Transitional energy employment trends to look out for in 2025

Since its launch in 2017, the Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) Report has detailed emerging trends across the global energy workforce. GETI has gathered insights from thousands of professionals to create a comprehensive map of the energy employment landscape, providing firms with the tools to attract and retain talent.

This year’s GETI report analyses data from the past five years to create a trends report that examines the key challenges, opportunities and shifts shaping energy businesses, professionals and hiring managers.

Salary increases for the nuclear and power sectors

Salary increases have steadily risen since 2021, only falling slightly this year. 54% of professionals report a pay rise in 2025, compared to 38% five years ago. A quarter (24%) say pay has risen by more than 5%. Only 5% report a pay decrease.

Hiring managers report a similar trend, with 66% saying pay has increased this year, compared to 49% in 2021. Those reporting that salaries have risen by more than 5% increased year-on-year between 2021 and 2024, levelling out in 2025.

Global mobility remains stable for this sector in 2025

Over the past five years, the expatriate workforce has remained relatively stable, averaging 30% and peaking at 34% last year. While the percentage of employers offering cross-regional transfers has risen from 48% in 2022 to 58 per cent in 2025, the percentage of professionals who would consider relocating has fallen sharply.

Now, only 74% would consider relocating, a decrease of 13% since 2021.

Attracting and retaining talent in this sector

Despite the apparent rootedness of the nuclear workforce, hiring managers can’t afford to get complacent; 43% of professionals would still consider switching to another energy sector.

26% of transitional energy professionals would switch to a non-energy sector.

Over the past five years, renewables have been the most attractive sector for transitional energy
professionals considering a switch, with oil and gas a distant second. Technology has held the top spot for the non-energy sector, although interest was highest in 2022 at 48%, declining to 35% in 2024 and rebounding to 38% this year.

What does the transition to clean energy mean for nuclear and power organisations?

The energy market is undergoing a significant transition. The world is moving away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources. This shift is driven by several factors, including the need to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy security, and create jobs in the clean energy sector.

Nuclear firms are well-positioned to take advantage of this, but to do so requires a lot of preparation, including attracting and maintaining a talented workforce and developing new strategies for marketing themselves in the clean energy space.

Download the GETI report to find out more about transitional energy professionals’ career mobility preferences in 2025

What can these firms do to adapt to the change?

There are a few things that transitional energy firms can do to adapt to this shift. The first is to embrace digitalisation and data to optimise their processes. They can do this by, for example, using data analytics to monitor energy consumption patterns and identify areas for improvement.

Another way that firms can adapt is by diversifying their energy mix. This will help them to hedge their bets against the variability of renewable energy sources and provide a more reliable energy supply.

It is also important that businesses focus on employee retention and energy recruitment to stay ahead of the competition. For example, hiring managers should be actively looking for ways to alleviate their employees' concerns around energy transition and providing training to help them adapt to any changes in processes and equipment.

Lastly, firms need to continue to invest in research and development to maintain their competitive advantage. Companies can do this by investing in energy storage technologies or developing new nuclear reactor designs that are more efficient and have a smaller environmental footprint.

What opportunities does the transition to clean energy provide to these firms?

The energy transition presents a number of opportunities for firms. Firstly, it provides an opportunity to increase the use of existing nuclear power plants as countries look to decarbonise their energy mix.

There is also an opportunity to develop new, advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) which are more flexible and can be used in a variety of applications. 

Another opportunity presented by the energy transition is the development of innovative nuclear fusion reactors. These have the potential to be much cleaner and more efficient than existing nuclear fission reactors.

So, there are many opportunities for transitional energy firms if they can embrace the change and adapt their business models.

Download the full 2025 GETI report

Would you like to learn more about employment trends expected to shape the sector in 2025? Get all the latest insights and information on trends across the rest of the energy industry in the 2025 GETI report. Download it today.