Highest Paying Countries For Neurosurgeons

Last Updated on January 2, 2023

If you are searching for a highly rewarding career, then neurosurgery could be the role for you. Neurosurgeons play a vital role in the care of many neurological disorders, performing operations, assessing and diagnosing patients who need surgical treatment. However, being a neurosurgeon is not an easy job as it takes years of training and hard work to become practice ready. If you want to know more about the subject, continue reading here .

Neurosurgeons are the highest paid professionals in almost every country. Neurosurgeons work in private clinics or hospitals and focus on brain, spine, head and neck cancers.

Why Become a neurosurgeon? 

There are various reasons you should consider being a neurosurgeon, especially if you want the opportunity to assist the hospital’s sickest patients with life-threatening neurological illnesses. 

These reasons include:

• You can become a neurosurgeon if you want to operations on fascinating and complicated anatomy that is technically demanding.
• You can become a neurologist if you want Countless research possibility
• Becoming a neurologist also makes you Take on this technical challenge gives the surgeon a one-of-a-kind opportunity to set himself apart from the rest of the surgical team.

Neurosurgery is profitable because they are among the highest-paid medical specialties with an annual salary of $616,823.

Highest Paying Countries For Neurosurgeons

BELOW ARE THE HIGHEST PAYING COUNTRIES FOR NEUROSURGEONS

1. UNITED STATES

Neurosurgeons leaving training and taking their first job get a median salary break down of: cranial ($542,000), vascular ($531,000) and spine ($530,000). According to AMGA the median starting salary of neurosurgeons generally was $697,500. Medical Group Management Association found that the highest median compensation for general neurosurgery was around $823,213 and $719,805 for pediatric neurosurgery. In physician owned groups, MGMA reported median compensation was $762,728 compared with $810,192 in health system owned groups.

2. SWITZERLAND

At the start of a neurosurgeon’s career in Switzerland, the starting salary ranges at around CHF300,000 annually and once one has had over 10 years of experience their salary ranges at around CHF615,000 per year.

3. NORWAY

Neurosurgeons here roughly make NOK 4.2 million a year and sometimes are entitled to an additional bonus.

4. JAPAN

A Japanese neurosurgeon gets paid an average of 45 million Yen a year.

5. AUSTRALIA

Very well experienced Australian neurosurgeons make roughly AU$502,000 with an additional bonus pay of up to AU$102,000.

6. CANADA

The national average pay for surgical specialists in Canada is around $450,000 a year

7. DENMARK

The average wage is around 1.2 million DKK per year. Those with many years of experience make around 2 million DKK yearly and this can go to as high as 5 million DKK per annum for some high performing specialists.

8. IRELAND

Those who work full time in public hospitals with no fee paying patients earn a salary of between €180,000 to €252,000. Those who treat private patients in their public hospitals earn a bit less.

9. NETHERLANDS

Neurosurgeons working in non academic hospitals pay from €85,000 per year at the start of their careers and this rise to over €175,000 once one gains over 10 years of experience.

10. UNITED KINGDOM

Neurosurgeons working for the NHS get paid around £107,000 a year.

neurosurgeon salary per month

In the United States, neurosurgeons earn a total of $396,274 annually. While the neurosurgeon salary in the UK stands at £99,008 ($139,208) per year. People with the same job working in Canada make about C$314,296 ($240,103) each year.

Australian neurosurgeons win about AU$286,140 ($220,439) per year, while the same professionals living in Switzerland earn CHF561,271 ($590,339). While in Norway a neurosurgeon makes around NOK 4,171,201 ($538,919) a year.

How to Become a Neurosurgeon

 The first step in choosing a career is to ensure that you are willing to devote yourself to it. You don’t want to squander your time on something you don’t enjoy. 

Anyways, here are the steps to becoming a neurosurgeon. 

1. High school:

All doctors must understand how the human body functions, how substances interact with it, and how forces affect it.

As a result, students interested in becoming doctors should study science in high school, focusing on biology, chemistry, and physics.

2. Bachelor’s Degree:

While no specific degree is necessary for undergraduate education, aspiring neurosurgeons typically focus their courses in advanced biological sciences to meet medical school admission standards.

They must complete a bachelor’s degree program that includes pre-med required subjects like microbiology and biochemistry.

3. Medical college admissions Test:

Prospective neurosurgeons must take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) offered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine during their junior year of undergraduate studies (AACOM)

This standardized exam helps medical schools to assess a candidate’s training and skill set through a series of multiple-choice questions.

Many schools publish the average MCAT score of their incoming students on their websites to help first-year students understand how well they need to score to compete with other applicants.

4. Medical school and National License: 

Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degrees are earned by neurosurgeons. Medical school is a four-year program broken into two halves.

The first two years of education are devoted to courses and lab work that intellectually prepare students for patient engagement. This training is in the biological and medical sciences.

They often include advance classes in medical diagnostics, clinical research, surgical practice, and illness management for students who want to become neurosurgeons.

5. Internship:

Graduates who want to work in neurosurgery must spend one year as a hospital intern after graduating from medical school.

Interns are not allowed to practice medicine without supervision and must stay within the training program parameters in which they are enrolled.

6. Residency:

Physicians begin a residency program in neurological surgery after completing an internship, which typically lasts six to seven years.

Years one and two are devoted to learning neurosurgery, neuropathology, and neuroradiology.

Some programs offer laboratory research or experience in a subspecialty of neurosurgery in years three and four.

