Jobs / Architecture and engineering / 17-2161.00
Nuclear Engineers
Conduct research on nuclear engineering projects or apply principles and theory of nuclear science to problems concerned with release, control, and use of nuclear energy and nuclear waste disposal.
- US jobs
- 15,280
- Median wage
- $133,970 a year
- Job family
- Architecture and engineering
Can agents do the work of nuclear engineers?
We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Architecture and engineering:
- Task levelUnexploredNo task-level benchmark in our collection tests architecture or engineering design work, such as CAD modeling or engineering calculations.
- Project levelNot yetWhole projects are mostly out of reach. The Remote Labor Index includes 3D, CAD, and architecture projects; across all its projects, the best agent completed 15.8% to a standard a client would accept. GDPval includes mechanical engineers, and its deliverables score higher, but those tasks are one-shot and fully specified.
Benchmarks for the job family
These cover work in architecture and engineering, not always this occupation's tasks.
- 1846 EloClaude Opus 5.5 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort, Default Fallback) · 23 Sep 2026Unrated
Typical tasks
From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.
- Design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms.
- Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations.
- Initiate corrective actions or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations.
- Examine accidents to obtain data for use in design of preventive measures.
- Direct operating or maintenance activities of nuclear power plants to ensure efficiency and conformity to safety standards.
- Design or oversee construction or operation of nuclear reactors, power plants, or nuclear fuels reprocessing and reclamation systems.
- Direct environmental compliance activities associated with nuclear plant operations or maintenance.
- Write operational instructions to be used in nuclear plant operation or nuclear fuel or waste handling and disposal.
- Prepare technical reports of findings or recommendations, based on synthesized analyses of test results.
- Prepare environmental impact statements, reports, or presentations for regulatory or other agencies.
- Develop or contribute to the development of plans to remediate or restore environments affected by nuclear radiation, such as waste disposal sites.
- Conduct tests of nuclear fuel behavior and cycles or performance of nuclear machinery and equipment to optimize performance of existing plants.
Other job titles for this occupation (45)
Engineer · Nuclear Design Engineer · Nuclear Engineer · Nuclear Licensing Engineer · Nuclear Process Engineer · Nuclear Reactor Engineer · Nuclear Safety Engineer · Nuclear Steam Supply System Engineer (NSSS Engineer) · Radiological Engineer · Reactor Engineer · Atomic Process Engineer · Core Measures Abstractor · Engineering Officer · Instrumentation and Controls Engineer · Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer · Nuclear Electrician · Nuclear Equipment Design Engineer · Nuclear Equipment Research Engineer · Nuclear Equipment Test Engineer · Nuclear Fuels Reclamation Engineer · Nuclear Fuels Research Engineer · Nuclear Mechanic · Nuclear Officer · Nuclear Plant Technical Advisor · Nuclear Power Plant Engineer · Nuclear Project Manager (Nuclear PM) · Nuclear Radiation Engineer · Nuclear Test Reactor Program Coordinator · Nuclear Waste Management Engineer · Radiation Engineer · Radiation Officer · Radiation Protection Engineer · Radioactive Materials Waste Management Engineer · Radiological Defense Officer · Reactor Projects Engineer · Regulatory Compliance Coordinator · Regulatory Coordinator · Safety Engineer · Steam Technical Advisor · Structural Engineer · Survivability Engineer · System Engineer · System Safety Engineer · Weapons Designer · Weapons Engineer