Neuroscience degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in neuroscience earn a median $61,799 four years after finishing, across 67 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in molecular biology earn $65,991, $3,942 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is physical scientists, all other (9%).
Median across 67 colleges; middle half $56,218–$70,244.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $39,102–$98,479. 672 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Molecular Biology"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$30,353/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs neuroscience graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in molecular biology actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Scientists, All Other | 9% | $122,570 | +2.1% | Bachelor's degree | IRC |
| Registered Nurses | 6% | $97,550 | +5.6% | Bachelor's degree | SCI |
| Other Managers | 5% | — | — | — | — |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologists And Technicians | 5% | $62,930 | +2.7% | Bachelor's degree | — |
| Postsecondary Teachers | 4% | $82,250 | +6.0% | — | — |
| Other Life, Physical, And Social Science Technicians | 4% | — | — | — | — |
| Other Life Scientists | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Software Developers | 3% | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
These 8 jobs account for 39% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Neuroscience earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| California | $63,720 (7) | $77,086 (211) |
| Illinois | $56,869 (3) | — |
| Indiana | $65,458 (3) | — |
| Massachusetts | $68,888 (5) | — |
| Michigan | $57,944 (4) | — |
| New Hampshire | $78,722 (3) | — |
| New York | $68,666 (5) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $65,239 (5) | — |
| Texas | $56,712 (4) | — |
| Virginia | $59,714 (3) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where neuroscience graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 3 in Florida, 8 in Virginia, 15 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $89,203 | $15,750 |
| 2 | University of San DiegoCA | $72,910 | $25,000 |
| 3 | University of California-Santa CruzCA | $69,027 | $19,500 |
| 4 | George Mason UniversityVA | $68,546 | $23,750 |
| 5 | University of California-DavisCA | $63,720 | $13,000 |
| 6 | University of California-San DiegoCA | $61,799 | $19,000 |
| 7 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVA | $59,714 | $23,000 |
| 8 | University of California-Los AngelesCA | $55,404 | $17,149 |
| 9 | William & MaryVA | $52,161 | $16,378 |
| 10 | University of California-RiversideCA | $51,865 | $19,803 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Neuroscience degree questions
How much do Neuroscience graduates make?
Neuroscience graduates earn a median $61,799 four years after finishing, across 67 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $56,218 to $70,244; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in molecular biology, the median is $65,991 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Neuroscience degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in molecular biology earn a median $65,991: $3,942 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $30,353 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Neuroscience graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in molecular biology, the most common jobs are physical scientists, all other (9%), registered nurses (6%), other managers (5%). Physical Scientists, All Other earn a U.S. median $122,570.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Neuroscience degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/neuroscience.