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Radiation Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Support a cross-discipline team of design and system engineers in providing radiation test and analysis results, advice on requirements flow down, modeling and analysis reports, and recommendations ...

SR. RADIATION EFFECTS ENGINEER As a member of our fast-paced Radiation Effects team, you will be responsible for ensuring avionics hardware performance across our fleet of vehicles (Dragon, Falcon ...

You will actively engage program leadership and engineers to drive intelligent system design, part selection, subcontracts, and analyses. Responsibilities: * Analyze impacts of space radiation on ...

You will actively engage program leadership and engineers to drive intelligent system design, part selection, subcontracts, and analyses. Responsibilities: * Analyze impacts of space radiation on ...

You will actively engage program leadership and engineers to drive intelligent system design, part selection, subcontracts, and analyses. Responsibilities: * Analyze impacts of space radiation on ...

Radiation Test Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $145K/yr

Radiation Test Engineer As our Radiation Test Engineer you will be responsible for analyzing and testing candidate electronics for our spacecraft. This position requires hands-on experience ...

Radiation Effects Engineer As a Radiation Effects Engineer, you will be responsible for driving the electrical survivability of our spacecraft by analyzing, designing, and testing robust electronic ...

About the Role As a member of the Licensing and Safety Analysis team, you will be the responsible engineer for the characterization of radiation sources as well as the design and analysis of ...

You will actively engage program leadership and engineers to drive intelligent system design, part selection, subcontracts, and analyses. Responsibilities: * Analyze impacts of space radiation on ...

You will actively engage program leadership and engineers to drive intelligent system design, part selection, subcontracts, and analyses. Responsibilities: * Analyze impacts of space radiation on ...

You will actively engage program leadership and engineers to drive intelligent system design, part selection, subcontracts, and analyses. Responsibilities: * Analyze impacts of space radiation on ...

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Radiation Engineer information

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$81.5K

$118.4K

$161K

How much do radiation engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 27, 2026, the average yearly pay for radiation engineer in the United States is $118,363.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $90,500.00 and $156,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the highest paid nuclear engineer?

The highest paid nuclear engineers typically work in senior roles or specialized areas such as nuclear safety, research, or project management, with salaries reaching over $130,000 annually. Experience, certifications, and working in high-demand sectors like energy or defense can significantly increase earning potential.

What is the highest salary for an RF engineer?

The highest salaries for RF engineers can exceed $150,000 annually, especially for those with advanced skills, certifications, and experience in specialized industries like telecommunications or defense. Senior RF engineers working in high-demand sectors or in managerial roles may earn even higher compensation. Salary levels depend on location, education, and technical expertise.

What is the difference between Radiation Engineer vs Medical Physicist?

AspectRadiation EngineerMedical Physicist
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, certifications in radiation safetyDoctorate in Medical Physics, board certification (ABMP or ABR)
Work EnvironmentIndustrial, nuclear power plants, research labsHospitals, clinics, cancer treatment centers
Industry UsageDesigning radiation systems, safety protocolsCalibrating equipment, treatment planning

While both roles involve radiation and safety, Radiation Engineers focus on designing and maintaining radiation systems in industrial or research settings, whereas Medical Physicists specialize in radiation therapy and diagnostic imaging in healthcare. The key differences lie in their work environments, required credentials, and specific responsibilities.

What are the main challenges Radiation Engineers face when working on projects for space applications?

Radiation Engineers working on space-related projects often encounter the challenge of accurately predicting and mitigating the effects of cosmic radiation on spacecraft systems and components. This requires a strong understanding of radiation environments, materials science, and specialized testing protocols. Collaboration with design, testing, and mission assurance teams is essential to ensure that electronic systems can withstand harsh radiation without failure. Additionally, staying updated with evolving standards and simulation tools is key to delivering robust and compliant solutions.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Radiation Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Radiation Engineer, you need a solid background in physics, electrical engineering, or nuclear engineering, often supported by a relevant bachelor's or master's degree. Familiarity with radiation testing equipment, simulation software (such as Geant4 or MCNP), and knowledge of industry standards like MIL-STD-883 are typically required. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and effective teamwork are valuable soft skills for this role. These skills and qualifications are crucial for accurately assessing radiation effects on materials and systems, ensuring safety, compliance, and performance in high-reliability environments.

