Side-by-side distribution
Nuclear Engineer
$141,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 73%
- Live roles
- 37
Structural Engineer
$127,740
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.3%
- Live roles
- 272
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Nuclear Materials Engineer
Senior/Staff Nuclear Safety Analysis Engineer
Nuclear Safety Programs Engineer
Nuclear Design Basis Engineer
Nuclear Consequence Analysis Engineer
Senior Nuclear Thermal-Hydraulics Engineer
Senior Nuclear Methods Engineer
Senior Nuclear Engineer
Senior Nuclear Engineer
Computational Nuclear Engineer
Highest-paying jobs
Resident Structural Engineer (PHX)
Senior Spacecraft Structural Analysis Engineer II - TS/SCI Clearance
Structural Design Engineer (SE) - Los Angeles
CNC / Structural Steel Processing Engineer
Structural Engineer
Structural Engineer, Modular R&D
Structural Engineer, Capacity Delivery
Lead Structural Engineer - Building Design
Senior Engineer - Structural - Mi-Tech Services, Inc.
Senior Spacecraft Structural Analysis Engineer I - TS/SCI Clearance
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
General Matter
|
$125,000 | 7 |
|
Antares
|
$167,500 | 5 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$126,488 | 5 |
Global Engineering & Technology, Inc. (GET)
|
$135,625 | 2 |
Jensen Hughes
|
$118,000 | 2 |
|
Helion
|
$290,500 | 1 |
| OK Oklo | $155,000 | 1 |
Kairos Power
|
$153,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| MC Michels Corporation | $147,500 | 11 |
| DG DLR Group | $116,650 | 8 |
Entuitive
|
$86,500 | 7 |
|
Fluidstack
|
$185,000 | 5 |
LaBella Associates
|
$83,500 | 5 |
|
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$164,775 | 3 |
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 3 |
Brindleyengineering
|
$130,000 | 3 |
Nuclear Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $167,500 | 11 |
Structural Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $185,000 | 7 |
| Seattle | $185,000 | 6 |
| Austin | $185,000 | 5 |
| New York | $145,000 | 8 |
| Los Angeles | $132,358 | 6 |
| Chicago | $114,565 | 5 |
| Toronto | $98,250 | 4 |
Nuclear Engineer vs Structural Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Nuclear Engineer is $141,000 per year (typically $125,744–$167,500), versus $127,740 for Structural Engineer ($109,688–$154,250). That puts Nuclear Engineer about 10% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Nuclear Engineer and Structural 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.