Health Physics and SMR Licensing
Health Physicists, RSOs and SMR Licensing Engineers
Certified health physicists, radiation safety officers and SMR licensing engineers.
Built for radiation protection managers, licensing directors at smr developers and outage services leaders, and for the certified health physicists (chp), radiation safety officers, smr licensing engineers and navy nuclear veterans they are trying to hire.
Our commitments
Calibrated
Shortlist after the search plan
In writing
Replacement guarantee per your engagement agreement
Engaged Fee
100% credited toward final placement invoice
Cost of Vacancy ROI Calculator
Cost of Vacancy Calculator
Every number below comes from the inputs you set. Start from your own billable rate or delay cost.
Starting value is an assumption; replace it with yours. Modeled at 50 billable hours per seat per week.
Intake to start date. Offers, notice periods, and onboarding add time.
Your assumption. Set it to 0% to count unbilled revenue only.
Weekly Unbilled Revenue Bleed
$4,750
1 seat x $95/hr x 50
Total Vacancy Cost over 14 Weeks
$78,470
Including the 18% team load you set
Estimated Cost Avoided
$33,630
6 weeks sooner than waiting
Standard 25% Placement Fee
$33,438
On $133,750 assumed first-year comp per seat
Cost Avoided vs. Fee (illustrative)
1.0x
On your inputs, the cost avoided exceeds the fee by $193.
Illustrative calculation from the numbers you enter, not a guarantee of savings or results. Cost avoided counts only the weeks the seat would stay open beyond the search time you set. Fees are 15 to 30% of first-year compensation, with engagement fees starting at $3,500. 100% of engagement fees are credited in full toward your final placement invoice, backed by a written replacement guarantee per your engagement agreement.
Inside Nuclear & SMR Search
Pay Index
Model base, contract hourly rate and per diem for certified health physicists (chp), radiation safety officers, smr licensing engineers and navy nuclear veterans.
Run the numbers →Talent Vault
Sample profiles that show the credentials and experience we recruit for.
Browse the vault →Vacancy Cost Report
What an open seat costs each week on your own numbers, against a 25% placement fee, plus the 2026 market report.
Price your vacancy →
Frequently asked questions
How much does a certified health physicist make?
The Health Physics Society's 2023 salary survey reported a median of $126,250 for all health physicists, $152,500 for those with more than 15 years, $153,750 for RPMs and RSOs, and $155,000 for medical RSOs. CHP-specific tables were published separately in CHP News.
Can Navy nuclear veterans become health physicists?
Yes. Navy nuclear Machinist's Mates, especially Engineering Laboratory Technicians who handle reactor plant chemistry and radiological controls, move into commercial radiation protection, and military training can count for up to two years of the five-year NRRPT experience requirement. Many go on to CHP certification.
How do I hire an SMR licensing engineer?
Look for docketed NRC experience: construction permit, design certification or standard design approval reviews, including RAI responses, on light-water or advanced reactor dockets. A PE is uncommon and not required by the NRC.
What is a conflict check?
Before we share an identified candidate, we confirm they don't currently work for your company or its affiliates, and we ask the candidate about anything, such as a notice period or an agreement with a current employer, that could affect the timing of a move. We don't agree with any employer to avoid recruiting another employer's people, and we never share one client's pay data with another.
What does an open licensing engineer seat cost an SMR developer?
Licensing work often sits on the critical path to a construction permit, so the cost is schedule slip. That figure is specific to your project; enter your own per-day estimate in the calculator.
Is there a shortage of health physicists?
A 2022 peer-reviewed review found the health physics workforce adequate for routine needs but shrinking, with retirements a real risk. The CHP takes years to earn, so experienced people are slow to replace.