Neurologist Salary in 2025: Average Pay, State Comparisons & Career Outlook
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Why Salary Trends Matter in Neurology
Neurologists carry a uniquely complex role in medicine. They manage migraines, epilepsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and a host of rare neurodegenerative conditions. The scope is broad, often requiring collaboration with hospital systems, outpatient clinics, and multidisciplinary teams.
For physicians weighing career paths or residents deciding on subspecialties, the neurologist salary in the United States markets matters a great deal. It shapes training choices, influences geographic moves, and provides context for contract negotiations. Salary data is also about fairness: understanding what the market pays helps physicians match their skillset to appropriate compensation.
The Average Neurologist Salary in 2025
Let’s start with the big picture. In 2025, a neurologist salary average generally falls in the low-to-mid $300,000s per year.
Here’s why the numbers sometimes look different depending on the source:
Government data (BLS OEWS): Tends to be lower, often in the high $200,000s, because it focuses on reported wages and excludes self-employed income, bonuses, and productivity pay.
Recruitment platforms (ZipRecruiter, Salary.com): Usually higher, clustering around $330,000–$350,000, since these reflect current job postings and employer offers.
Specialty-specific surveys (AAN, SalaryDr): Capture what neurologists actually take home, including wRVU bonuses and stipends. These commonly land in the $300,000–$360,000 zone.
What’s the takeaway? If you’re looking at an offer in 2025, a package in the low-to-mid $300Ks is very much “in the market.” That said, subspecialists, high-call positions, and leadership roles often push well above that baseline.
Neurologist Salary by State and Region
Geography has always been a strong variable in physician compensation, and neurology is no exception. States with physician shortages or heavy recruitment often advertise above-average pay, while coastal academic hubs may lag in base salary but offer prestige or research opportunities.
Here’s a simplified snapshot of neurologist salary 2025 data based on recruiter averages:
| Rank | State | Approx. Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $350K+ |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $340K+ |
| 3 | New York | $335K+ |
| 4 | Missouri | $326K |
| 5 | Arizona | $324K |
| 6 | Texas | $324K |
Pacific Northwest & East Coast: States like Washington and New York often post the highest averages, partly because of demand and complex health systems.
South & Midwest: Missouri, Texas, and Arizona show competitive numbers, especially when self-employment and subspecialty practice are included.
Variation within states: Even in the same state, rural vs. urban offers can differ by $50,000 or more, depending on call burden and subspecialty needs.
Practical tip: Don’t just look at base pay. Compare call requirements, stroke coverage expectations, and RVU thresholds, which may shift the actual earnings picture dramatically.
Subspecialties: a Closer Look
Subspecialization is one of the clearest ways neurologists influence their earning trajectory. Here’s how different tracks tend to compare:
Vascular / Neurocritical Care: Often at the higher end, with median packages edging toward the $400K–$450K range, reflecting ICU coverage and procedural demands.
Interventional Neurology: Can go well above average, sometimes surpassing $500K, given the procedural intensity and call responsibilities.
Epilepsy & Clinical Neurophysiology: EEG reads, intraoperative monitoring, and EMU leadership bring added income streams, pushing comp into the $370K–$450K zone.
Movement Disorders & Headache: These subspecialties are increasingly valuable in major centers, particularly with Botox and DBS programs, which supplement income. Salaries typically land above general neurology, often around $400K+.
Pediatric Neurology: Generally lower on base salary (sometimes $250K–$300K) in academic settings, but highly rewarding for those motivated by clinical and teaching missions.
Salary by Experience and Career Stage
Neurology compensation follows a predictable arc as careers mature:
Early career (0–3 years): Offers tend to be high $200Ks to low $300Ks, often padded with signing bonuses, relocation assistance, or loan repayment.
Mid-career (4–10 years): Physicians typically stabilize into the low-to-mid $300Ks, with added income from leadership stipends or procedures.
Senior (10+ years): Experienced neurologists with subspecialty expertise or leadership roles (stroke director, EMU director, department chair) often exceed $400K annually.
