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Nuclear Engineering Technology

Types of Degrees Nuclear Engineering Technology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Nuclear Engineering Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	43
Bachelor’s Degree	214
Master’s Degree	3

What Nuclear Engineering Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Nuclear Engineering Technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Nuclear Engineering Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Nuclear Engineering Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Nuclear Engineering Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Nuclear Engineering Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Nuclear Engineering Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Nuclear Engineering Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Nuclear Engineering Technology graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Thin Film Technician (Thin Film Tech)
• Removal Technician (Removal Tech)
• Mobile Laser Technician (Mobile Laser Tech)
• Electro-Optics Technician (Electro-Optics Tech)
• Laser Operator
• Fiber Technician (Fiber Tech)
• Medical Laser Technician (Medical Laser Tech)
• Optics Technician (Optics Tech)
• Laser Scanners Technician (Laser Scanners Tech)
• Certified Laser Technician (Certified Laser Tech)
• Mobile Technician (Mobile Tech)
• Laser Assembly Technician (Laser Assembly Tech)
• Optical Fabrication Technician (Optical Fabrication Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Nuclear Engineering Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	44.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	25.9%
Bachelor’s degree	10.0%
Postsecondary certificate	8.1%
Some college courses	7.3%
Master’s degree	2.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Nuclear Engineering Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 91.2% of Nuclear Engineering Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	23	8.8%
Men	237	91.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Nuclear Engineering Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	209	80.4%
Asian	4	1.5%
Hispanic or Latino	23	8.8%
Black or African American	6	2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.8%
Two or More Races	12	4.6%
Race Unknown	3	1.2%
International Students	1	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Nuclear Engineering Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Nuclear Engineering Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$97,846
4 years	$116,960
5 years	$132,222

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $132,222 — roughly 35% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Nuclear Engineering Technology Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Nuclear Engineering Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	4	0
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Nuclear Engineering Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Nuclear Engineering Technology graduates earn a median of $116,960 four years after completion — roughly 208% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557
Biomedical Technology/Technician	1,460
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	1,215
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	492
Computer Software Technology/Technician	278
Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician	260
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	113
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	108
Audio Engineering Technology/Technician	76
Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician	63
Computer Hardware Technology/Technician	18

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.