SOC 51-8011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators — South Carolina
South Carolina
At $118,620, median pay for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators in South Carolina tracks the national median of $122,890 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -15.3%
- Openings per year
- 400
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for South Carolina.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $118,620, median pay for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators in South Carolina tracks the national median of $122,890 closely. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $107,190 and $119,540. The lowest tenth earn under $85,820, while the highest tenth earn more than $126,790.
Employment stands at 320, or 0.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 5 states with published data for this occupation, South Carolina ranks 4th by median wage. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 60th of 713 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $85,820 | −30.2% |
| 25th | $107,190 | −12.8% |
| Median (50th) | $118,620 | −3.5% |
| 75th | $119,540 | −2.7% |
| 90th | $126,790 | +3.2% |
| Mean | $114,610 | −6.7% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in South Carolina run 6.3% below the national average, so the median of $118,620 goes as far as $126,596 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 3.0% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$118,620as reported by BLSLocal price level
93.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$126,596US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $118,620 a year, 3.5% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $85,820 to $126,790 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 320 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 4th of 5 states for this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators in South Carolina?
The median annual wage is $118,620, or $57.03 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $122,890, so pay in South Carolina is 3.5% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in South Carolina earns more than $126,790 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $85,820 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 320 jobs in this occupation in South Carolina. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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