Navy Electrician’s Mate, Nuclear (EMN): Definitive Guide (2025)

This guide provides helpful information for those looking to join the Navy as an Electrician’s Mate, Nuclear (EMN) during the Fiscal Year 2025.

Civilian electricians keep the lights on. Electrician’s Mate Nuclear? You keep a nuclear-powered fleet moving. Aircraft carriers, submarines—your job is to troubleshoot electric breakers and circuits that power the strongest Navy on the planet.

Math and physics? Non-negotiable. Work ethic? No room for slack. But the payoff? A first-time enlistment bonus up to $50,000. Re-enlistment bonuses on top of that.

If nuclear-level schematics and high-stakes electrical systems get your attention, this is where you belong.

ENLISTMENT BONUS: Future Navy EMNs are currently eligible to receive up to $50K in cash bonus just for signing up.

Job Description

navy-emn-insignia
EMN Insignia – Credit: U.S. Navy

A Nuclear Electrician’s Mate (EMN) operates and maintains electrical systems aboard nuclear-powered Navy ships, including aircraft carriers and submarines.

EMNs keep the power flowing on the Navy’s most advanced ships. You’re not just flipping switches—you’re controlling generators, switchboards, and the electrical guts of a nuclear reactor.

Your job? Find short circuits, fix electrical failures, rebuild solid-state circuits, and repair everything from motors to voltage regulators.

Lighting, power grids, mechanical devices—you touch it all. If it runs on electricity aboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier or submarine, you make sure it stays online.

At sea or on shore, the work is fast, technical, and high-stakes. Submarines. Carriers. High-pressure environments where precision matters. If you can handle that, this is your arena.

Different EMN Roles

Submarine Propulsion Plant Roles

  • Electrical Manager – Oversees electrical operations, maintenance, and training for engineering teams. Manages ship electrical safety, audits programs, analyzes trends, improves processes, and performs risk management. Ensures naval tactical and strategic force readiness.
  • Electrical Operator – Operates and maintains submarine electrical distribution systems, generators, lighting, alarms, and vibration analysis equipment. Supports nuclear reactor, steam plant, and auxiliary equipment operations. Essential for submarine movement.
  • Electrical Supervisor – Leads advanced electrical operations and maintenance. Develops administrative programs, supervises personnel, and oversees training. Performs risk management and ensures mission-critical electrical system reliability.

Surface Propulsion Plant Roles

  • Electrical Manager – Directs electrical operations, maintenance, and training for reactor department teams. Coordinates safety programs, audits procedures, analyzes data, improves processes, and manages risk. Critical for naval command force mobility.
  • Electrical Operator – Maintains and operates surface ship electrical systems, generators, alarms, and control equipment. Supports reactor shutdown procedures and auxiliary systems. Ensures tactical fleet movement.
  • Electrical Supervisor – Leads high-level electrical distribution operations and maintenance. Manages training, risk assessment, and administrative programs. Ensures mission-critical electrical functionality for fleet operations.

Rank Structure

Pay GradeRateAbbreviationTitle
E-1Seaman RecruitSRSeaman Recruit
E-2Seaman ApprenticeSASeaman Apprentice
E-3SeamanSNSeaman
E-4Electrician’s Mate Nuclear Third ClassEMN3Petty Officer Third Class
E-5Electrician’s Mate Nuclear Second ClassEMN2Petty Officer Second Class
E-6Electrician’s Mate Nuclear First ClassEMN1Petty Officer First Class
E-7Chief Electrician’s Mate NuclearEMNCChief Petty Officer
E-8Senior Chief Electrician’s Mate NuclearEMNCSSenior Chief Petty Officer
E-9Master Chief Electrician’s Mate NuclearEMNCMMaster Chief Petty Officer
  • Start at E-3 – Nuclear trainees enter the Navy at paygrade E-3.
  • Fast-Track to E-4 – Complete “A” School, meet all advancement requirements, and you’re eligible for E-4 promotion.

Salary and Benefits

Salary for the First 6 Years

Monthly pay for Navy enlisted Sailors (E-1 to E-6) in the first six years is laid out in the January  2025 Active Duty Pay chart:

Pay GradeLess than 2 YearsOver 2 YearsOver 3 YearsOver 4 YearsOver 6 Years
E-1$2,108.10$2,108.10$2,108.10$2,108.10$2,108.10
E-2$2,362.80$2,362.80$2,362.80$2,362.80$2,362.80
E-3$2,484.60$2,640.60$2,800.80$2,800.80$2,800.80
E-4$2,752.20$2,892.90$3,049.80$3,204.30$3,341.40
E-5$3,001.50$3,203.70$3,358.80$3,517.20$3,763.80
E-6$3,276.60$3,606.00$3,765.00$3,919.80$4,080.60

Extra Pays and Allowances

  • Nuclear Enlistment Bonus: $50,000 just for signing up.
  • Housing Allowance (BAH): For members living off-base. Covers rent, based on rank, location, and if they have dependents.
  • Subsistence Allowance (BAS): Enlisted get $465.77 monthly for food.
  • Hazard Duty Pay: For dangerous jobs. Pays $150-$250 per month, depending on the job.
  • Sea Pay: For those assigned to ships or deployed units. Depends on rank and time at sea, from $50 to $750 a month.
  • Submarine Duty Incentive Pay (SUBPAY): Up to $1,000/month based on qualifications and assignment.
  • Special and Incentive Pays: Bonuses for certain roles, like air traffic control or unique skills. These can be a few hundred to thousands per year.

