Nuclear Engineer

JOB SCOPE
The first Nuclear Engineer is started 1957 when the first commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) began operating.  Nuclear engineer is a part of project team where combining technical and scientific skills.  Nuclear engineering projects consist of design and construction of nuclear reactors and power plants, development and production weapons, evaluation of environmental and ecological research, health physics, or industrial safety [1].   Most of nuclear engineers are been assigned to monitor the operation of nuclear power plants to ensure efficiency and conformity to safety standards.

Nuclear engineer should provide with sufficient knowledge likes mathematics, economics, and principles of engineering.  In term of practicality, the nuclear engineer use computer for simulation in problem analysis.
The nuclear engineer tasks as below:

1. Administration
2. Projects/Technical works
3. Supervise other workers
4. Preparation of budget
5. Sales representatives
6. Consultation 
7. Advice the government 

Working hours for nuclear engineer is 40 hours a week.  However, the engineer must willing to work whatever days of shifts are necessary to meet production schedules [1].

SALARY/WAGES
The nuclear engineer salaries are depending to the location and employer.
Below are the salaries for nuclear engineer in federal civil service (California Occupational Guide) [1]:

1. Nuclear Engineer with bachelor's degree, enter at the GS-5 level ($17,686 to $22,993 a year) or at the GS-7 level ($26,000 a year)
2. Nuclear Engineer with master's degree, the beginning engineer enter at the GS-7 level ($21,900 to 28,500 yearly)
3. If three or five years experience in private industry, an engineer might enter at the GS-12 ($38,900 to $50,000 a year) or GS-13 level ($46,200 to $60,100 a year)

TABLE 1 The Median Salary and Projected Job Growth [2]

There are also few benefits as a nuclear engineer likes paid vacations, holidays, and sick leave, medical, dental, and vision insurance, and retirement plans [1].  In some cases, the employer may pay the tuition for employees who take additional job related courses.

References:

1. Nuclear Engineer.  1995.  California Employment Development Department, from World Wide web:  http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/occguide/engnuc.htm
2. Science Careers: Nuclear Engineer.  2012.  Science Buddies, from World Wide web: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-engineering-careers/Energy_nuclearengineer_c001.shtml