SOC 29-1217.00Bright outlook

    Neurologists

    Diagnose, manage, and treat disorders and diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, with a primarily nonsurgical focus.

    Median pay
    $248,560
    Growth
    +6.4%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    300
    Typical education
    Doctoral or professional degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $83,370
    Median
    $248,560
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $450,780
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    10,590 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Neurologists are medical doctors who diagnose and treat non-surgical disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. This highly specialized medical career offers a median annual pay of $248,560.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What neurologists do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    Diagnose, manage, and treat disorders and diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, with a primarily nonsurgical focus.

    Most need a graduate degree, such as a master's, PhD, MD or JD.

    What the work is like

    Neurologists focus on diagnosing, managing, and treating patients with diseases of the nervous system. On a daily basis, these physicians gather information from patients, analyze medical data, and solve complex medical problems to determine the correct treatment plan. Because their work is primarily nonsurgical, they rely heavily on prescribing therapies, managing medications, and counseling patients and their families.

    Success in this field requires strong investigative interests and a deep knowledge of medicine, biology, psychology, and therapy. Neurologists must use critical thinking and active listening to understand patient symptoms, while employing social perceptiveness and empathy during consultations. Because they deal with serious brain and nerve disorders, these professionals must demonstrate high stress tolerance, self-control, and extreme attention to detail. They also spend significant time documenting patient records, interpreting medical findings for others, and updating their own professional knowledge to stay current with medical advancements.

    How to get there

    Entering this career requires extensive academic and clinical preparation. Candidates must typically earn a doctoral or professional degree, such as a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), by majoring in medicine at the college level. After medical school, aspiring neurologists must complete years of residency training to gain hands-on experience in the field.

    To practice, professionals must navigate state-specific regulations, as some states list a license for this work. Additionally, practitioners can pursue professional certifications to demonstrate their expertise. For example, the American Academy of Neurological & Orthopaedic Surgeons offers a certification in Clinical Neurology. Common job titles in this field include child neurologist, epileptologist, neurohospitalist, and headache specialist.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for neurologists was $248,560 in 2025. Earnings vary significantly based on experience, location, and practice setting; the lowest 10 percent of earners make less than $83,370, while the highest 10 percent earn more than $450,780.

    With 10,590 people employed in this field, the profession is projected to grow by 6.4 percent from 2025 to 2035, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to result in approximately 300 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    52 / 100
    Investigative (I) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    18 / 100
    Social (S)
    67 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    23 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    45 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code ISR. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Getting Information
    98
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    98
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    95
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    93
    Documenting/Recording Information
    91
    Analyzing Data or Information
    90
    Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
    90
    Processing Information
    89
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    89
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    88
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Critical Thinking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Speaking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Monitoring
    • Writing
    • Active Learning

    Knowledge

    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • English Language
    • Psychology
    • Biology
    • Therapy and Counseling
    • Education and Training
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Chemistry
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Mathematics

    Abilities

    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Information Ordering
    • Near Vision
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Expression

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Self-Control
    • Empathy
    • Integrity
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Perseverance
    • Achievement Orientation

    Also called

    Adult and Pediatric Neurologist · Adult Neurologist · Child Neurologist · Chiropractic Neurologist · DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician) · Epileptologist · General Neurologist · Headache Specialist · MD (Medical Doctor) · Neurohospitalist

    Career pathway

    From your interests to neurologists

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Neurologists$248,560 median pay

    3. Majors

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What neurologists may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Child Neurology Residency Program
    • Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship Program
    • Epilepsy Fellowship Program
    • Headache Medicine Fellowship Program
    • Internal Medicine/Neurology Combined Specialty Program
    • Medicine
    • Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Fellowship Program
    • Neurology Residency Program
    • Neurology Residency/Fellowship Programs, Other
    • Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy
    • Psychiatry/Neurology Combined Specialty Program
    • Vascular Neurology Fellowship Program

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    53 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Federal

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about neurologists

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What is the typical education required to become a neurologist?

    To enter this career, individuals must earn a doctoral or professional degree, which typically involves completing medical school with a major in medicine. This is followed by extensive post-graduate residency training to specialize in neurology.

    How fast is employment in this field expected to grow?

    Employment for neurologists is projected to grow by 6.4 percent from 2025 to 2035, a rate that is faster than the average for all occupations. This expansion will generate about 300 job openings on an annual basis.

    Are neurologists required to be licensed?

    Yes, some states list a license for this work. Prospective neurologists should check the specific medical board requirements in the state where they plan to practice.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.