Clinical Neuropsychologists: Career Overview
Assess and diagnose patients with neurobehavioral problems related to acquired or developmental disorders of the nervous system, such as neurodegenerative disorders, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, and learning disabilities. Recommend treatment after diagnosis, such as therapy, medication, or surgery. Assist with evaluation before and after neurosurgical procedures, such as deep brain stimulation.
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The Daily Work of Clinical Neuropsychologists Perform?
The core tasks performed by clinical neuropsychologists span:
- Interview patients to obtain comprehensive medical histories.
- Write or prepare detailed clinical neuropsychological reports, using data from psychological or neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct observations, or interviews.
- Conduct neuropsychological evaluations such as assessments of intelligence, academic ability, attention, concentration, sensorimotor function, language, learning, and memory.
- Diagnose and treat conditions involving injury to the central nervous system, such as cerebrovascular accidents, neoplasms, infectious or inflammatory diseases, degenerative diseases, head traumas, demyelinating diseases, and various forms of dementing illnesses.
- Diagnose and treat pediatric populations for conditions such as learning disabilities with developmental or organic bases.
- Provide education or counseling to individuals and families.
- Distinguish between psychogenic and neurogenic syndromes, two or more suspected etiologies of cerebral dysfunction, or between disorders involving complex seizures.
- Diagnose and treat neural and psychological conditions in medical and surgical populations, such as patients with early dementing illness or chronic pain with a neurological basis.
Skills and Knowledge
Top clinical neuropsychologists rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Clinical Neuropsychologists Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Adult Neuropsychologist
- Aviation Neuropsychologist
- Board Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist
- Clinical Neuropsychologist
- Neuropsychology Medical Consultant
- Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychologist
- Pediatric Neuropsychologist
- Staff Psychologist
Job Outlook
There are about 198,310 clinical neuropsychologists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +8.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Clinical Neuropsychologists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $57,643 |
| Hourly median | $27.71 |
| 10th percentile | $39,802 |
| 25th percentile | $48,722 |
| 75th percentile | $66,563 |
| 90th percentile | $75,483 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $147,650 |
| Oklahoma | $147,010 |
| Nevada | $144,390 |
| Nebraska | $137,990 |
| North Carolina | $137,130 |
| South Carolina | $135,950 |
| Tennessee | $135,570 |
| Alabama | $134,370 |
| Kansas | $133,540 |
| Connecticut | $132,040 |
| Ohio | $131,310 |
| South Dakota | $128,560 |
| Massachusetts | $128,180 |
| Arizona | $128,040 |
| Missouri | $127,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $126,460 |
| Virginia | $125,630 |
| New Jersey | $124,800 |
| Kentucky | $124,550 |
| Indiana | $123,880 |
| Iowa | $123,740 |
| Florida | $123,610 |
| Maryland | $123,490 |
| Idaho | $122,720 |
| Puerto Rico | $120,270 |
| Washington | $120,080 |
| Colorado | $118,640 |
| Arkansas | $118,600 |
| District of Columbia | $117,960 |
| New York | $113,730 |
| Georgia | $113,730 |
| Louisiana | $113,620 |
| Mississippi | $111,430 |
| Rhode Island | $111,310 |
| Minnesota | $110,190 |
| Wisconsin | $107,540 |
| Utah | $90,270 |
| Oregon | $82,960 |
| Texas | $81,830 |
| Illinois | $81,270 |
| Michigan | $78,670 |
| Vermont | $76,490 |
| New Hampshire | $75,990 |
| Maine | $63,490 |
| West Virginia | $41,900 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for clinical neuropsychologists differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $129,810 | 16.6% | 1.27 |
| Plains States | $120,900 | 5.3% | 0.88 |
| Middle Atlantic | $120,815 | 15.9% | 1.29 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $120,270 | 0.4% | 0.67 |
| Southeast | $120,151 | 21.7% | 1.00 |
| Rocky Mountains | $119,237 | 2.4% | 1.00 |
| New England | $105,682 | 7.2% | 1.92 |
| Great Lakes | $99,377 | 15.9% | 1.56 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $169,330 | 110 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $160,640 | 500 |
| Fresno, CA | CA | $157,240 | 40 |
| Reno, NV | NV | $151,900 | 30 |
| Asheville, NC | NC | $149,990 | 50 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | OK | $147,910 | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | NC | $147,830 | 40 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $146,350 | 240 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of clinical neuropsychologists are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 7,200 | $81,270 |
| Educational Services | 980 | $80,130 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 300 | $102,990 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 100 | $112,250 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 40 | $140,730 |
Below are examples of industries where clinical neuropsychologists work:
Tech Stack
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for clinical neuropsychologists reflects the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Spend Time Sitting
Getting Started in This Career
This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (Primary-Long)
- Neuropsychologists (Primary-Short)
- Physician Assistants (Supplemental)
- Occupational Therapists (Supplemental)
- Acute Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Primary-Long)
- Clinical Nurse Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Nurse Practitioners (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future clinical neuropsychologists often complete programs in:
Psychology
24 programs across 4 majors
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
3 programs across 1 majors
Social Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-3039.03 (Psychologists, All Other).
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