
|---|---|
| Construction | 16,966 |
| Manufacturing | 9,284 |
| Other Services | 8,243 |
| Trade | 7,659 |
| Utilities | 7,006 |
| Professional Services | 5,014 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 2,408 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 1,638 |
| Mining and Extraction | 254 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Data source: U.S. Department of Energy — 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (reflecting 2024 employment); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics; O*NET Occupation Database 29.1.
Last updated: April 2026.