Also called: NCS Engineer
Makes sure nuclear material is never stored or handled in a way that could start an accidental chain reaction.
At a fuel factory, a team wants to move uranium powder into a new container. You calculate the shape, spacing and amount allowed so it can never go critical, then walk the floor to make sure workers follow the limits exactly.
Many jobs are at national labs and fuel facilities, often with security clearances.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in nuclear engineering or physics.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Nuclear Engineering, Physics.
Shrinking (about -1% over 10 years). Tracks nuclear engineers; demand is steady at DOE sites.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps check calculations, but each safety evaluation needs a qualified human who is personally accountable.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2161.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.