Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 3 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician pays
Career outlook for Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician graduates
The job market for the occupations Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other | 67,300 | +1.5% | $77,390 | Associate's degree |
| Nuclear technicians | 6,000 | -7.7% | $104,240 | Associate's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician vs similar majors
How Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician stacks up against the closest fields in Engineering Technologies on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician Engineering Technologies · this major | Engineering-Related Fields | Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 97 A | 90 A | 91 A | 90 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $132,815 | $109,982 | $89,857 | $84,190 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $101,386 | $89,179 | $71,410 | $75,997 |
| ROI vs cost | +1,058% | +700% | +461% | +405% |
| Typical debt | $10,555 | $25,304 | $22,024 | $15,333 |
| Colleges offering it | 3 | 52 | 43 | 11 |
Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Onondaga Community College Syracuse, NY | Certificate | $154,956 | — | +12,742% | Strong return |
| 2 | Augusta Technical College Augusta, GA | Certificate | $120,987 | — | +7,147% | Strong return |
| 3 | Excelsior University Albany, NY | Associate's | $122,503 | $10,555 | — | Not enough data |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.