The median pay for Clinical Neuropsychologists is $110,840 a year ($53.29/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 2.3% through 2035, with about 3,500 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 19-3039
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Clinical Neuropsychologist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $110,840a year, or $53.29/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $55KTop 10% $169K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.3%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,50060,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202560K
- Projected 203561.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 60K Projected 2035 61.4K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Doctorate8.3%
- Post-doctoral training91.7%
Highest education held by clinical neuropsychologists Segment Value Doctorate 8.3% Post-doctoral training 91.7%
Also advertised as: Aviation Neuropsychologist, Board Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist, Clinical Neuropsychologist, Neuropsychology Medical Consultant, Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychologist, Pediatric Neuropsychologist.
Pay
How much do Clinical Neuropsychologists make?
Every clinical neuropsychologist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$110,840
Middle half earn $68,850 to $147,240
- 10th
- $54,990
- 25th
- $68,850
- 75th
- $147,240
- 90th
- $168,520
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $54,990 |
| 25th | $68,850 |
| Median | $110,840 |
| 75th | $147,240 |
| 90th | $168,520 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $110,840
- Median hourly wage
- $53.29/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $111,210
- People employed
- 18,820
Versus all US occupations
At $110,840, Clinical Neuropsychologists earn 117% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $59,860 a year.
Versus life, physical, and social science occupations
Inside the Life, Physical, and Social Science group, where the middle occupation pays $82,220, this is 35% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $168,520 or more while the bottom 10% earn $54,990, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 81% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($157,540), but once local prices are taken into account Kentucky leads at $166,362 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Clinical Neuropsychologists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $157,540 | $142,287 | 1,600 |
| 2Kentucky | $149,990 | $166,362 | 300 |
| 3Nevada | $146,850 | $146,881 | 100 |
| 4Oklahoma | $141,290 | $160,844 | 90 |
| 5Virginia | $140,640 | $139,104 | 510 |
| 6Iowa | $138,420 | $157,722 | 60 |
| 7Tennessee | $138,070 | $150,288 | 200 |
| 8Arizona | $137,510 | $136,585 | 240 |
| 9South Carolina | $136,990 | $146,124 | 140 |
| 10Alabama | $136,070 | $153,192 | 110 |
Job outlook
Is Clinical Neuropsychologist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +2.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Clinical Neuropsychologists | +2.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Clinical Neuropsychologists to change 2.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,500 openings are projected each year, 5.8% of the 60,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of psychologists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of psychologists varies by occupation (see table).
Employment for psychologists is projected to grow due to demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, mental health centers, and social service agencies.
Getting in
How to become a Clinical Neuropsychologist
Psychologists typically need an advanced degree, such as a master’s or doctoral degree, in psychology. Licensing requirements vary by state and position.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Internship/residency
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as clinical neuropsychologists.
- Post-Doctoral Training91.7%
- Doctoral Degree8.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Doctoral Training | 91.7% |
| Doctoral Degree | 8.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Clinical Neuropsychologist do?
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.
Psychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people relate to one another and to their environments. They use their findings to help improve processes and behaviors.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- 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.
- Consult with other professionals about patients' neurological conditions.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most psychologists work full time, but part-time work is common. They may work evenings or weekends to accommodate their clients’ schedules.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.4
- Critical Thinking4.3
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Speaking4.0
- Writing3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Monitoring3.6
- Learning Strategies3.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.1
- Judgment and Decision Making4.1
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Service Orientation3.8
- Coordination3.5
- Persuasion3.4
- Instructing3.4
- Time Management3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.5 |
| Persuasion | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.4 |
| Time Management | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
- Medical software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Clinical Neuropsychologist?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Clinical Neuropsychologist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 7 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
- Investigative7.0
- Social5.7
- Conventional3.5
- Realistic2.8
- Artistic2.4
- Enterprising2.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Clinical Neuropsychologist
O*NET related occupations
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More life, physical, and social science careers
Median annual pay, with clinical neuropsychologists highlighted
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist$193,950
- Physicist$172,250
- Clinical Neuropsychologist$110,840
- Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
- Chemist$91,240
- Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health$82,220
- Conservation Scientist$73,010
- Chemical Technician$60,390
- Biological Technician$57,510
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | $193,950 |
| Physicist | $172,250 |
| Clinical Neuropsychologist | $110,840 |
| Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 |
| Chemist | $91,240 |
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health | $82,220 |
| Conservation Scientist | $73,010 |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Clinical Neuropsychologist appears on
Questions
Clinical Neuropsychologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Clinical Neuropsychologists make?
Clinical Neuropsychologists earn a median of $110,840 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 117% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $53.29/hr. The middle half earn between $68,850 and $147,240. The top 10% earn $168,520 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Clinical Neuropsychologist?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Clinical Neuropsychologists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 91.7% hold post-doctoral training.
Is Clinical Neuropsychologist a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 2.3% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Clinical Neuropsychologist do?
Psychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people relate to one another and to their environments. A core O*NET task: interview patients to obtain comprehensive medical histories. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Clinical Neuropsychologists the most?
The highest state medians for Clinical Neuropsychologists are California ($157,540), Kentucky ($149,990), Nevada ($146,850) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Kentucky moves to the top at $166,362.
What personality type suits a Clinical Neuropsychologist?
O*NET scores Clinical Neuropsychologists highest on the Investigative, Social and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INFJ, INFP, INTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.