As of June 2026, Nuclear Engineers has an AI-exposure score of 58/100 (Elevated exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Nuclear Engineers
More exposed than 57% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$133,970. About 800 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
How you compare to similar Architecture & Engineering roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as augmentable (85%).
- Initiate corrective actions or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations.
- Perform experiments that will provide information about acceptable methods of nuclear material usage, nuclear fuel reclamation, or waste disposal.
- Write operational instructions to be used in nuclear plant operation or nuclear fuel or waste handling and disposal.
- Discuss construction project proposals with interested parties, such as vendors, contractors, or nuclear facility review boards.
- Prepare technical reports of findings or recommendations, based on synthesized analyses of test results.
- Conduct tests of nuclear fuel behavior and cycles or performance of nuclear machinery and equipment to optimize performance of existing plants.
- Consult with other scientists to determine parameters of experimentation or suitability of analytical models.
- Conduct environmental studies on topics such as nuclear power generation, nuclear waste disposal, or nuclear weapon deployment.
- Develop or contribute to the development of plans to remediate or restore environments affected by nuclear radiation, such as waste disposal sites.
- Recommend preventive measures to be taken in the handling of nuclear technology, based on data obtained from operations monitoring or from evaluation of test results.
- Direct operating or maintenance activities of nuclear power plants to ensure efficiency and conformity to safety standards.
- Direct environmental compliance activities associated with nuclear plant operations or maintenance.
- Prepare environmental impact statements, reports, or presentations for regulatory or other agencies.
- Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations.
- Design fuel cycle models or processes to reduce the quantity of radioactive waste generated from nuclear activities.
- Keep abreast of developments and changes in the nuclear field by reading technical journals or by independent study and research.
- Examine accidents to obtain data for use in design of preventive measures.
- Design or oversee construction or operation of nuclear reactors, power plants, or nuclear fuels reprocessing and reclamation systems.
- Design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms.
- Design or direct nuclear research projects to develop, test, modify, or discover new uses for theoretical models.
Safer adjacent roles
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