The Salary for Hospital Neuroscientists

Neuroscientists are paid to gain greater understanding of the central nervous system.

Neuroscientists conduct research regarding the body's nervous system and treatments for neurological disorders. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies neuroscientists as biological scientists and groups their salaries in with the salaries of other biologists. Those working in hospitals and other health care settings are among the highest paid neuroscientists.

Average Salary

While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not provide a specific listing for neuroscientists in hospitals, it does provide an indication of an average salary for those working in the medical profession. BLS includes hospital neuroscientists within the broader category of those working in medical and diagnostic laboratories. The average salary for these neuroscientists was $84,480 per year in 2010. By comparison, those working in physicians' offices made an average salary of $102,190. The average salary for all neuroscientists nationwide was $71,310.

Pay Scale

Placing the salary of medical neuroscientists within the larger payscale of biological scientists nationwide provides some additional insight. According to BLS, the median salary for those working in this field was $68,220. Those in the middle 50 percent of the payscale earned $52,200 to $83,430, with the highest paid biological scientists making $102,300 or more per year.

Location

Location also influences neuroscientist and other biological scientist salaries. The highest paid biological scientists worked in the state of Maryland, earning an average salary of $93,330 per year in 2010, according to the bureau. Salinas, California and Washington, D.C., were the two highest paying metro areas to work in with reported average salaries of $103,900 and $103,440, respectively. These were not the norm, however, as evidenced by salaries throughout California, the state with the highest employment level in this field. Neuroscientists and other biologists earned an average salary of $73,350.

Job Outlook

The number of jobs in biological science should grow by about 21 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to BLS projections. The bureau indicates that the biotechnology sector will fuel growth in this industry, and indicates that much of the growth will depend on federal funding.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Biological Scientists
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: 19-1029 Biological Scientists, All Other