Nuclear Engineering Major Guide: Overview and RoEDU™ Opportunities 2025

The Nuclear Engineering major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.

Within Engineering, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.

Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.

As part of Engineering, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.

Salary Outlook

Entry-level salary
$108,392

Typical starting pay soon after graduation.

Mid-career salary (10y)
$161,020

Estimated after a decade of experience.

Experienced salary (20y)
$203,322

Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.

Weighted median over last 5 years
CAGR 2.4%

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.

Estimated lifetime earnings

40 years, present value
$3,849,420

Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.

Career Opportunities & Salaries

Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections

OccupationMedian WageTotal JobsGrowth RateEducation
Architectural and Engineering Managers
SOC: 11-9041
Occupation: Architectural and Engineering Managers
$167,740
210,340
N/A
N/A
Nuclear Engineers
SOC: 17-2161
Occupation: Nuclear Engineers
$127,520
14,740
N/A
N/A
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC: 25-1032
Occupation: Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
$106,120
39,910
N/A
N/A

Historical Career Trends (2020-2024)

Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years

Nuclear Engineers

9.8%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$127,52014,740
2023$125,46012,710
2022$122,48012,250
2021$120,38012,670
2020$116,14015,700

Colleges offering Nuclear Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$16k

Earnings

$92k

Texas A & M University-College Station

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$22k

Earnings

$64k

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$15k

Earnings

$69k

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$36k

Earnings

$90k

Colorado School of Mines

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$30k

Earnings

$88k