Neurologists
Diagnose, manage, and treat disorders and diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, with a primarily nonsurgical focus.
Also called: Adult and Pediatric Neurologist · Adult Neurologist · General Neurologist · Neurologist · Pediatric Neurologist · Physician
Median pay (national)
$239,200+
$83,500–$239,200+ (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
7,700
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+5.4%
~300 openings/yr
Typical entry
Doctoral or professional degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for neurologists shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $239,200+ versus $83,500 at the bottom 10% — 2.9x. The median of $239,200+ leaves roughly 0% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +5.4% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 33 states with released data, Texas pays the most for this role (median $239,200, 0% vs the national median), while California sits lowest at $124,830 — a 92% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Epic Systems as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Science
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Interview patients to obtain information, such as complaints, symptoms, medical histories, and family histories.
- Examine patients to obtain information about functional status of areas, such as vision, physical strength, coordination, reflexes, sensations, language skills, cognitive abilities, and mental status.
- Perform or interpret the outcomes of procedures or diagnostic tests, such as lumbar punctures, electroencephalography, electromyography, and nerve conduction velocity tests.
- Order or interpret results of laboratory analyses of patients' blood or cerebrospinal fluid.
- Diagnose neurological conditions based on interpretation of examination findings, histories, or test results.
- Prescribe or administer medications, such as anti-epileptic drugs, and monitor patients for behavioral and cognitive side effects.
- Develop treatment plans based on diagnoses and on evaluation of factors, such as age and general health, or procedural risks and costs.
- Inform patients or families of neurological diagnoses and prognoses, or benefits, risks and costs of various treatment plans.
- Prepare, maintain, or review records that include patients' histories, neurological examination findings, treatment plans, or outcomes.
- Communicate with other health care professionals regarding patients' conditions and care.
Tools & technology
- Epic Systems
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Allscripts PM
- athenahealth athenaCollector
- Automatic Data Processing AdvancedMD EHR
- Benchmark Systems Benchmark Clinical EHR
- Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
- CareCloud Central
- Cerner PowerWorks Practice Management
- e-MDs software
- Epic Practice Management
- GalacTek ECLIPSE
- GE Healthcare Centricity Practice Solution
- Greenway Medical Technologies PrimeSUITE
- HealthFusion MediTouch
- IOS Health Systems Medios EHR
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Psychology
- Biology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
- Chemistry