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
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
6K
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
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
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.
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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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