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DATA PROFILE · 2024

Nuclear Engineers salary in Tennessee

Median, range, employment, and 10-year outlook from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, with skills and task data from O*NET. Cost-of-living adjustment from BEA Regional Price Parities.

Adrian Serafin, founder and editor of RateOrchardBy Adrian SerafinFounderUpdated April 27, 2026

2024 wage data not published for nuclear engineers in Tennessee

The Bureau of Labor Statistics suppresses wage estimates when the surveyed cell has too few employers to publish a figure without revealing individual firm pay. The privacy redaction happens upstream, before the data reaches us.

BLS still reports an estimated 480 workers in this role in Tennessee in 2024.

Use national figures and adjacent states below as a reference, or check BLS confidentiality rules for context.

Salary distribution

Where Tennessee nuclear engineers fall on the wage curve.

Distribution not available

The Bureau of Labor Statistics suppresses wage percentiles for this occupation and state when the surveyed cell has too few employers to publish without revealing individual firm pay. National figures and adjacent states below remain a useful reference.

Real disclosed salaries

Nuclear Engineers in Tennessee: actual employer-disclosed pay

Public records from 9 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $138,768. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.

By DOL wage level

DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.

LevelFilingsMedian offer
Level I — entry2$84,158
Level II — qualified5$143,691
Level III — experienced1$146,164

Top employers filing for this role

Companies with the most certified filings for Nuclear Engineers in Tennessee. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.

EmployerMost-filed titleFilingsMedian
UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)R&D Assoc Staff - Used Fuel & Nuclear Material Disposition8$141,230
THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEEPost-Doctoral Research Associate1$75,000

Recent sample filings

A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.

  • R&D Assoc Staff - Used Fuel & Nuclear Material Disposition at UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)
    $138,768
    Oak RidgeDecided Nov 14, 2025I-200-25309-378122
  • Post-Doctoral Research Associate at THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
    $75,000
    KnoxvilleWage Level IDecided Jul 8, 2025I-200-25181-142615
  • Postdoc Research Assoc-Computational Liquid Metal Fluids Eng at UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)
    $93,315
    Oak RidgeWage Level IDecided Jul 8, 2025I-200-25181-140371
  • Eugene Wigner Distinguished Fellow at UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)
    $143,691
    Oak RidgeWage Level IIDecided May 19, 2025I-200-25132-964999
  • Blanket, Fuel Cycle, & Fusion Engineering - R&D Staff at UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)
    $146,988
    Oak RidgeWage Level IIDecided Apr 16, 2025I-200-25099-847798
  • Research Scientist, Nuclear Engineering Data Analytics at UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)
    $146,164
    Oak RidgeWage Level IIIDecided Mar 17, 2025I-200-25069-762645
  • Assoc R&D Staff - Thermal Hydraulics, Modeling & Simulation at UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)
    $130,008
    Oak RidgeWage Level IIDecided Mar 11, 2025I-200-25063-743572
  • Nuclear Criticality Safety - R&D Staff at UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)
    $167,694
    Oak RidgeWage Level IIDecided Feb 10, 2025I-200-25034-662323

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.

By seniority

Nuclear Engineers pay by experience level in Tennessee

Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.

Pay by industry

Nuclear Engineers in Tennessee, by industry

Median offered wage across 9 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Professional services leads with a median of $141,230.

IndustryLargest employerFilingsMedian offer
Professional servicesUT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY)8$141,230
EducationTHE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE1$75,000

Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.

Wage trend

Median annual wage in Tennessee over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.

Not enough history to render a trend yet. Check back after the next refresh.

Typical entry

  • Education

    Bachelor's degree

  • Experience

    None

  • On-the-job training

    None

Top skills (O*NET)

  • Engineering and Technology

    Knowledge

    4.8 / 5
  • Mathematics

    Knowledge

    4.5 / 5
  • Problem Sensitivity

    Ability

    4.5 / 5
  • Physics

    Knowledge

    4.5 / 5
  • Science

    Basic skill

    4.1 / 5
  • Written Comprehension

    Ability

    4.1 / 5
  • Oral Expression

    Ability

    4.1 / 5
  • Oral Comprehension

    Ability

    4.1 / 5

Common tasks (O*NET)

  1. 01

    Initiate corrective actions or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations.

  2. 02

    Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations.

  3. 03

    Design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms.

  4. 04

    Examine accidents to obtain data for use in design of preventive measures.

  5. 05

    Direct operating or maintenance activities of nuclear power plants to ensure efficiency and conformity to safety standards.

  6. 06

    Recommend preventive measures to be taken in the handling of nuclear technology, based on data obtained from operations monitoring or from evaluation of test results.

  7. 07

    Write operational instructions to be used in nuclear plant operation or nuclear fuel or waste handling and disposal.

  8. 08

    Conduct environmental studies on topics such as nuclear power generation, nuclear waste disposal, or nuclear weapon deployment.

10-year outlook

Growth 2024 → 2034

-0.6%

Projected annual openings

BLS outlook

Slower than average

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 20242034 cycle.

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Compare Nuclear Engineers pay across nearby states

Frequently asked questions

Is Nuclear Engineers a growing field?
BLS Employment Projections show employment declining by -0.6% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
What education is required for Nuclear Engineers?
BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Disclaimer

Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.