20-Year Prospect

20-Year Prospect

Nuclear power is a confusing solution to our energy problems. The output is generally cleaner for the atmosphere than fossil fuels, and it doesn't require as much real estate as wind or solar farms. On the other hand, the words Chernobyl, Three-Mile Island, and Fukushima all come readily to mind (source). Many people don't really want a possibly destructive radioactive threat sitting down the road.

Nuclear engineering is a fairly expensive industry as well. While the pay is fantastic, it's getting more difficult for the typical power companies to afford the pay, so the available jobs are few and getting fewer. 

Unlike most of the job market, positions for nuclear engineers are actually expected to decline over the next decade or so (source). Everything from safety improvements to researching the next form of nuclear power costs a lot of money.

The best bet is to work in nuclear medicine. People may choose to power their homes with a bicycle attached to a generator, but they'll still want access to the best possible medicine money can buy.