If you are thinking about a career in neuropsychology, here’s what you need to know. Starting salary for neuropsychologists is $70,000 annually, with the potential for earning $100,000 a year or more within five years of entering this field. The highest-paid neuropsychologists earn far more than other professionals.
The starting salary for a neuropsychologist is approximately $50,000, depending on the qualifications and experience of the individual. Professionals with advanced degrees and at least five years of experience may be able to earn more than $65,000 per year.
Starting Salary For Neuropsychologist Overview
The average neuropsychologist salary per month is $14,000. However, there are many factors that can affect how much you make as a neuropsychologist. Pediatric neuropsychologists tend to make more than adult neuropsychologists because they have more experience and training. They also may be able to charge more for their services. If you’re looking to become a neuropsychologist, it’s best to start by getting an undergraduate degree in psychology or neuroscience, followed by a graduate degree in clinical psychology or counseling. You’ll also need to get licensed in your state before you can practice as a neuropsychologist.
Neuropsychologists are clinical practitioners who specialize in the assessment and treatment of brain-behavior disorders. They evaluate individuals with cognitive problems, including mental illness, intellectual disabilities and brain injury.
Pediatric neuropsychologists specialize in treating children with neurological disorders. They help diagnose and treat conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities and developmental delay.
The median annual pay for pediatric neuropsychologists was $65,000 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The lowest 10 percent earned less than $38,480 while the highest 10 percent earned more than $109,590.*
What is a Neuropsychologist?
Neuropsychology is a discipline that is concerned primarily with cognition. Neuropsychologists can have a number of different job functions, from examining the effects of traumatic brain injuries on a person’s mood, behavior, and ability to think, to exploring how effective different treatments are for individuals whose brain functioning has been diminished. Many neuropsychologists work in the research sector, spending much of their time developing experiments to answer questions about the brain’s structures and functions.
Others work in clinical settings and are responsible for carrying out assessment, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of brain-based disorders. The path to becoming a neuropsychologist is a long one, with a doctorate and several years of postdoctoral work required. However, salaries in this field are quite good, and with steady to higher-than-average growth expected over the next decade, job prospects for neuropsychologists should be many.
What does a neuropsychologist do?
Neuropsychologists are highly trained health care professionals who work with people who have brain-related disorders. These disorders may include central nervous system conditions or traumatic brain injuries. Neuropsychologists may diagnose these conditions and create treatment plans for patients, offering them any support that they need along the way. They may also administer treatment directly. In other situations, neuropsychologists act as academics, researching and suggesting new treatments.
Duties of a neuropsychologist
While neuropsychologists may have a broad range of general duties that can vary from day to day, some of their most common duties may include:
- assessing a patient who has an abnormal brain function
- determining the condition causing this abnormal function
- creating treatment plans for patients
- administering treatment, including PET scans and MRIs
- researching new findings in the field of neuropsychology
- offering expert advice at legal establishments
How to become a neuropsychologist
Here are the steps you may take to help you become a neuropsychologist:
1. Complete secondary school
Most neuropsychologists complete Year 12 qualifying in English, mathematics and science. They may have a particular aptitude for biology and psychology, too. Many candidates typically achieve good ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) grades at this stage, which can help them get into a university of their choice.
2. Obtain a Bachelor’s degree
Most neuropsychologists usually have a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline. These disciplines may include psychology, biomedical science, medicine or biology. These degrees are typically available across the country and, in some instances, you may complete them partially online. Bachelor degrees can take between three to four years to complete.
3. Obtain a Master’s or doctoral degree
After acquiring your Bachelor’s, the next step is typically to obtain a Master’s or doctoral degree. Usually, neuropsychologists have a Master’s or doctorate in clinical neuropsychology. This can give candidates a full awareness of the profession, with a mix of in-person teaching and clinical experience, supervised by senior neuropsychologists.
4. Secure the clinical neuropsychology practice endorsement
After completing your Master’s or doctoral degree, you may then get the clinical neuropsychology practice endorsement. This licenses you to practise neuropsychology. It usually involves one to two years of neuropsychological practice, under the supervision of a senior clinical neuropsychologist. You may work closely with them and make a few independent decisions at first, but gradually gain more responsibility as you accrue more experience.
5. Apply for jobs
Upon completion of your neuropsychological practice, you may become fully licensed. You can then either choose to work in your existing place of work or apply for jobs elsewhere. You may find that your wage increases at this point.
Neuropsychologist skills
A neuropsychologist may have certain hard and soft skills to complete their work. These skills commonly include:
Biology
Neuropsychologists typically have a good knowledge of biology and how the human body works. They may have excelled in biology at school or studied it during their degree. While their main focus is on the brain, it’s typically important for neuropsychologists to have an awareness of how different organs and other body parts react with the brain.
Psychology
Neuropsychologists tend to have a good education in psychology. They are usually experts regarding how the brain works and can assess whether mental health problems, other brain disorders or trauma are the cause of certain symptoms. Neuropsychologists typically take a science-based approach to psychology.
Information technology
These professionals often have good information technology (IT) skills. They may use IT throughout their job, including when they are communicating with other professionals, researching new treatments and presenting their ideas. Neuropsychologists may not have a formal qualification in IT but are often comfortable using all of the basic applications to complete their job successfully.
Communication
Communication is usually an important skill for neuropsychologists. They often communicate with a range of different staff members, including doctors, other psychologists, nurses and home care staff. They may speak to these people in a mix of medical-related and non-medical-related terms. Neuropsychologists may also adopt a different communication style when speaking to patients and their family members or friends.
Teamwork
Teamwork can be an important skill among neuropsychologists. In general, neuropsychologists work with other medical professionals to care for a particular patient. If they’re not working with others who are on the care team, they are generally working with the patient themselves, which can also require teamwork to some extent.
Problem-solving
A large part of being a neuropsychologist can involve solving problems. Sometimes, the cause of brain trauma may not be obvious, and the neuropsychologist may use expert knowledge and problem-solving skills to decipher it. They may also use problem-solving skills when organising their tasks and observing timekeeping.
Risk management
Risk management can be a significant skill when working as a neuropsychologist. Neuropsychologists may often balance the positives and negatives of a particular treatment for patients. They could use their risk management skills to assess whether the treatment is the right method to help the specific condition. Having appropriate risk management skills can help a neuropsychologist feel comfortable with a fairly high level of responsibility for the patient’s health.
What is the Salary for a Neuropsychologist?
According to PayScale.com, as of April 2020, the average annual salary for a neuropsychologist is $92,640, making it one of the most lucrative fields of psychology in terms of salary. With some neuropsychologists making in excess of $130,000 per year, the potential for a six-figure income is likely. Many workers in this field report having excellent benefits as part of their salary package, including vision, dental, and medical insurance.
The level of income for neuropsychologists is most heavily dependent on the level of experience, with workers new to the field earning much less, likely in the $50,000-$60,000 range. With five years of experience, the average income jumps to $80,000 per year while someone with 10-20 years of experience can expect to make just over $100,000 per year, on average.
Average salary
Annual salary; $100130 per year
Hourly wage; $48 per hour
Starting salary
Entry-level annual salary ; $44,500 to $76,730 per year
Entry-level hourly wage; $21 to $37 per hour
Entry-level Neuropsychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $44,500 to $76,730 per year or $21 to $37 per hour. Similar to any other job, their salary will increase as they gain experience.
