How much do neurologists make in 2026?
Neurologists earn a national median of $248,560 a year ($119.50 an hour) per BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 29-1217). The 25th percentile is $155,990 and the 90th percentile reaches $450,780, with the published 10th percentile of $83,370 reflecting residents and fellows in the same occupational code. General outpatient neurology sits near the median because the work is cognitive and consultation-heavy rather than procedural; stroke and neurocritical care pay above it for call intensity, and interventional neurology plus procedure-supported subspecialties such as epilepsy monitoring and neuromuscular practice occupy the upper percentiles. Employment growth is 5.4% through 2034 with roughly 300 openings a year. → Full neurologist career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $248,560 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Neurologists earn a national median $248,560/yr ($119.50/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1217); the P10 to P90 range is $83,370 to $450,780.
- Read the $155,990 25th percentile as the attending floor; the published $83,370 P10 reflects neurology residents and fellows inside the same occupational code.
- Neurology's median sits below procedural specialties because the work is consultative, and the way up the range is call intensity or a procedure-supported subspecialty.
- Employment growth of 5.4% through 2034 with roughly 300 openings a year sits against a large and growing neurological disease burden, which is why access waits are long.
US Neurologist Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do neurologists earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 29-1217; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1217, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a neurologist earn at each career stage?
Neurology has no licence tiers above board certification, so the stages below follow training, call intensity and subspecialty. Each median is anchored to the BLS distribution for SOC 29-1217.
By State
Which states pay neurologists the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. In neurology the shortage geography matters more than the wage index: hospitals without local stroke coverage pay substantial premiums, including for remote teleneurology call from another state.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($285,840), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
neurologist pay by state — all 4 state guides
By Metro
Which cities pay neurologists the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by the published metro index for that state. With significant remote practice in this specialty, treat them as illustrative wage levels rather than BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a neurologist’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does neurologist pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Neurologists sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify neurologist wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a neurologist actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Neurologist Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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