The pattern reflects more than seniority—productivity, patient mix, and program leadership all play large roles.
Neurology Compared With Other Specialties
Where does neurology sit compared to the broader physician landscape?
Procedural specialties like orthopedics, cardiology, and radiology remain top earners, often in the $500K–$700K+ range.
Primary care specialties (family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine) typically fall in the $250K–$300K band.
Neurology sits in the middle, well above primary care but below high-RVU surgical and procedural fields.
One nuance: neurologists often supplement base pay with call stipends, teleneurology, or EEG/EMG procedures. That flexibility can narrow the income gap with higher-paid specialties.
Lifestyle and Benefits: More Than Just the Paycheck
Numbers tell one story; daily life tells another.
Work hours. Most full-time neurologists report about 50–53 hours per week. Stroke call and ICU coverage can stretch this, while outpatient-heavy practices are usually closer to the average.
Benefits beyond salary:
Call stipends: Night and telestroke coverage can add meaningful dollars.
Leadership stipends: Directorships for stroke, EMU, or neurodiagnostics often pay extra.
PTO and CME: These can vary widely and directly affect quality of life.
Loan repayment & relocation: Particularly common in underserved regions.
Retirement contributions and PSLF eligibility: Worth factoring in when comparing academic vs. private offers.
Satisfaction. Surveys consistently show neurologists value intellectual challenge and patient relationships highly, even though compensation sits mid-tier. Burnout risk tends to rise in programs without adequate APP support or fair call distribution, something to weigh when evaluating offers.
Negotiation Checklist
When you’re sitting across from a recruiter or administrator, here’s a quick framework:
Bring benchmarks. Use BLS for baseline wages, ZipRecruiter for active offers, and AAN/SalaryDr for neurology-specific data.
Clarify productivity. Ask about wRVU thresholds, collection rates, and average clinic templates.
Define call. In-house vs. home call, telestroke expectations, and compensation for nights/weekends.
Account for add-ons. Directorships, procedure revenue, and stipends should be itemized.
Protect yourself. Check termination clauses, non-competes, malpractice tail coverage, and relocation bonus clawbacks.
FAQs
What is the neurologist's salary 2025 national average?
Most sources cluster around the low-to-mid $300Ks, with variation driven by call, subspecialty, and productivity pay.
Which states pay neurologists the most?
Washington, the District of Columbia, and New York frequently top lists. Competitive offers also appear across the South and Midwest, especially where systems recruit for stroke coverage.
Do subspecialties earn more than general neurology?
Yes. Vascular/neurocritical and interventional roles typically lead due to ICU/procedural demands. Epilepsy (EMU/EEG), movement disorders, and headache also lift total compensation through procedures and leadership stipends.
How does a neurologist's salary compare with other specialties?
Neurology usually sits below top procedural fields (orthopedics, cardiology, radiology) and above most primary care lines—often significantly so when procedures and call stipends are included.
What most affects an individual's offer?
Your wRVU rate/threshold, stroke call requirements, directorships, procedure mix (EEG/EMG, Botox), staffing support, and local payer mix. Geography matters, but design matters more.
What’s typical for early-career vs senior neurologists?
Early-career offers commonly land high $200Ks to low $300Ks; mid-career stabilizes low-to-mid $300Ks; senior and partner roles often exceed $400K, especially with leadership or procedure lines.
Conclusion
The neurologist salary 2025 landscape is steady and opportunity-rich. Most offers fall in the low-to-mid $300Ks, with significant upside attached to subspecialty skills, stroke systems, procedure mix, and leadership. If you’re a physician, resident, or student mapping your path:
Use the ranges in this guide as context, not commandments.
Model total compensation, not just base.
Prioritize program design, RVU rates, staffing, call structure, and protected time, because that’s what you’ll feel every week.
When you’re ready to pressure-test your offer against real-world submissions and anonymized offers, explore the neurology pages on SalaryDr. Adding your own data strengthens the curve for everyone and helps you negotiate with clarity and confidence.