Also called: Fuel Design Engineer, Core Design Engineer
Designs the fuel rods and reactor cores that power nuclear plants and new advanced reactors.
You plan which fuel assemblies go where in a reactor so it runs evenly for two years, and test new fuels that can survive higher temperatures. During refueling outages you may be at the plant around the clock watching fuel being moved.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's in nuclear engineering; master's common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Nuclear Engineering, Materials Science.
Shrinking (about -1% over 10 years). Nuclear engineers overall; advanced reactor and fuel startups may lift demand.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps optimize fuel layouts, but new advanced-reactor fuels need lab testing and human-licensed design work.
Classes: AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Calculus, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2161.
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