Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

Neurodiagnostic Technologist Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Conduct electroneurodiagnostic (END) tests such as electroencephalograms, evoked potentials, polysomnograms, or electronystagmograms.

Median pay
$50,290
Growth to 2035
+5.9%
Openings a year
12,400
Typical entry
Certificate

Neurodiagnostic Technologists earn a median of $50,290 per year ($24.18/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 5.9% through 2035, with about 12,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.

  • SOC 29-2099
  • Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
  • Last updated October 9, 2026

At a glance

Neurodiagnostic Technologist in four numbers

Median pay
$50,290a year, or $24.18/hr
Lowest 10% $38KTop 10% $85K

US median, all jobs: $50,980

BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected growth
+5.9%Faster than average
This career
+5.9%
All jobs
+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035
ItemValue
This career+5.9%
All jobs+3.5%
BLS EP, 2025–2035
Openings a year
12,400185,600 jobs today
  • Jobs in 2025185.6K
  • Projected 2035196.4K
Employment, 2025–2035
ItemValue
Jobs in 2025185.6K
Projected 2035196.4K
BLS EP, 2025–2035
Typical education
Certificateneeded to enter
  • Certificate35.5%
  • Associate's48.4%
  • Bachelor's16.1%
Highest education held by neurodiagnostic technologists
SegmentValue
Certificate35.5%
Associate's48.4%
Bachelor's16.1%
BLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET

Also advertised as: Certified Intraoperative Neurophysiology Technologist (Certified Intraoperative Neurophysiology Tech), Certified Neurodiagnostic Technologist, Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist (END Technologist), Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Technologist (IONM Tech), Neurodiagnostic Technologist (Neurodiagnostic Tech), Neurophysiology Technical Specialist.

Pay

How much do Neurodiagnostic Technologists make?

Annual pay, lowest-paid to highest-paid

Every neurodiagnostic technologist in the US, by percentile of annual wage

Median

$50,290

Middle half earn $44,170 to $64,340

10th
$38,180
25th
$44,170
75th
$64,340
90th
$85,270

All US occupations: $50,980

Neurodiagnostic Technologist annual wages
PercentileValue
10th$38,180
25th$44,170
Median$50,290
75th$64,340
90th$85,270
All US occupations$50,980

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Median annual wage
$50,290
Median hourly wage
$24.18/hr
Mean annual wage
$58,710
People employed
182,610

Versus all US occupations

At $50,290, the median for Neurodiagnostic Technologists sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.

Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 51% below the group median.

Pay range

The top 10% earn $85,270 or more while the bottom 10% earn $38,180, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.

Rank in the bank

This median pays more than 22% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.

Highest-paying state

Wyoming pays the most at $80,520, and still leads at $86,869 once local prices are taken into account.

Pay by state

Which states pay Neurodiagnostic Technologists 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.

Top 10 states by median annual wage for Neurodiagnostic Technologists
StateMedianCOL-adjustedEmployed
1Wyoming$80,520$86,86990
2Delaware$78,650$78,801110
3U.S. Virgin Islands$72,450N/A30
4Washington$62,090$58,0213,870
5Maine$61,490$63,359550
6Massachusetts$60,500$57,2073,550
7California$60,390$54,54326,540
8Oregon$60,390$58,4261,720
9New York$60,320$55,89311,910
10Hawaii$59,900$54,4791,000
See all 53 states, sortable, with cost-of-living adjustments

Job outlook

Is Neurodiagnostic Technologist a growing career?

Projected change in jobs

Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation

Neurodiagnostic Technologists
+5.9%
All US occupations
+3.5%

Faster than average. +5.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.

Projected employment change, 2025–2035
ItemValue
Neurodiagnostic Technologists+5.9%
All US occupations+3.5%

Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035

Faster than average

BLS projects employment of Neurodiagnostic Technologists to change 5.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 10,900 more jobs.

Annual openings

About 12,400 openings are projected each year, 6.7% of the 185,600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.

Getting in

How to become a Neurodiagnostic Technologist

  1. 1

    Typical entry-level education

    Postsecondary nondegree award

  2. 2

    Work experience in a related occupation

    None

  3. 3

    Typical on-the-job training

    None

  4. 4

    Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)

    Some 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 neurodiagnostic technologists.

  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree48.4%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate35.5%
  • Bachelor's Degree16.1%
Highest education held by neurodiagnostic technologists
ItemValue
Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree48.4%
Post-Secondary Certificate35.5%
Bachelor's Degree16.1%

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database

The work

What does a Neurodiagnostic Technologist do?

Conduct electroneurodiagnostic (END) tests such as electroencephalograms, evoked potentials, polysomnograms, or electronystagmograms. May perform nerve conduction studies.

