Side-by-side distribution
Automotive Engineer
$160,250
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 50%
- Live roles
- 364
Nuclear Engineer
$130,313
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 54.3%
- Live roles
- 116
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Engineer, Embedded Vehicle Software
Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Arc Vehicle)
Principal Software Engineer - Vehicle AI
Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy
Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy
Staff Robotics Software Engineer, Air Vehicle Autonomy
Automotive System Engineer
Site Reliability Engineering Manager, Vehicle Software
Chief Engineer, Space Vehicle Autonomy
Chief Engineer, Software-Defined Vehicle Platform
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Nuclear Materials Engineer
Principal Nuclear Engineer
Engineer IV - VI, Nuclear Safety Analysis
Staff Systems Engineer - Nuclear Hardness & Survivability -18271
Nuclear Licensing Engineer
Lead Nuclear Engineer
Senior/Staff Nuclear Safety Analysis Engineer
Nuclear Safety Programs Engineer
Nuclear Consequence Analysis Engineer
Nuclear Design Basis Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$193,000 | 37 |
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$142,500 | 20 |
Relativity Space
|
$136,000 | 15 |
The Aerospace Corporation
|
$166,675 | 10 |
|
General Motors
|
$157,055 | 10 |
|
Inversion
|
$130,500 | 9 |
Scout Motors
|
$122,500 | 9 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$122,500 | 8 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$99,100 | 9 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$148,925 | 8 |
|
General Matter
|
$125,000 | 7 |
|
Antares
|
$167,500 | 5 |
|
X-energy
|
$133,500 | 5 |
|
Amentum
|
$137,500 | 4 |
| GV GE Vernova | $144,300 | 3 |
Thea Energy
|
$157,500 | 2 |
Automotive Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | $219,831 | 3 |
| Seattle | $193,000 | 10 |
| Boston | $193,000 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $155,000 | 9 |
Nuclear Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $167,500 | 11 |
Automotive Engineer vs Nuclear Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Automotive Engineer is $160,250 per year (typically $130,375–$193,000), versus $130,313 for Nuclear Engineer ($99,100–$159,788). That puts Automotive Engineer about 23% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Automotive Engineer and Nuclear Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.