Neurology Jobs and Salaries

[neurologist]

So, since one of the frequent questions on this site is "how much do neurologists make and for doing what?", I thought I would try to alleviate your curiosity by posting some of mailings I get from headhunters. Since this site officially bans "advertising" I won't give any details except practice type, general geographic location and salary. I get a lot more that don't list a salary, but those won't really satisfy people's curiosity. I'll update this periodically. Please don't ask or PM me for more details; there are a bazillion physician search firms on the net if you really want to look.

1. General neurology group in Texas, fellowship desirable but not required: 180K

2. Somewhere in the "southwest," General neurology group, 200K

3. North Carolina, hospital based general neurologist, $180K

4. "Rocky mountains," general neurology; 185K

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[Ross_neuro]

These figures sound awesome for a starting salary, I think that once you become partner in the group you could get at least 250K. I know I can have expensive taste and I am liking that deal.

Hey does anyone know anyone that matched at JFK in NJ for 2005? EMail me.

 

[neurologist]

Just to clarify (or maybe to complicate), these aren't necessarily "starting salaries" for someone right out of residency. Most of these places probably want someone with at least a couple years experience. Still, 180K for 2-3 years work experience is pretty good.

 

[Molly Maquire]

Thanks. I am nominating you for moderator.

 

[neurologist]

Moderator? Thanks but no thanks!

 

[IMGforNeuro]

Hi neurologist,
How much do you think is the starting salary in the northeast for a neurologist immediately after fellowship especially after clinical neurophysiology and stroke?

 

[bjolly]

tagging onto this question, how about for a general neurologist without a fellowship?

 

[pakijiga]

im surprised that neuro salary is so low, i used to work for a neurologist for almost 3 years and he had a fairly busy practice (app 90-100 patients per week).

most of his patients were migraine, alzheimers, parkinsons, but he had alot of carpal tunnel and neuropathy etc.

he would make about 50K per month from his practice alone which is about 600K.
i thought making a high salary was normal for neuro because there is decent amount of prodecure base (emg/eeg)

whats the discrepency? how is malpractice for neuro??
what is the residency like? and how difficult is it for DO's to get neuro?

 

[Molly Maquire]

Was the 600,000 net or gross?

 

[pakijiga]

it was gross.
but even then is there that much overhead that your salary will drop that low?

 

[Pinky]

it all depends on your practice set-up.

at my institution, one of the neurologists was really busy and also performed duties for which he probably wasn't compensated, teaching, different committees etc. last year, after paying rent for the office space, paying staff, etc, he broke even. then again, he didn't really do any procedures. he mostly did neuropsych stuff in an academic setting.

neurology can be highly lucrative in a private-practice setting. i've heard of many anecdotal accounts of private-practice guys netting over $350K. They work like dogs and spend most of their lives involved in their work. In at 7:30pm, home at 7:30 on the weekdays. In at 9am on the weekends, out by 2pm. On call 24-7. ~10-15 inpatients at any given time. Good money, but crappy life in my opinion.

As the upper-levels from my program graduate, i'm hearing of starting salaries in the $140s-$180s depending on how busy you'll to be. There are also relocation allotments and productivity bonuses and incentives that can make that salary even higher.

 

[USIMGgrad]

That does not sound that bad to me. $350K plus for 70 hours a week plus the calls. If you love what you do then the hours seem irrelevant.

 

[busupshot83]

Originally posted by USIMGgrad
That does not sound that bad to me. $350K plus for 70 hours a week plus the calls. If you love what you do then the hours seem irrelevant.

cot damn! 70 hrs? i don't love anything enough to work 70 hr weeks.

 

[USIMGgrad]

Hey there are people who work more than 70 hours only to pull in 60-70K.

 

[Pinky]

Originally posted by USIMGgrad
Hey there are people who work more than 70 hours only to pull in 60-70K.

that's right. and some people even work >80hrs/wk only to make $40K annually. what masochists.

seriously though, i don't think some of these attendings have any free time to enjoy the $$$ that they make. Their kids enjoy the money though.

As for me, time is more valuable than the money. I'd rather make less and have more free time to spend with the family and do stuff on the outside. for me, medicine is just the job i do to support my outside interests/hobbies.

 

[sirvandy]

those salaries seem awesome, but i agree, i would not want to work 70 hours a week. i have outside hobbies i want to attend too. what do you think a neuro would make if he/she were in a solo practice (or a partnership/firm that would allow it) working only 40-45 hours per week?

 

[neurologist]

Haven't posted on this topic for a long time, it seems, but here are some of the more recent headhunter mailings with salaries attached to come through the old mailbox:

1. "Gulf coast neurology" $455K ( yeah, I have a hard time imagining that one, too)

2. "Safest and cleanest state in the nation" $200K + productivity bonus

3. Somewhere on the Great Lakes (Wisconsin?) $180K

4. Somewhere in the south, sounds like maybe Charlotte NC area: $200K

5. Tennessee, $150-200K

6. "East Central Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Winnebago!" $170-210K

Not too shabby. Keep on dreamin'!

 

[charcot]

You are correct about low pay for academics. Academic neurologists at top places like MGH, Hopkins, and Columbia start at ~$90k base. Dept chairs may make around $200k. Attendings make somewhere in between. Grant money does not supplement income, but is used as leverage to get things.

Please remember an academic neurologist is typically in clinic a few half-days per week and is usually ward attending one month per year. Clinics are usually in their subspecialty and the pace is not rushed. They obviously do not take overnight calls, and have a residency program to cover the emergent cases. (as opposed to private practice which can be a frantic pace and calls overnight from local ER's).

Plus academics (except stroke neurologists) have the rest of their time to devote to research, water skiing, and leisure reading. there is also the political aspect of keeping up with the chairman in golf. And there is also the trips to conferences and meetings in amsterdam, peru, and new zealand paid for by grants.

All in all it can be a pretty good gig. Money may not be plentiful, but other lifestyle perks are there. Plus there is the potential for marketability of translational research in this incredibly exciting time in neuro. Yeah, dementia patients suck, but just look at elan, amgen and neurochem and you'll see the money thats being pumped into neuro, I just heard last week that the leptin guy from rockefeller received a $10 million endowed position (to stay at rockefeller) , because recombinant leptin is now in phase 3 trials for obesity and the dude is sought after at many other places and is gauranteed NIH funding (with indirect costs) for the rest of his career. And remember dennis choi, he's a vp at merck earning 6 figurse while listening to cutting edge research ideas. He is an NIH unto himself!

So, weigh your options on what you desire because you don't wanna be a neuro resident or attending seeing you fourth stroke in a row at bumblesville hospital and wondering "what if?"