Nuclear engineer salary in Australia
If you're looking for a precise published figure for a nuclear engineer salary in Australia, the short answer is that no official source – the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Fair Work, or the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) – publishes a separate average or median for this occupation. Nuclear engineers are a small, specialised group, and they are grouped under broader categories such as 'Professionals' or 'Engineering Professionals' in national surveys.
This page explains what the closest available data says, how it compares to the national full-time average, and how you can read the same pay as a year, a week, and an hour.
What the ABS says
The ABS's most detailed earnings release is Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, which covers May 2025. It breaks down earnings by occupation, but the list does not include 'nuclear engineer'. The closest category is 'Professionals', which includes engineers, scientists, doctors, and other degree-qualified roles.
For all employees (full-time and part-time) classified as Professionals, the average weekly total cash earnings in May 2025 was $2,049.60. That works out to about $106,579 per year (multiplied by 52). For non-managerial Professionals, the average hourly total cash earnings was $64.50, with average weekly hours of 32.1 – meaning many professionals work part-time hours, which pulls down the weekly average.
If you look only at full-time employees across all occupations, the median weekly earnings were $1,887 in May 2025 (about $98,124 per year). The ABS does not publish a separate median for Professionals in that release.
For a more current snapshot, the ABS's Average Weekly Earnings, Australia for May 2026 gives the national full-time adult ordinary-time average of $2,083.70 per week ($108,352 per year). This is the figure this site uses as the 'line' – the benchmark against which any salary can be compared.
How it compares to the national average
Because no specific nuclear engineer figure exists, we can only compare using the broad Professional category. The Professional average of $2,049.60 per week is about 1.6% below the national full-time average of $2,083.70. However, this gap is small and may not reflect the actual earnings of nuclear engineers, who often work in high-paying industries such as mining, energy, or defence.
For context, the national full-time median (all occupations) is about $90,532 per year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100 per year (ABS Employee earnings, August 2025). The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week.
Nuclear engineers almost certainly earn well above the minimum wage and above the all-employees median. Whether they exceed the full-time average depends on experience, location, and employer.
Weekly and hourly breakdown
Using the national full-time average as a proxy, here is how $2,083.70 per week breaks down:
- Yearly: $108,352 (52 weeks)
- Weekly: $2,083.70
- Hourly: $54.83 (based on a 38-hour week)
If a nuclear engineer earns more than this, their hourly rate would be higher. For example, at the Professional non-managerial hourly average of $64.50, a 38-hour week would yield $2,451 per week ($127,452 per year). But remember, the actual average hours for Professionals is 32.1, so many work fewer hours.
State comparisons
The national average masks significant variation by state. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026, gives full-time adult ordinary-time earnings by state. Here are the annualised figures (×52):
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Tasmania: $96,008
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
Nuclear engineers are likely to be concentrated in states with mining, energy, or defence industries – Western Australia, Queensland, and the ACT may offer higher pay. You can explore state-by-state data on the States and territories page.
What about awards and agreements?
Fair Work sets minimum wages for many occupations through awards. Nuclear engineers may be covered by the Professional Employees Award or the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award, depending on their employer. However, these awards set minimum rates, not typical market rates. From 1 July 2026, award minimums rose by 4.75%, but the specific classification for a nuclear engineer is not separately listed.
Most professional engineers are paid above award rates through individual arrangements or collective agreements. According to the ABS, 38.5% of all employees have their pay set by individual arrangement, and 34.6% by collective agreement.
Bottom line
Without a dedicated ABS or Fair Work figure, the best estimate for a nuclear engineer salary in Australia is to use the Professional category average ($106,579 per year) or the national full-time average ($108,352 per year) as a starting point. Actual salaries will vary widely. For a more precise figure, you would need to consult industry-specific surveys or job advertisements.
For more guidance on how salaries are measured, see How the figures are set and About this site.