Neuroscientist Salary

A neuroscientist studies the function of the human nervous system. The brain, spinal cord, and nerve cells are all included within the realm of a neuroscientist’s expertise. It is common for neuroscientists to specialize their knowledge in one part of the broad realm of neuroscience, such as how psychiatric disorders occur due to imbalances within the nervous system.

Not all neuroscientists practice in a clinical setting, which means that some neuroscientists work strictly in a laboratory. Those that do not have a medical degree generally find themselves working in settings such as teaching hospitals and universities. Many neuroscientists extensively study diseases of the nervous system, such as Lou Gehrig’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Within a lab, neuroscientists perform experiments on tissue and cell samples. Some neuroscientists use computers to create scaled models of the nervous system, in order to better evaluate the content they are studying.

Whether or not a neuroscientist wants to practice medicine in a clinical setting will greatly determine the schooling needed. For those that want to practice clinical medicine, they will need to obtain a medical degree (MD) from an accredited university with a special interest and residency in neuroscience. For people who want to become a laboratory-based neuroscientist, a PhD is required. Some universities offer PhD and MD combination programs. In that case, a neuroscientist will find that their job opportunities greatly increase, as they can both practice medicine in a clinical setting and do research in a laboratory. (Copyright 2017 PayScale.com)

Neuroscientist Tasks

• Research and analyze neurological responses in laboratory and clinical settings.
• Work as part of a lab or multi-function research team.
• Write and present reports on findings and data analysis.
• Create or improve technology and medical devices or procedures.