SOC 51-8011 · Production Occupations
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, nuclear power reactor operators earned a median of $122,890 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 5,150 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.
National pay distribution
Pay by state
Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
| State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $129,580 | $62.30 | 230 | 0.0 |
| Illinois | $123,980 | $59.60 | 410 | 0.1 |
| Alabama | $119,000 | $57.21 | 360 | 0.2 |
| South Carolina | $118,620 | $57.03 | 320 | 0.1 |
| Nebraska | $108,650 | $52.24 | 50 | 0.0 |
Pay by metro area
All 1 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $112,860 | $54.26 | Not published | Not published |
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.