Life & Physical Science

Neuroscientists

SOC 19-1029

Study the nervous system to understand behavior, cognition, and disease.

The job

Median pay

$99k

$77k to $128k typical range

BLS figure for Biological Scientists, All Other

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing fast

+4.7% projected

BLS figure for Biological Scientists, All Other

Openings a year

4.3k

BLS figure for Biological Scientists, All Other

Typical education

Doctoral

Our model

AI displacement risk

Very high

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

7/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

89th pct

More exposed than 89% of occupations · modeled estimate

Future-proof

53/100

At a glance

Modeled AI exposure for Neuroscientists ranks at the 89th percentile; displacement risk is very high and works-with-AI 7/100, leaning toward displacement. The usual way in is a doctoral degree. BLS publishes neither a wage nor an outlook for this occupation on its own, so the figures above come from its group or an estimate and this summary does not compare them. On the modeled AI scale, this is 24 points higher than School Psychologists.

Take the next step

Weigh it against BiochemistsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side Where Biological Scientists, All Other pays mostMaryland leads at $122k; all states are listed below Find careers like itOpen the map at Neuroscientists and explore its neighbours See open jobsNeuroscientists roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Neuroscientists, who lean most on science Real pay & reviewsSelf-reported pay and reviews on Glassdoor

Similar pay in Life & Physical Science

Key skills

Science
Reading Comprehension
Writing
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Speaking

Pay and jobs by state: Biological Scientists, All Other

Figures for Biological Scientists, All Other. BLS reports no numbers for Neuroscientists on its own; these are BLS's figures for that occupation. BLS OEWS May 2025, 50 states and DC. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	11,880	0.7	1.8×	$114k
Maryland	4,970	1.8	5.0×	$122k
Massachusetts	2,930	0.8	2.2×	$107k
North Carolina	2,780	0.6	1.6×	$100k
Washington	2,620	0.7	2.0×	$108k
New York	2,520	0.3	0.7×	$104k
Texas	2,480	0.2	0.5×	$81k
Florida	1,920	0.2	0.5×	$84k
Pennsylvania	1,810	0.3	0.8×	$101k
Virginia	1,650	0.4	1.1×	$96k

All 50 states and DC

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Illinois	1,300	0.2	0.6×	$83k
Georgia	1,230	0.3	0.7×	$97k
Missouri	1,120	0.4	1.1×	$63k
Michigan	860	0.2	0.5×	$82k
Colorado	850	0.3	0.8×	$94k
Washington DC	850	1.2	3.4×	$85k
Arizona	760	0.2	0.7×	$90k
Kansas	760	0.5	1.5×	$76k
Minnesota	750	0.3	0.7×	$76k
Wisconsin	740	0.3	0.7×	$78k
Oregon	700	0.4	1.0×	$86k
Indiana	640	0.2	0.6×	$85k
Ohio	610	0.1	0.3×	$96k
Utah	590	0.3	0.9×	$93k
Louisiana	580	0.3	0.8×	$70k
Iowa	550	0.4	1.0×	$83k
Montana	550	1.1	3.0×	$92k
New Jersey	540	0.1	0.3×	$105k
Idaho	430	0.5	1.4×	$83k
New Mexico	420	0.5	1.3×	$84k
Tennessee	420	0.1	0.4×	$81k
Nevada	410	0.3	0.7×	$74k
Alaska	370	1.1	3.2×	$107k
Hawaii	370	0.6	1.6×	$96k
Arkansas	360	0.3	0.8×	$76k
Alabama	340	0.2	0.5×	$87k
Maine	340	0.5	1.5×	$105k
Mississippi	320	0.3	0.8×	$91k
New Hampshire	310	0.5	1.3×	$84k
Oklahoma	300	0.2	0.5×	$80k
Kentucky	260	0.1	0.4×	$79k
Nebraska	240	0.2	0.7×	$83k
South Carolina	240	0.1	0.3×	$92k
Delaware	233 (estimated)	0.5 (estimated)	1.3× (estimated)	$113k
West Virginia	230	0.3	0.9×	$85k
North Dakota	176 (estimated)	0.4 (estimated)	1.1× (estimated)	$86k (estimated)
Connecticut	170	0.1	0.3×	$112k
South Dakota	170	0.4	1.0×	$74k
Wyoming	170	0.6	1.7×	$92k
Rhode Island	100	0.2	0.6×	$102k
Vermont	90	0.3	0.8×	$78k

Top metro areas

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV5,720 jobs · $115k median
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA4,280 jobs · $138k median
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH2,630 jobs · $110k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA2,320 jobs · $96k median
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ1,970 jobs · $111k median
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA1,960 jobs · $108k median
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA1,880 jobs · $109k median
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC1,390 jobs · $99k median

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BLS does not publish this occupation on its own. Pay and outlook here are BLS's figures for Biological Scientists, All Other (SOC 19-1029), the closest published occupation, so the real figures for this job could sit either side of them. Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.