Administrative responsibility for all residents, acting as chief resident in neurosurgery, and aiding in surgeries are usual responsibilities during the final year or two.

7. State Licensing and Continuing Education: 

Every state requires that all physicians be licensed. Candidates must have finished medical school and a residency program to appear for a state’s licensing exam.

While licensing rules and regulations differ by state, most states require periodic license renewal and ongoing education.

8. Board Certification(optional):

The American Board of Neurological Surgery offers board certification (ABNS).

Passing the Board’s examination and gaining the credential indicates a surgeon’s dedication to excellence in the profession and boosts credibility and marketability in the medical community, while it is not required.

9. Specialized training(optional):

These are a physician who chooses to undergo additional training or a “fellowship.” in a specialty after or near the conclusion of residency is referred to as a “fellow.”

Pediatric neurosurgery, spine surgery, and neurovascular surgery are all neurosurgical subspecialties.

Seven sub-specialties in Neurosurgery.

In neurosurgery, there are more than seven sub-specialties.
Most individuals believe that neurosurgeons perform all procedures. This couldn’t be more untrue.

The term “neurosurgeon” refers to a variety of sub-specialties.

Within the field, there are seven key sub-specialties. And there are.

1. Pediatric neurosurgery;

Pediatric neurosurgery is one of the most common/highest paid subspecialties of neurosurgeon.

This subspecialty involves surgical operations involving the neurological system; nevertheless, pediatric neurosurgeons are primarily concerned with the well-being of children.

It pays an average of $643,188 each year. Only non-pediatric neurosurgery ($767,627) and pediatric cardiovascular surgery ($762,846) are more expensive.

2. Neuro-Oncology;

Approximately 700,000 Americans are affected by brain tumors today. Professional medical assistance is required for these folks. Such aid enables them to deal with concerns such as brain and spinal cancers.

The primary function of neuro-oncologists is to assist in the treatment of malignancies of the spine.

Neuro-Oncology is also one of the highest-paid neurosurgeons, with an annual mean salary of $180,870. The national average hourly wage for these workers was $86.

3. Neurovascular surgery;

It is a type of surgery that deals with The identification and strengthening of blood arteries.  

Do you suffer from an illness that causes brain abnormalities? Such issues arise as a result of vascular anomalies and necessitate neurovascular surgery.

4. Functional Neurosurgery;

Did you know that more than 3.4 million people in the United States have epilepsy? This is one of the most frequent functional problems in both adults and children.

Functional neurosurgery is used to treat a variety of diseases.

Epilepsy, mobility abnormalities, and cerebral palsy are examples of such conditions.

This is one of the highest-paid neurosurgeon in the world.

5. Traumatology;

Traumatic brain injuries claimed the lives of more than 155 Americans every day in 2014.

Traumatology neurosurgeons deal with a variety of TBI-related injuries daily.

It’s important to note that these experts specialize in the restoration of brain damage.

This is another highest paid neurosurgeon in the world

6. Skull-Based surgery;

It is a type of surgery that is performed on the skull. Patients with diseases or injuries affecting the head should seek expert treatment from a skull specialist.

When dealing with injuries, these professionals focus on a different line of work than neuro-oncologists.

You can contact Robert Louis, MD if you’re looking for the best neurosurgeon.

7. Specialists in Spinal Injuries;

As previously stated, spinal injury interventions fall under the category of neurosurgery. A spinal neurosurgeon performs the procedures during residency or as part of a fellowship.

Spine surgery is one of the most popular procedures for injuries that affect the elderly.

best country for neurosurgery residency

UNITED STATES

Salary: US$810,192

Neurosurgeons leaving training and taking their first job get a median salary break down of: cranial ($542,000), vascular ($531,000) and spine ($530,000). According to AMGA the median starting salary of neurosurgeons generally was $697,500. Medical Group Management Association found that the highest median compensation for general neurosurgery was around $823,213 and $719,805 for pediatric neurosurgery. In physician owned groups, MGMA reported median compensation was $762,728 compared with $810,192 in health system owned groups.

SWITZERLAND

Salary: $615,000

At the start of a neurosurgeon’s career in Switzerland, the starting salary ranges at around CHF300,000 annually and once one has had over 10 years of experience their salary ranges at around CHF615,000 per year.

NORWAY

Salary: $460,000

Neurosurgeons her roughly make NOK 4.2 million a year and sometimes are entitled to an additional bonus.

JAPAN

Salary: $413,615

A Japanese neurosurgeon gets paid an average of 45 million Yen a year.

AUSTRALIA

Salary: $412,000

Very well experienced Australian neurosurgeons make roughly AU$502,000 with an additional bonus pay of up to AU$102,000.

CANADA

Salary: $340,000

The national average pay for surgical specialists in Canada is around $450,000 a year

DENMARK

Salary: $296,765

The average wage of an overlæge is around 1.2 million DKK per year. Those with many years of experience make around 2 million DKK yearly and this can go to as high as 5 million DKK per annum for some high performing specialists.

IRELAND

Salary: $250,000

Those who work full time in public hospitals with no fee paying patients earn a salary of between €180,000 to €252,000. Those who treat private patients in their public hospitals earn a bit less.

NETHERLANDS

Salary: $194,000

Neurosurgeons working in non academic hospitals pay from €85,000 per year at the start of their careers and this rise to over €175,000 once one gains over 10 years of experience.

UNITED KINGDOM

Salary: $138,000

Neurosurgeons working for the NHS get paid around £107,000 a year.

highest paying cities for neurosurgeons

Average Neurosurgeon Salary by State