Peernovo
Other engineers

How to become a Nuclear Engineer

Covers every part of the nuclear fuel cycle, designing, building, constructing, testing and managing the operation of reactors and plant equipment.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say a master's degree, university, or high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular qualification is required to start, but many people have studied nuclear, electrical or mechanical engineering at university or postgraduate level. Power companies with nuclear power stations also have programmes to train graduates of technical high schools and senmon gakko (vocational colleges) as operating engineers, and after joining you can learn at various training institutions. To become an operating engineer, you train as an operator under a chief reactor engineer and learn the skills. This takes about 10 years. After that you can aim for management, but to be in charge you need the chief reactor engineer qualification. Related national qualifications include radiation protection supervisor, chief nuclear fuel engineer, chief reactor engineer and professional engineer (nuclear and radiation). Nuclear power must be handled properly, so accuracy, precision, judgement and an inquiring mind are needed. As well as knowledge of physics, chemistry, maths and basic engineering such as electrical and mechanical, language skills are needed because much information comes from overseas.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

Related jobs

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Nuclear Engineer?

No particular qualification is required to start, but many people have studied nuclear, electrical or mechanical engineering at university or postgraduate level. Power companies with nuclear power stations also have programmes to train graduates of technical high schools and senmon gakko (vocational colleges) as operating engineers, and after joining you can learn at various training institutions. To become an operating engineer, you train as an operator under a chief reactor engineer and learn the skills. This takes about 10 years. After that you can aim for management, but to be in charge you need the chief reactor engineer qualification. Related national qualifications include radiation protection supervisor, chief nuclear fuel engineer, chief reactor engineer and professional engineer (nuclear and radiation). Nuclear power must be handled properly, so accuracy, precision, judgement and an inquiring mind are needed. As well as knowledge of physics, chemistry, maths and basic engineering such as electrical and mechanical, language skills are needed because much information comes from overseas.

How much does a Nuclear Engineer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥6,119,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Engineers not elsewhere classified, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Nuclear Engineer?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 62% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Nuclear Engineer?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026