Employers

Neuroscientists work for research centers, laboratories, and in any other facility that conducts research on the nervous system. Those who work as physicians are employed at hospitals, medical offices, and other health care settings. Some neuroscientists are employed as college professors.

Starting Out

New graduates can learn about job openings via career fairs and other in-person networking events, through job listings provided by their school’s career service office, or by visiting the Web sites of potential employers. Many neuroscientists obtain their first jobs via contacts made through postdoctoral fellowships or medical residencies. Additionally, professional associations such as the Society for Neuroscience and the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society offer job listings at their Web sites.

A research neuroscientist might choose to explore another career path in neuroscience by earning a medical degree in order to work as a neurologist. Others “advance” by becoming better known in the field, receiving pay raises, winning awards for their work, or seeking employment at more prestigious employers or on better-known research projects. Some neuroscientists choose to enter management (becoming laboratory managers or top-level executives at research facilities, hospitals, or other settings) or become college professors.

Join Nu Rho Psi (https://nurhopsi.org), the National Honor Society in Neuroscience, to network and participate in neuroscience-related activities.

Visit https://neurojobs.sfn.org and https://jobs.ibnsconnect.org for job listings.

Talk to neuroscientists about their careers. The Society for Neuroscience offers a database of neuroscientists who have volunteered to serve as informational resources for students at https://www.sfn.org/outreach/find-a-neuroscientist.

Read Neuroscience Quarterly (https://www.sfn.org/publications/neuroscience-quarterly) to learn more about issues and developments in neuroscience.