How to Become a Neuropsychologist

APA has recognized clinical neuropsychology as a specialty since 1996, and defines it this way:

“Clinical Neuropsychology is a specialty field within clinical psychology, dedicated to understanding the relationships between brain and behavior, particularly as these relationships can be applied to the diagnosis of brain disorder, assessment of cognitive and behavioral functioning and the design of effective treatment.”

APA, Clinical Neuropsychology (created 2008)

Neuropsychological evaluations are requested specifically to help understand how the different areas and systems of the brain are working. Testing is usually recommended when there are symptoms or complaints involving memory or thinking (APA). Clinical Neuropsychology serves people across the entire age and developmental span whenever there are concerns about brain function (APA). Some of the conditions neuropsychologists routinely deal with include developmental disorders like autism, learning and attention disorders, concussion and traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, brain cancer, stroke and dementia (APA).

BLS names the job among the other types of psychologist, describing neuropsychologists as psychologists who study how dysfunction or damage to the brain, spine, or nerves affects behavior and cognition (BLS).

O*NET, the Department of Labor's occupational database, lists two neuropsychology occupations under the all-other group. It describes neuropsychologists this way: “Apply theories and principles of neuropsychology to evaluate and diagnose disorders of higher cerebral functioning, often in research and medical settings.” (O*NET). It describes clinical neuropsychologists this way: “Assess and diagnose patients with neurobehavioral problems related to acquired or developmental disorders of the nervous system, such as neurodegenerative disorders, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, and learning disabilities.” (O*NET).

APA describes the core of the work as the evaluation:

“The neuropsychological evaluation consists of gathering relevant historical information, a neuropsychological examination, analysis and integration of data and findings, and feedback to the referral source.”

APA, Clinical Neuropsychology: Skills and Procedures Utilized

Depending on the scope and intent of the evaluation, testing may focus on a wide range of cognitive functions including attention, memory, language, academic skills, reasoning and problem solving, visuospatial ability and sensory-motor skills (APA).

Clinical neuropsychology adds a postdoctoral residency to the doctorate. ABPP says:

“Postdoctoral residency education and training are required to develop an advanced level of competence in the specialty of clinical neuropsychology.”

ABPP, Clinical Neuropsychology: Specialty Specific Requirements

To become a neuropsychologist, the route has these parts:

1. Earn a bachelor's degree. BLS says applicants to graduate-level psychology programs typically have a bachelor's degree in a field such as psychology, education, or social science (BLS).
2. Complete an accredited doctorate in professional psychology. For degrees granted in 2018 or later, ABPP requires that the program was accredited by APA's Commission on Accreditation or by the Canadian Psychological Association when the degree was granted (ABPP). A PsyD from an APA-accredited program meets that test, and every program in this site's rankings is on APA's list.
3. Complete an accredited internship. ABPP asks that an internship completed in 2020 or later was accredited by APA's Commission on Accreditation or by CPA when it ended (ABPP). The APPIC internship guide explains the match.
4. Complete the postdoctoral residency. At least 50% of postdoctoral training must be in the provision of clinical neuropsychological services that are supervised by a clinical neuropsychologist. The length of the residency must be the equivalent of 2 full years of education and training in clinical neuropsychology and neuropsychology-related disciplines, completed on at-least a half-time basis (ABPP).
5. Hold the state license. In most states, practicing psychology or using the title of “psychologist” requires licensure (BLS). A PsyD is a degree, and the license comes from the state board. ABPP asks every board-certification candidate to hold one (ABPP). The licensure guide sets out the steps.

A neuropsychologist who wants board certification applies to ABPP. The American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) is a specialty board of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) (ABPP's neuropsychology board page). The residency above is what the board looks at after it has checked the general credentials:

“Once the generic credentials are approved by ABPP, the ABCN credentials committee determines eligibility specific to Clinical Neuropsychology.”

ABPP, Clinical Neuropsychology: Specialty Specific Requirements

Those general credentials are the accredited doctorate, the accredited internship and the license described above.

BLS counts a neuropsychologist inside the occupation Psychologists, All Other (SOC 19-3039), and the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification lists the title Neuropsychologist under it (SOC direct match title file). BLS defines the group as “All psychologists not listed separately” (BLS). The classification files list these titles under the same code: developmental psychologist, experimental psychologist, forensic psychologist, neuropsychologist, psychotherapist, rehabilitation psychologist, social psychologist and sports psychologist.

The figures below therefore describe that whole group. They are not a neuropsychologist wage.

The bands are percentiles of the group's wage distribution, not years of experience. The psychologist salary guide sets the group beside the other psychologist occupations.

These are the group's figures, and the group includes neuropsychologists. For psychologists as a whole BLS projects 6 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 11,300 openings a year. The job counts come from BLS Employment Projections, which include self-employed workers.

Anyone who wants to become a neuropsychologist starts from a doctorate. APA places clinical neuropsychology within clinical psychology, and 26 ranked PsyD programs also name a neuropsychology emphasis, track or concentration on their own pages. See the PsyD programs with a neuropsychology emphasis, or the PsyD programs accredited in clinical psychology for the wider clinical list. The methodology page explains the score that orders both.