Nuclear Operator Salary
$11K - $12K
0% of jobs
$12K - $13K
0% of jobs
$13K - $14K
0% of jobs
$14K - $15K
0% of jobs
$15K - $16K
0% of jobs
$16K - $17K
0% of jobs
$17K - $18K
0% of jobs
$18K - $19K
0% of jobs
$19K - $20K
10% of jobs
$20.3K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$20K - $21K
45% of jobs
$21.4K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$21K - $22K
45% of jobs
$11K
$22.5K
$21,284
/year
$10.23
/hour
Nuclear Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$21,284
Columbus
Ohio
$20,558
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How much does a Nuclear Operator make?
As of Aug 11, 2026, the average annual pay for a Nuclear Operator in the United States is $21,284 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $10.23 an hour. This is the equivalent of $409/week or $1,773/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $22,500 and as low as $11,000, the majority of Nuclear Operator salaries currently range between $21,000 (25th percentile) to $21,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $21,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Nuclear Operator varies little (about 500), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.
A Nuclear Operator in your area makes on average $20,558 per year, or $726 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $21,284. Ohio ranks number 36 out of 50 states nationwide for Nuclear Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Nuclear Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Nuclear Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Nuclear Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Nuclear Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Milford, CT, , with Silver Spring, MD, and Lederach, PA, close behind in the second and third positions. Lederach, PA, beats the national average by $366,364 (1,721.3%), and Milford, CT, furthers that trend with another $377,194 (1,772.2%) above the $21,284 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Nuclear Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Additionally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies as much as 142% between Milford, CT, and Whitehorse, YT, , suggesting a strong potential for positive wage variance in a Nuclear Operator role. Cost of living should also be factored in when balancing location and salary.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Milford, CT | $398,478 | $191.58 |
Silver Spring, MD | $393,332 | $189.10 |
Lederach, PA | $387,648 | $186.37 |
Spearfish, SD | $379,250 | $182.33 |
Burleigh County, ND | $377,940 | $181.70 |
Pembroke Pines, FL | $371,881 | $178.79 |
Douglas County, NE | $352,429 | $169.44 |
Newburgh, IN | $347,856 | $167.24 |
Kentville, NS | $67,522 | $32.46 |
Whitehorse, YT | $67,093 | $32.26 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Nuclear Operator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Nuclear Operator category.
For example Solid Waste Engineer jobs pay as much as $77,396 (363.6%) more than the average Nuclear Operator salary of $21,284. If you're qualified, finding work as a Solid Waste Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Nuclear Operator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Solid Waste Engineer | $98,680 | $47.44 |
Sewage Treatment Plant Operator | $55,272 | $26.57 |
Assistant Plant | $42,717 | $20.54 |
Plant Worker | $38,460 | $18.49 |
Merchant Navy | $38,000 | $18.27 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
