How much should I pay a nuclear power reactor operators in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators is $122,886 to $130,478 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows manufacturing wages growing about 3.3% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a nuclear power reactor operators?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $109,429 is below market, $122,886 to $130,478 is competitive, and above $130,478 is above market for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.

How is nuclear power reactor operators pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 0.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI). Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 51-8011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$122,886

$59.08/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Nuclear Power Reactor Operators salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$99K

P25$109K

P50$123K

P75$130K

P90$149K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $122,886 to $130,478 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Nuclear Power Reactor Operators pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 0.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · STABLE

Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 1.5 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.3% per year, holding steady.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators is $122,886 per year ($59.08/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $109,429 and $130,478 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $149,302 per year. There are approximately 5,150 nuclear power reactor operators employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Operate or control nuclear reactors. Move control rods, start and stop equipment, monitor and adjust controls, and record data in logs. Implement emergency procedures when needed. May respond to abnormalities, determine cause, and recommend corrective action.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

-15.3%

Much slower than average

Annual openings

400

per year, on avg

Workforce today

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Long-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 4 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution NAICS 221100	4K	$122,890
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100	480	$127,090
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300	110	$131,100
Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100	50	$122,250

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$47.42	$98,634
P25	$52.61	$109,429
P50MEDIAN	$59.08	$122,886
P75	$62.73	$130,478
P90	$71.78	$149,302

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · manufacturing sector

Stable

Openings Rate

3.7%

Quits Rate

1.5%

Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average nuclear power reactor operators salary?

The national median salary for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators is $122,886 per year ($59.08/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $109,429 and $130,478 annually.

How much do top-earning nuclear power reactor operators make?

The 90th percentile salary for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators is $149,302 per year ($71.78/hr). The 75th percentile is $130,478 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for nuclear power reactor operators?

Entry-level Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (10th percentile) earn approximately $98,634 per year ($47.42/hr). The 25th percentile is $109,429 per year.

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Nuclear Power Reactor Operators Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

Illinois410 workers Alabama360 workers South Carolina320 workers New York230 workers Nebraska50 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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