Day-to-day tasks

  1. Indicate artifacts or interferences derived from sources outside of the brain, such as poor electrode contact or patient movement, on electroneurodiagnostic recordings.
  2. Monitor patients during tests or surgeries, using electroencephalographs (EEG), evoked potential (EP) instruments, or video recording equipment.
  3. Conduct tests or studies such as electroencephalography (EEG), polysomnography (PSG), nerve conduction studies (NCS), electromyography (EMG), and intraoperative monitoring (IOM).
  4. Collect patients' medical information needed to customize tests.
  5. Summarize technical data to assist physicians to diagnose brain, sleep, or nervous system disorders.
  6. Attach electrodes to patients, using adhesives.
  7. Measure patients' body parts and mark locations where electrodes are to be placed.
  8. Calibrate, troubleshoot, or repair equipment and correct malfunctions, as needed.

O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.

Working conditions and hours

Where the work happens

  • Indoors, climate-controlled

    NeverEvery day

    Indoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.

  • Outdoors in all weather

    NeverEvery day

    Almost never works outdoors.

Physical demands

  • Sitting

    NeverAlmost all the time
  • Standing

    NeverAlmost all the time
  • Bending or twisting

    NeverAlmost all the time

Working with people

  • Contact with other people

    NoneConstant

    Constant contact with other people.

  • Face-to-face discussions

    NeverEvery day

    Face-to-face discussions every day.

  • Dealing with the public

    Not importantExtremely important

    Dealing with customers or the public is very important.

Pressure and stakes

  • Strict deadlines

    NeverEvery day

    Meeting strict deadlines at least weekly.

  • Conflict situations

    NeverEvery day
  • Cost of a mistake

    Not seriousExtremely serious

Autonomy

  • Freedom to decide

    NoneA lot

    A lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.

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 Listening4.0
  • Speaking3.9
  • Reading Comprehension3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Monitoring3.6
  • Writing3.4
  • Active Learning3.1
  • Learning Strategies3.1
Core skills for Neurodiagnostic Technologists
ItemValue
Active Listening4.0
Speaking3.9
Reading Comprehension3.8
Critical Thinking3.8
Monitoring3.6
Writing3.4
Active Learning3.1
Learning Strategies3.1

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database

Transferable skills

O*NET importance, 1 to 5

  • Social Perceptiveness3.3
  • Instructing3.1
  • Service Orientation3.1
  • Complex Problem Solving3.1
  • Operations Monitoring3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1
  • Coordination3.0
  • Quality Control Analysis3.0
Transferable skills for Neurodiagnostic Technologists
ItemValue
Social Perceptiveness3.3
Instructing3.1
Service Orientation3.1
Complex Problem Solving3.1
Operations Monitoring3.1
Judgment and Decision Making3.1
Coordination3.0
Quality Control Analysis3.0

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database

Tools and software

  • Medical software · in demand
  • Object or component oriented development software · in demand
  • Office suite software · in demand
  • Operating system software · in demand
  • Presentation software · in demand
  • Spreadsheet software · in demand
  • Web platform development software · in demand
  • Word processing software · in demand
  • Calendar and scheduling software
  • Data base user interface and query software
  • Internet browser 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 Neurodiagnostic Technologist?

Interest profile

O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7

Neurodiagnostic Technologist · Realistic: 5Neurodiagnostic Technologist · Investigative: 6Neurodiagnostic Technologist · Artistic: 1Neurodiagnostic Technologist · Social: 4Neurodiagnostic Technologist · Enterprising: 1Neurodiagnostic Technologist · Conventional: 4
Neurodiagnostic Technologist interest profile
AxisNeurodiagnostic Technologist
Realistic5
Investigative6
Artistic1
Social4
Enterprising1
Conventional4

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 hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.

  • Investigative5.8
  • Realistic5.3
  • Conventional4.5
  • Social3.7
  • Enterprising1.4
  • Artistic1.4

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.

Questions

Neurodiagnostic Technologist: frequently asked questions

How much do Neurodiagnostic Technologists make?

Neurodiagnostic Technologists earn a median of $50,290 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $24.18/hr. The middle half earn between $44,170 and $64,340. The top 10% earn $85,270 or more.

Do you need a degree to become a Neurodiagnostic Technologist?

Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Neurodiagnostic Technologists. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 48.4% hold associate's degree or other 2-year degree.

Is Neurodiagnostic Technologist a growing career?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.9% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 12,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

What does a Neurodiagnostic Technologist do?

Conduct electroneurodiagnostic (END) tests such as electroencephalograms, evoked potentials, polysomnograms, or electronystagmograms. A core O*NET task: indicate artifacts or interferences derived from sources outside of the brain, such as poor electrode contact or patient movement, on electroneurodiagnostic recordings. Employers most often ask for Medical software, Object or component oriented development software, Office suite software.

Which states pay Neurodiagnostic Technologists the most?

The highest state medians for Neurodiagnostic Technologists are Wyoming ($80,520), Delaware ($78,650), U.S. Virgin Islands ($72,450) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

What personality type suits a Neurodiagnostic Technologist?

O*NET scores Neurodiagnostic Technologists highest on the Investigative, Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.