Side-by-side distribution
Civil Engineer
$107,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 35.8%
- Live roles
- 848
Nuclear Engineer
$133,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 56.9%
- Live roles
- 130
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Civil Engineer - Water/Sewer/Gas - Rail and Transit
Resident Engineer - Heavy Civil - Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project
Principal Civil Engineer
Civil Engineer, Capacity Delivery
Civil Engineer
Civil Engineer
Senior Supervising Engineer/Civil Design Discipline Lead – Water & Wastewater
Environmental Engineer, Civil
Civil/Structural Engineer
Wastewater Civil Engineer
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Nuclear Materials Engineer
Staff Nuclear Hardness and Survivability Engineer
Principal Nuclear Engineer
Sentinel - Sr Staff Nuclear Hardness Survivability Engineer - 19988
Senior/Staff Nuclear Safety Analysis Engineer
Engineer IV - VI, Nuclear Safety Analysis
Sentinel - Nuclear Surety - Staff Systems Engineer - 20390
Staff Systems Engineer - Nuclear Hardness & Survivability -18271
Staff Nuclear Hardness & Survivability Systems Engineer
Nuclear Licensing Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| PA Parsons | $120,375 | 34 |
Wilson & Company
|
$107,000 | 23 |
| SE SEH | $120,000 | 17 |
LaBella Associates
|
$102,500 | 13 |
HNTB
|
$65,728 | 13 |
AtkinsRéalis
|
$89,500 | 12 |
BKF
|
$119,750 | 10 |
Atwell, LLC
|
$102,500 | 10 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$123,000 | 14 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$168,188 | 11 |
General Matter
|
$125,000 | 6 |
The Aerospace Corporation
|
$167,850 | 4 |
|
Antares
|
$167,500 | 4 |
| GV GE Vernova | $164,150 | 4 |
|
Amentum
|
$137,500 | 4 |
|
X-energy
|
$133,500 | 3 |
Civil Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $145,850 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | $140,000 | 6 |
| Seattle | $119,977 | 4 |
| New York | $119,200 | 27 |
| San Francisco | $117,000 | 5 |
| Denver | $107,500 | 17 |
| Chicago | $98,000 | 11 |
| Boston | $87,450 | 11 |
Nuclear Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $147,500 | 9 |
Civil Engineer vs Nuclear Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Civil Engineer is $107,000 per year (typically $87,450–$130,730), versus $133,500 for Nuclear Engineer ($120,000–$175,500). That puts Nuclear Engineer about 25% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Civil 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.