Job profile 2026
What is a nuclear engineer? Job profile, salary and hiring in 2026
The nuclear engineer designs, operates or decommissions nuclear installations while guaranteeing their safety. The role covers several positions: safety, design and calculation, projects and modifications, operations and outages, radiation protection, decommissioning.
In brief: nuclear safety engineer salary, €30-37k at the start of a career, €58-73k after ten years. Source: Energy and Transition Barometer 2026, Volta Executive, updated on 8 October 2026.
By Florian Beurtey, engineer and founder of Volta Executive. Published on 8 October 2026, updated on 8 October 2026.
Nuclear engineer : the role in figures
| Nuclear safety engineer salary | €30-37k at the start of a career, €58-73k after ten years |
|---|---|
| Nuclear project engineer salary | €34-41k to €62-75k |
| Shortage level | Critical in nuclear safety |
| Common qualifications | Engineering degree with a nuclear specialisation |
Duties of the nuclear engineer
- Demonstrate and maintain the safety of a nuclear installation
- Carry out design work and calculations according to the sector's codes
- Manage modification projects and their qualification
- Prepare and run outages
- Organise radiation protection and the decommissioning of installations
Skills required
- Safety culture and risk analysis
- Nuclear codes and standards
- Project management in a regulated environment
- Documentation rigour and traceability
- Working with the operator, the safety authority and contractors
Reference codes and regulations
| RCC-M | Design and construction rules for mechanical components of nuclear islands |
|---|---|
| INB order | General rules for basic nuclear installations |
| Radiation protection | Regulations protecting workers against ionising radiation |
Training to become a nuclear engineer
- Engineering degree with a specialisation in nuclear engineering, Bac+5
- General, mechanical or electrical engineering degree supplemented by a nuclear specialisation
Career paths
- Design, safety or operations engineer
- Project engineer or project manager
- Head of department or programme manager
- Project director or site director
Salary of the nuclear engineer in 2026
National basis, fixed annual gross, excluding variable pay and role allowances. The Paris and region columns are derived from the barometer's reference framework (Paris about 12% higher, regions about 5% lower, except for roles in extreme shortage, which are aligned with the national figure).
Nuclear safety engineer
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 30–37 k€ | 34–41 k€ | 30–37 k€ |
| 2 to 5 years | 37–46 k€ | 41–52 k€ | 37–46 k€ |
| 5 to 10 years | 46–58 k€ | 52–65 k€ | 46–58 k€ |
| 10+ years | 58–73 k€ | 65–82 k€ | 58–73 k€ |
Design and stress engineer (RCC-M, Eurocodes)
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 34–41 k€ | 38–46 k€ | 32–39 k€ |
| 2 to 5 years | 41–50 k€ | 46–56 k€ | 39–48 k€ |
| 5 to 10 years | 50–62 k€ | 56–69 k€ | 48–59 k€ |
| 10+ years | 62–73 k€ | 69–82 k€ | 59–69 k€ |
Project and modifications engineer
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 34–41 k€ | 38–46 k€ | 32–39 k€ |
| 2 to 5 years | 41–50 k€ | 46–56 k€ | 39–48 k€ |
| 5 to 10 years | 50–62 k€ | 56–69 k€ | 48–59 k€ |
| 10+ years | 62–75 k€ | 69–84 k€ | 59–71 k€ |
Operations and outage engineer
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 31–37 k€ | 35–41 k€ | 29–35 k€ |
| 2 to 5 years | 37–46 k€ | 41–52 k€ | 35–44 k€ |
| 5 to 10 years | 46–58 k€ | 52–65 k€ | 44–55 k€ |
| 10+ years | 58–70 k€ | 65–78 k€ | 55–67 k€ |
Decommissioning engineer
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 30–37 k€ | 34–41 k€ | 29–35 k€ |
| 2 to 5 years | 37–45 k€ | 41–50 k€ | 35–43 k€ |
| 5 to 10 years | 45–58 k€ | 50–65 k€ | 43–55 k€ |
| 10+ years | 58–69 k€ | 65–77 k€ | 55–66 k€ |
Outage, travel and on-call allowances come on top of the fixed salary depending on the role.
Source: Energy and Transition Barometer 2026, Volta Executive. Figures in €k gross per year.
The full barometer, role by role
This profile reproduces part of the grids of Volta Executive's 2026 Industry and Energy Pay Barometer. The barometer covers every role in industry and energy, with lead times and shortage levels.
Nuclear engineer : the market in 2026
Shortage level in nuclear safety (Energy and Transition Barometer 2026)
The relaunch of the programme creates new demand on a narrow talent pool
Fixed salary of a project engineer after ten years
The barometer ranks nuclear safety as critical shortage: the relaunch of the EPR2 programme, the life extension of the existing fleet and decommissioning are all drawing at once on a talent pool that takes a long time to train.
Who is hiring
Nuclear operators, the sector's manufacturers and engineering firms, maintenance and decommissioning subcontractors.
Hiring a nuclear engineer?
Nuclear safety is in critical shortage and experienced profiles are approached from every side. Volta Executive directly approaches the sector's engineers and managers.
Talk about my hireAre you a nuclear engineer?
Send your CV without booking a meeting. If your profile matches a current or upcoming assignment, we will contact you.
See the openings and send my CVFrequently asked questions about the role of the nuclear engineer
What is a nuclear engineer's salary in 2026?
It depends on the role. According to Volta Executive's Energy and Transition Barometer 2026, on a national basis and fixed annual gross: €30-37k at the start in safety, up to €62-75k after ten years in projects.
What does a nuclear engineer do?
Depending on their role, they guarantee the safety of a nuclear installation, carry out design work, manage modifications, prepare outages or run decommissioning.
What training do you need to become a nuclear engineer?
An engineering degree with a specialisation in nuclear engineering, or a general degree supplemented by a specialisation.
Is the nuclear sector hiring in 2026?
Yes. The Volta barometer ranks nuclear safety as critical shortage, with the EPR2 relaunch, the life extension of the fleet and decommissioning.
Are salaries higher in Paris?
For nuclear safety, ranked as critical shortage, no: the salary stays aligned with the national figure everywhere, because the talent pool is national.
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Learn more
- Nuclear recruitment firm
- Engineer salary 2026: the grid by specialism
- Mechanical engineer: role and salary
- Roles in short supply 2026: official list and analysis
Sources and method
- Energy and Transition Barometer 2026, Volta Executive
The grids are on a national basis, fixed annual gross. Paris and region values are calculated with the barometer's geographic reference framework.