Nuclear
Nuclear jobs in the U.S.: 57,942 employed (2024)
Every state ranked by nuclear employment
Nuclear occupations — national median wages
| Role | SOC | National median | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Engineer | 17-2161.00 | $122,480 | 4 |
| Nuclear Power Reactor Operator | 51-8011.00 | $120,350 | 3 |
Skill profile for nuclear roles
Top skills
Critical Thinking4.00
Reading Comprehension4.00
Active Listening3.94
Monitoring3.94
Complex Problem Solving3.88
Operations Monitoring3.81
Judgment and Decision Making3.75
Writing3.75
Knowledge
Physics4.32
Engineering and Technology4.06
Mathematics3.99
Public Safety and Security3.81
Mechanical3.68
Chemistry3.62
English Language3.49
Design3.35
Core abilities
Problem Sensitivity4.37
Information Ordering4.00
Oral Expression4.00
Written Comprehension4.00
Deductive Reasoning3.94
Inductive Reasoning3.94
Near Vision3.88
Oral Comprehension3.88
Representative tasks for nuclear workers
- Review and edit standard operating procedures. (Core)
- Record operating data, such as the results of surveillance tests. (Core)
- Conduct inspections or operations outside of control rooms as necessary. (Core)
- Examine accidents to obtain data for use in design of preventive measures. (Core)
- Initiate corrective actions or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations. (Core)
- Monitor or operate boilers, turbines, wells, or auxiliary power plant equipment. (Core)
- Implement operational procedures, such as those controlling start-up or shut-down activities. (Core)
- Authorize maintenance activities on units or changes in equipment or system operational status. (Supplemental)
- Direct measurement of the intensity or types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials. (Supplemental)
- Direct environmental compliance activities associated with nuclear plant operations or maintenance. (Core)
- Direct reactor operators in emergency situations, in accordance with emergency operating procedures. (Supplemental)
- Note malfunctions of equipment, instruments, or controls and report these conditions to supervisors. (Core)
Software and tools used in nuclear roles
Microsoft Access 🔥
Microsoft Excel 🔥
Microsoft Office software 🔥
Microsoft PowerPoint 🔥
Oracle Java 🔥
Structured query language SQL 🔥
The MathWorks MATLAB 🔥
UNIX 🔥
Python 🔥
C++ 🔥
Microsoft Azure software 🔥
Salesforce software 🔥
SAP software 🔥
Microsoft Power BI 🔥
SAS 🔥
Microsoft SharePoint 🔥
Microsoft Word 🔥
Linux 🔥
Spreadsheet software
Maplesoft Maple
Mathematical simulation software
Outage management system OMS
Mathsoft Mathcad
Plant information data entry software
Education & training paths into nuclear
IM
Job-Related Professional Certification3.1%
Apprenticeship1.8%
OJ
On-the-Job Training18.2%
PT
On-Site or In-Plant Training22.2%
Required Level of Education
Required Level of Education28.6%
Related Work Experience (Years)
Related Work Experience13.3%
Workforce composition of U.S. nuclear workers
| Demographic | Share of sector |
|---|---|
| 18 to 29 (%) | 27.8% |
| 30 to 54 (%) | 57.0% |
| 55 and over (%) | 15.1% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native (%) | 2.7% |
| Asian (%) | 9.0% |
| Black or African American, not Indigenous (%) | 9.5% |
| Female (%) | 30.4% |
| Formerly Incarcerated (%) | 2.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino (%) | 15.6% |
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (%) | 1.9% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino (%) | 84.4% |
| Represented by a Union (%) | 18.6% |
| Self-Identification of Disability (%) | 1.8% |
| Two or More Races (%) | 6.4% |
| Unknown Race (%) | 3.7% |
| Veterans (%) | 8.7% |
| White (%) | 68.1% |
Clean-energy technologies × NAICS industry groups (national)
