New York Nuclear jobs: 3,545 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, New York employs 3,545 people in the nuclear sector — about 6.1% of the U.S. total. That makes New York the 5th-largest state for nuclear jobs nationwide.
Nuclear Jobs in New York (2024)
National share: 6.12% of all U.S. nuclear jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
New York ranks 5th out of 51 U.S. states in nuclear employment. At 3,545 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked Arkansas’s tally by 2,567 jobs, and trails the national leader South Carolina by 761 nuclear workers.
1.1 New York’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; New York accounts for 3,545 of them.
1.3 Where New York sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 135,393 | #3 |
| Solar | 16,152 | #5 |
| Hydropower | 5,309 | #4 |
| Electric Vehicles | 4,513 | #9 |
| Wind | 4,496 | #8 |
| Nuclear | 3,545 | #5 |
| Storage & Grid | 2,670 | #9 |
| Clean Fuels | 863 | #5 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in New York
Every nuclear-related sub-category reported for New York in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in New York
New York contributes 6.12% of the nation’s nuclear workforce. Within New York’s own clean-energy economy, nuclear accounts for 2.0% of total clean-energy jobs (3,545 of 172,941 workers).
Cost-of-living in New York is roughly 10.9% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for nuclear roles in New York is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | New York-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Engineer | $122,480 | $135,830 | 4 |
| Nuclear Power Reactor Operator | $120,350 | $133,468 | 3 |
See all 2 nuclear occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
New York employers rate 16.3% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 33.0% as “somewhat difficult”) — easier than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 49.3% of New York’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) |
|---|---|
| Professional Services | 100,410 |
| Construction | 71,757 |
| Other Services | 57,301 |
| Utilities | 39,014 |
| Trade | 32,983 |
| Manufacturing | 28,744 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 2,357 |
| Mining and Extraction | 587 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 452 |
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.