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Neuroanatomy

What Neuroanatomy Majors Need to Know

Programs in Neuroanatomy emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Neuroanatomy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Neuroanatomy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Neuroanatomy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Neuroanatomy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Neuroanatomy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Neuroanatomy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Neuroanatomy graduates include:

• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Scientist
• Research Scientist
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Program Coordinator
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Research Administrator
• Clinical Research Manager
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Clinical Manager
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Research Director

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Neuroanatomy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	31.3%
Post-doctoral training	20.3%
Master’s degree	18.2%
Doctoral degree	17.0%
Postsecondary certificate	3.6%
Some college courses	2.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.2%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Neuroanatomy Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Neuroanatomy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$31,154
4 years	$54,347
5 years	$68,598

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $68,598 — roughly 120% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Neuroanatomy Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Neuroanatomy graduates earn a median of $54,347 four years after completion — roughly 43% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	26.15
Neurobiology and Anatomy	26.1503
Neurobiology and Behavior	26.1504
Neurobiology and Neurosciences, Other	26.1599
Neuroscience	26.1501
Anatomy	26.0403
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	26.0406
Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology	26.0401
Immunology	26.0507
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology	26.0503
Microbiology and Immunology	26.0508
Molecular Biology	26.0204

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.