| Technology | Construction (NAICS 23) | Manufacturing (NAICS 32-33) | Other (NAICS 81) | Professional Services (NAICS 51-56) | Wholesale Trade (42-45) | Utilities (NAICS 22) | Mining and Extraction (NAICS 21) | Agriculture (NAICS 11) | Commodity Flows | Pipeline Transportation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced building materials/insulation | 27,856 | 58,851 | 1,124 | 26,320 | 1,320 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Advanced Natural Gas | 10,421 | 2,677 | 843 | 11,730 | 5,522 | 49,375 | — | — | — | — |
| Air sealing | 37,359 | 2,349 | 252 | 12,330 | 18,881 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Battery | 41,225 | 14,294 | 1,154 | 13,408 | 8,727 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bio | 5,864 | 1,096 | 418 | 2,889 | 644 | 2,383 | — | — | — | — |
| Biodiesel fuels | — | 519 | 2 | 4,790 | 410 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Biofuels | 1,040 | — | 54 | 379 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified air-source heat pumps | 28,365 | 14,025 | 821 | 12,422 | 14,921 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified Appliances (not including HVAC) | 72,696 | 12,910 | 3,191 | 39,145 | 14,269 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified Commercial Food Service Equipment | 15,722 | 3,794 | 674 | 9,169 | 2,135 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified Data Center Equipment | 1,577 | 4,829 | 2,304 | 234 | 3,643 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified Electronics (TVs, Telephones, Audio/Video, etc.) | 154 | 3,924 | 1,072 | 270 | 1,833 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified ground-source or geothermal heat pumps | 2,691 | 1,542 | 68 | 1,201 | 1,575 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling (HVAC), except for air-source or ground-source heat pumps | 164,338 | 20,997 | 2,373 | 9,043 | 5,968 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified Insulation | 101,927 | 7,328 | 201 | 4,781 | 1,221 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified LED lighting | 60,886 | 14,047 | 2,984 | 55,136 | 19,324 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified Roofing | 22,738 | 7,167 | 255 | 2,842 | 1,328 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified water heaters | 15,553 | 420 | 94 | 4,310 | 1,713 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Certified Windows, Doors and Skylights | 14,546 | 1,149 | 424 | 7,930 | 2,104 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coal | 6,441 | 992 | 855 | 23,570 | 5,943 | 22,639 | 44,740 | — | — | — |
| Combined Heat and Power | 4,228 | 1,976 | 183 | 19,248 | 4,144 | 1,607 | — | — | — | — |
| Compressed NG | 53 | 26 | 0 | 385 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Corn Ethanol | — | 9,572 | 108 | 2,884 | 6,959 | — | — | 16,552 | — | — |
| Crude Oil | 427 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Electric Power Generation Total | 303,682 | 108,685 | 43,216 | 205,662 | 83,064 | 189,490 | — | — | — | — |
| Energy auditing services | 1,364 | 0 | 132 | 1,191 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Energy Efficiency Total | 1,297,543 | 327,716 | 42,991 | 503,139 | 210,354 | — | — | — | — | — |
| EPTD Total | 488,025 | 66,618 | 13,370 | 130,290 | 43,195 | 443,621 | — | — | 124,336 | 55,771 |
| EV Charging | 1,324 | 182 | 166 | 641 | 579 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fuels Total | 22,939 | 239,977 | 1,999 | 179,447 | 143,664 | — | 429,858 | 36,486 | — | — |
| Geothermal | 5,312 | 282 | 27 | 1,921 | 430 | 1,007 | — | — | — | — |
| Land-based Wind | 43,801 | 24,089 | 2,757 | 35,945 | 13,946 | 11,336 | — | — | — | — |
| LNG | 484 | 260 | 11 | 313 | 198 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Low Impact Hydropower | 1,894 | 3,215 | 68 | 4,379 | 2,555 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mechanical | 103 | 1,422 | 13 | 446 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Micro Grid | 12,299 | 3,651 | 552 | 3,246 | 1,722 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Motor Vehicles (Aggregate of Vehicle Technologies) | — | 290,671 | 1,023,239 | 66,390 | 54,356 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Motor Vehicles Component Parts | — | 710,911 | — | — | 377,263 | — | — | — | 110,298 | — |
