Increasing investments and climate pressures lead to an expansion of the nuclear power industry, which is expected to keep growing in the future. In this context, the nuclear criticality safety jobs market will probably grow slightly.
About 6,800 nuclear engineers are employed in the U.S., but the number of active job openings is more significant: about 8,700. In the last 5 years, salaries for nuclear engineers have increased by almost 15%, and the average salary is approximately $99,700.
U.S. Energy and Employment Report provide some of the best information to understand employment trends in this sector.
Why consider a job in the nuclear industry?
First, there are many opportunities, especially when it comes to nuclear engineering, which includes many different disciplines:
- Core and structural design
- Fusion energy and plasma physics
- Reactor thermal hydraulics and heat transfer
- Reactor physics and radiation transport
- Fuel management
- Waste management
- Safety analysis etc.
Besides, nuclear engineers are going green. Engineers worldwide are making significant changes, going green in all industries by using renewable resources and doing it more effectively than before. It seems that planning for the future also includes nuclear energy, as it is one of the cleanest sources of power, which saves carbon emissions. This is very important when it comes to meeting climate goals.