What qualifications do I need to be a nuclear engineer?

To become a nuclear engineer, a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field is required. Advanced positions may require a master's degree or higher, along with relevant certifications such as the Professional Engineer (PE) license. Strong knowledge of physics, mathematics, and safety protocols is essential, and hands-on experience through internships or cooperative programs is highly valued.

What Is the Job Description of a Radiation Engineer Do?

The duties of a radiation engineer are to conduct experiments that test and evaluate radiation effects in a variety of settings. Their responsibilities include providing theoretical analysis based on a test they perform in an experimental environment. Professionals in this career often focus on the performance of systems, equipment, or networks during and after exposure to radiation. While reporting their findings, a radiation engineer may suggest layouts, parts, and designs that meet requirements for operating under realistic levels of radiation.

What does a radiation engineer do?

A radiation engineer designs, develops, and tests systems that utilize or control radiation, such as medical imaging devices, nuclear reactors, or radiation shielding. They analyze radiation safety protocols, ensure compliance with regulations, and often work with specialized tools and certifications to manage radiation hazards in various environments.
What cities are hiring for Radiation Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Radiation Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Radiation Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Radiation Engineer jobs are:
Who are the top companies hiring for Radiation Engineer jobs? The top employers for Radiation Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Radiation Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Radiation Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Radiation Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $118,363 per year, or $56.9 per hour.
Sr. Radiation Effects Engineer

Sr. Radiation Effects Engineer

SpaceX

Redmond, WA • On-site

$130K - $180K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 11 days ago


SpaceX rating

8.7

Company rating: 8.7 out of 10

Based on 144 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

14th of 60 rated aerospace companies


Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.
SR. RADIATION EFFECTS ENGINEER
As a member of our fast-paced Radiation Effects team, you will be responsible for ensuring avionics hardware performance across our fleet of vehicles (Dragon, Falcon, Starship, Lunar Human Landing System, etc.) through some of the harshest and varied radiation environments imaginable. In order to ensure maximum reliability in an ionizing radiation environment, the Radiation team at SpaceX performs exhaustive analysis, design, and test at the component, board, unit, and subsystem levels with extensive opportunity to interact with a vast array of rocket and spacecraft hardware and electronics. As one of the few teams required to interface with the design, manufacturing, integration, and mission operations teams, we play a critical role in the development of our systems as we advance our efforts towards broadband satellite internet and safe, reliable, inexpensive, and innovative access to space. This work all supports our fundamental goal of expanding human space exploration capabilities and establishing a permanent human presence on the moon and Mars.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Support a cross-discipline team of design and system engineers in providing radiation test and analysis results, advice on requirements flow down, modeling and analysis reports, and recommendations for mitigating radiation effects
  • Develop component databases and applications for interfacing with radiation test data used across programs
  • Work with supply chain, component reliability and radiation engineering to ensure test data collected during radiation test campaigns is available and accessible to design engineers
  • Review PCN changes to ensure maintenance of radiation qualification status
  • Develop testing and reporting standards for component and flight PCBA radiation tests
  • Work with supply chain and component reliability teams to refine preferred components across programs
  • Work with circuit design, electronics manufacturing, and software implementation to analyze and improve test coverage
  • Make recommendations for design, process improvements, and data collection
  • Establish requirements for component procurement specifications
  • Comply with all radiation regulatory requirements for radiation safety

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
  • 5+ years of professional experience in the radiation effects field

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
  • Experience with full stack web development including python, SQL, JavaScript, html
  • Experience with single event effects risk calculations
  • Previous work experience in radiation effects including modeling, testing, and/or analysis
  • Experience in writing scripts to control test hardware
  • Proficiency with hardware blueprints/schematics and circuit functions based on designs
  • Previous component engineering experience and/or component reliability experience
  • Strong mathematics and statistics knowledge base
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Proficiency with avionics hardware spanning integrated circuits, PCBA boards, sensors/transducers, functional troubleshooting, and defect detection
  • Radiation dose safety training

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
  • Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project and mission milestones

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Pay range:
Sr. Radiation Effects Engineer: $130,000.00 - $180,000.00/per year
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
  • To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX's Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com.

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