| Motor Vehicles Total | — | 1,001,582 | 1,023,239 | 66,390 | 431,619 | — | — | — | 110,298 | 0 |
| Nat Gas | 11,016 | 3,474 | 1,070 | 8,623 | 3,514 | 19,578 | — | — | — | — |
| Nuclear | 0 | 1,731 | 0 | 76 | 2,494 | 40,100 | — | — | — | — |
| Nuclear Fuel | — | 2,794 | 0 | 5,779 | 947 | — | 440 | — | — | — |
| Offshore Natural Gas | — | 5,424 | 29 | 13,467 | 167 | — | 3,176 | — | — | — |
| Offshore Petroleum | — | 41,201 | 760 | 10,089 | 1,727 | — | 35,753 | — | — | — |
| Offshore Wind | 356 | 170 | 30 | 539 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oil and Other Petroleum | — | 5,312 | 132 | 4,430 | 2,147 | 454 | — | — | — | — |
| Onshore Natural Gas | — | 40,129 | 137 | 25,026 | 30,144 | — | 134,931 | — | — | — |
| Onshore Petroleum | 22,939 | 104,254 | 538 | 60,323 | 60,063 | — | 210,818 | — | — | — |
| Other | 31,125 | 40,672 | 3,025 | 19,067 | 4,904 | 4,703 | — | — | — | — |
| Other Biofuels | — | 162 | 25 | 4,124 | 1,159 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other Ethanol/Non-Woody Biomass, including Biodiesel | — | 2,784 | 71 | 10,251 | 5,837 | — | — | 2,756 | — | — |
| Other Fossil Fuel | — | 2,960 | 106 | 5,422 | 7,897 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other Gas | 280 | — | 0 | 123 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other Grid Modernization | 17,410 | 2,056 | 268 | 2,952 | 276 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other LED, CFL, and efficient lighting | 116,334 | 40,494 | 538 | 40,217 | 24,478 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other Liquid Fuel | 53 | — | 0 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other renewable heating and cooling (geothermal, biomass, heat pumps, etc.) | 53,164 | 4,745 | 128 | 16,962 | 5,006 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other Storage | 155 | — | 0 | 41 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pumped Hydro | 3,983 | 2,602 | 78 | 1,545 | 315 | — | — | — | — | 1,275 |
| Recycled building materials | 44,742 | 10,910 | 2,817 | 17,762 | 3,279 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Reduced water consumption products and appliances | 58,835 | 7,500 | 1,283 | 21,813 | 5,849 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Refined Petrol Fuels (Gas) | 464 | — | 217 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Refined Petrol Fuels (Liquid) | 414 | 278 | 225 | — | 31 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Renewable diesel fuels | — | 542 | 1 | 3,764 | 107 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Smart Grid | 12,380 | 1,678 | 185 | 11,350 | 1,627 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Solar | 181,671 | 46,513 | 35,852 | 58,487 | 31,700 | 16,333 | — | — | — | — |
| Solar thermal water heating and cooling | 16,530 | 2,666 | 656 | 8,426 | 3,221 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Storage Total | 49,743 | 19,057 | 1,833 | 17,171 | 9,355 | — | — | — | — | 1,275 |
| Thermal | 748 | 174 | 82 | 379 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Trad Transmission and Distribution | 365,840 | 43,302 | 12,108 | 84,539 | 37,639 | 443,621 | — | — | 124,336 | 55,771 |
| Traditional HVAC goods, control systems, and services | 330,635 | 31,799 | 17,046 | 166,352 | 63,484 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Traditional Hydropower | 9,353 | 13,162 | 237 | 9,006 | 6,357 | 19,975 | — | — | — | — |
| Transmission, Distribution, and Storage Total | 537,767 | 85,675 | 15,203 | 147,461 | 52,550 | 443,621 | — | — | 124,336 | 57,047 |
| Waste fuels | — | 154 | 4 | 4,356 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Woody Biomass/Cellulosic Biofuel | — | 4,670 | 44 | 10,833 | 1,049 | — | — | 17,178 | — | — |