Nuclear & SMR Search · 2026 Pay Index
Health Physicist Salary: 2026 Pay Index
Pay for certified health physicists (chp), radiation safety officers, smr licensing engineers and navy nuclear veterans depends on more than title. Pick your combination to see a modeled base and contract hourly rate anchored to published wage data, then unlock the upper range, per diem and the employer types that hire.
Model your number
Every figure is a published number with its source shown underneath. Inputs marked “for matching” help us place you and do not change the estimate.
Base Salary
$152,500
HPS 2023 salary survey median, health physicists with more than 15 years
Hourly Rate
Not published
No published hourly or contract rate for this role yet
Where these numbers come from
We do not publish our own salary estimates. Each figure is a number from federal wage data, a professional society salary survey or a 2026 employer job posting, and its source is printed under it. Per diem is the federal GSA rate for the hub you pick, times the weeks you would be away. Where no credible source exists, the calculator says so rather than filling the gap.
Base, upper and hourly figures are published wage data or 2026 employer job postings, as cited under each figure. Postings are single employers, not market averages. Per diem is the GSA FY2027 federal rate for lodging plus meals times weeks away; many employers pay less. Inputs marked "for matching" do not change the numbers. Health physics figures are 2023 survey medians (published December 2024); the survey does not publish percentiles, so no upper range is shown for those roles.
Sources
- Health Physics Society, 2023 Health Physicist Salary Survey (published Dec 2024)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Nuclear Engineers (17-2161), via O*NET OnLine
- Westinghouse, Senior Health Physics Technician outage posting, VC Summer, 2026
- NukeWorker, Senior Health Physics Technician posting, Millstone ($44/hr)
- American Board of Health Physics, Prospectus (October 2025)
- NRRPT, Registration requirements
- NRC Regulatory Guide 1.8, Qualification of Radiation Protection Manager
- GSA per diem rates, FY2027 (lodging and meals and incidental expenses)
- IRS Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses
What gets you hired anywhere, permanent or contract
What employers in this field screen for, drawn from current job postings and the certifying bodies cited on this page. Have these ready and we can put you in front of employers quickly.
- CHP, or NRRPT at the technologist level
- RPM eligibility under NRC Regulatory Guide 1.8 (four years, three of them applied at a nuclear facility)
- Unescorted access within the last year, which lets a new site badge you faster
- Navy nuclear experience, especially ELT, with radiological controls and chemistry
- For licensing roles: docketed NRC experience, including RAI responses
- Availability for spring and fall outage seasons
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.