Neurologists
Diagnose, manage, and treat disorders and diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, with a primarily nonsurgical focus.
Neurologists diagnose, manage, and treat disorders and diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, with a primarily nonsurgical focus. The role is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Doctoral or professional degree, and shows low AI exposure (0.34 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Social Perceptiveness.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £92,847 a year for Specialist medical practitioners (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £67,335 to £136,100 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2212). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Neurologists, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
No single fixed route is listed for this career. These Indian degrees lead to it, according to the US CIP–SOC education-to-occupation crosswalk; open a degree for its entrance exams and colleges.[1]
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Medicine (MBBS) — MBBS (five and a half years, including a one-year compulsory rotating internship)
Entrance exams: NEET-UG
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- CIP 2020 – SOC 2018 crosswalk (NCES / BLS) (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Psychology
- Biology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
- Chemistry
What you'd actually do
- Interview patients to obtain information, such as complaints, symptoms, medical histories, and family histories.
- Examine patients to obtain information about functional status of areas, such as vision, physical strength, coordination, reflexes, sensations, language skills, cognitive abilities, and mental status.
- Perform or interpret the outcomes of procedures or diagnostic tests, such as lumbar punctures, electroencephalography, electromyography, and nerve conduction velocity tests.
- Order or interpret results of laboratory analyses of patients' blood or cerebrospinal fluid.
- Diagnose neurological conditions based on interpretation of examination findings, histories, or test results.
- Prescribe or administer medications, such as anti-epileptic drugs, and monitor patients for behavioral and cognitive side effects.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Neurologists do?
Diagnose, manage, and treat disorders and diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, with a primarily nonsurgical focus.
What is the job outlook for Neurologists?
The role is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 8,300 workers.
How do I become a neurologists?
The typical entry education is a Doctoral or professional degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Neurologists need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Neurologists?
Our AI-durability model gives Neurologists a score of 0.34 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Neurologists has very high barrier to entry — very highly gated — extended graduate education, licensure, or years of specialised training are required.