Source: Figures are from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.

Benefits

  • Healthcare: Active-duty personnel are eligible for free complete medical and dental treatment. Tricare programs are inexpensive for families to use.
  • Housing Accomodation: Depending on location, rank, and family size, free on-base accommodation or a tax-free housing allowance (BAH) for off-base living are available.
  • Food: Monthly Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) for food costs is known as the “food allowance.”
  • Blended Retirement System (BRS): Conventional pensions are no longer available to active-duty personnel. Rather:
    • Thrift Savings Plan (TSP): Up to 5% in government matching and automatic contributions.
    • Retirement Pay: After 20 years of service, you’re eligible for monthly payments according on the BRS formula, which combines TSP savings with a calculated pension.
  • Education:
    • Availability of tuition assistance programs that pay for all or part of college tuition.
    • Support for higher education under the post-9/11 GI Bill.
    • Navy College Program to support education while on service.
  • Life Insurance: Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) provides coverage up to $500,000.
  • Vacation: ten or more federal holidays plus thirty days of paid vacation each year.
  • Extra Benefits:
    • Exchanges and commissaries provide tax-free purchasing.
    • Discounted travel via military resorts, access to fitness centers, and leisure amenities.
Navy Electrician’s Mate Nuclear EMN - Image 704X396

EMN Training Path

Recruit Training Command (Boot Camp)

Where: Great Lakes, IL
Basic military training. Must pass.

“A” School – 6 Months

Where: Charleston, SC

  • Learn power distribution, circuits, and electrical theory.
  • Work with AC/DC motors, generators, controllers.
  • Troubleshoot, test, repair. Hands-on from the start.

Nuclear Power School (NNPS) – 6 Months

Where: Charleston, SC

  • Deep dive into nuclear physics, reactor engineering, and plant operations.
  • Heat transfer, fluid systems, chemistry, and radiological control.
  • This is where it gets serious.

Prototype Training – 6 Months

Where: Charleston, SC, or Ballston Spa, NY

  • Train on a real nuclear reactor.
  • Work with mechanical, electrical, and reactor subsystems.
  • Learn to troubleshoot under pressure. Nuclear radiation safety drilled in.
  • Finish this, and you’re a certified nuclear propulsion plant operator.

What’s Next?

  • Promotions? Earned, not given. Competitive, performance-based.
  • Where do you go? Aircraft carriers or submarines (sub service optional for men).
  • After the Navy? Civilian nuclear power, engineering, electrical work—doors open.

Qualifications to Join

Basic Requirements

  • Education: High school diploma or equivalent
  • Citizenship: U.S. citizen
  • Math: Must have completed at least one year of Algebra
  • Age: Must be under 25 years old at enlistment
  • Security Clearance: Must qualify for a security clearance

ASVAB & NAPT Requirements

Option 1 – Automatic Qualification:

  • VE + AR + MK + MC ≥ 252 OR
  • AR + MK + EI + GS ≥ 252
  • Both scores must be at least 235

Option 2 – Conditional Qualification :

  • VE + AR + MK + MC ≥ 235 AND AR + MK + EI + GS ≥ 235
  • Must pass the Navy Advanced Programs Test (NAPT)*
  • Final Score Requirement:
    • VE + AR + MK + MC + NAPT ≥ 290 OR
    • AR + MK + EI + GS + NAPT ≥ 290
    • Both base scores (before NAPT) must be at least 225
    • No waivers allowed

*The Navy Advanced Programs Test (NAPT) is a two-hour supplemental exam for Nuclear Field applicants who don’t qualify based solely on ASVAB scores.

Service Obligation

Time Commitment: 6 years (4-year enlistment + 2-year extension for training)


These requirements are current as of Fiscal Year 2025, per the Navy Personnel Command. No updates have been issued thus far.

More Information

If you wish to learn more about becoming an Electronics Technician (ET), contact your local Navy Enlisted Recruiter. They will provide you with more detailed information you’re unlikely to find online.

You may also be interested in the following related Navy Enlisted jobs:

Ted Kingston
I’m a Navy veteran who used to serve as a Navy recruiter. This website is the most reliable source of information for all Enlisted Navy Sailor aspirants. In coordination with a network of current and former Navy recruiters, my goal is to make reliable information easily available to you so you can make informed career decisions.

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