Also called: Reactor Engineer (Naval)
Designs, tests, or oversees the nuclear reactors that power Navy submarines and aircraft carriers.
Working at a shipyard or a naval reactors lab, these engineers analyze reactor cores, write test procedures, and inspect systems during refueling. Many first learn as Navy nuclear officers.
Based on BLS nuclear engineers median of about $127k.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in nuclear, mechanical, or electrical engineering; security clearance; Navy nuclear power school is a common route.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Military. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics.
Growing slowly (about 1% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Reactor work is tightly regulated and changes slowly; AI may assist analysis, but cleared engineers own every decision.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus.
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.