How to become a clinical neuropsychologist, step by step: earn a doctorate in psychology (PhD or PsyD) with a neuropsychology focus, complete an APA-accredited internship, finish two years of supervised postdoctoral training, and pass the EPPP. Add a bachelor’s degree first and the whole path typically runs nine to fourteen years. Board certification through ABCN is optional but strongly recommended for the best jobs.
Here’s the honest version of what you’re signing up for: a decade or so of school and supervised training before anyone lets you practice on your own. That’s the part nobody puts in the recruiting brochure. The good news is that neuropsychology sits at one of the most interesting intersections in the entire field, where the biology of the brain meets the psychology of how people think, feel, and behave, and the training gets you fluent in both.
Every psychologist studies the neurological basis of behavior at some level. Neuropsychologists are the ones who go all in on it. If you’re still fuzzy on what a neuropsychologist actually does day to day, that’s worth a quick detour before you commit to the training. In short, they’re the specialists other psychologists and physicians call when something looks like it might have a physical cause buried in the brain rather than a purely psychological one.
What Clinical Neuropsychologists Actually Do
Neuropsychologists spend a lot of time in hospitals and healthcare settings, not just in private practice. When a patient comes in with a brain injury, a stroke, or an unexplained cognitive change, a neuropsychologist is often one of the first specialists called in to figure out what’s actually going on.
The job comes down to assessment and treatment. On the assessment side, that means running standardized tests to measure memory, attention, language, and reasoning, then figuring out which parts of the brain the results point to. On the treatment side, it means designing rehabilitation plans that help patients regain functions they’ve lost to injury or disease.
A lot of neuropsychologists also stay active in research. Clinical work generates real questions about how the brain recovers, and many practitioners split their time between treating patients and studying the patterns they see.
Education and Training Requirements to Become a Clinical Neuropsychologist
If you’re mapping out how to become a clinical neuropsychologist, the doctorate is the floor, not the ceiling, for this specialty. Here’s the full sequence, in order.
Step 1: Earn a Doctorate With a Neuropsychology Focus
You’ll need a doctorate in psychology, either a PhD or a PsyD, and neuropsychology has a heavier science load than most other specialties. Expect coursework in neuroanatomy, neuropathology, biopsychology, and clinical neurology on top of the standard doctoral curriculum in assessment, ethics, and clinical practice. This is also where people commonly mix up neuropsychology and neuroscience, so it’s worth knowing the two are related but not the same degree path.
The PsyD vs PhD choice matters here, too. A PsyD leans into practice-first and skips most of the dissertation grind, which appeals to future clinicians. A PhD leans research-first and is still the more common route among neuropsychologists, even those who end up doing mostly clinical work, since it’s the degree most training programs and academic medical centers expect to see.
| Doctorate | Typical Length | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|
| PhD in Clinical Psychology (Neuropsychology Track) | 5-7 years | Research and clinical training, dissertation required |
| PsyD in Clinical Psychology (Neuropsychology Track) | 4-6 years | Direct clinical practice, lighter research load |
Whichever degree you pick, make sure the program is APA-accredited. State licensing boards check for it, and skipping this step is the fastest way to build a career you can’t actually get licensed to practice.
Step 2: Complete an Accredited Internship
Before you finish your doctorate, you’ll complete a full-time predoctoral internship, usually in the final year of the program. This is where you get supervised, hands-on experience with real patients under a licensed psychologist. Most state licensing boards expect this internship to be accredited by the APA or CPA, or recognized as equivalent through ASPPB designation, and treat it as a required step toward licensure, not an optional add-on. Exact accreditation rules vary by state, so check with your state psychology board before you commit to a program.
Step 3: Complete Postdoctoral Supervised Training
Just earning a doctorate doesn’t get you a license. You’ll need one to two years of supervised postdoctoral practice, and for board certification specifically, at least half of that training has to be in clinical neuropsychology under a supervising neuropsychologist. Most candidates get this through a formal two-year postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology.
Step 4: Pass the EPPP
The real gatekeeping exam is the EPPP, the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, built by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). The knowledge-based portion runs 225 multiple-choice, scenario, and drag-and-drop questions in four hours and fifteen minutes, covering everything from the biological bases of behavior to legal and ethical practice. Every state psychology board requires it, and some states layer on a jurisprudence exam covering that state’s specific laws.
Licenses also need renewing, typically every one to two years, depending on the state, along with continuing education hours to keep them active.
Step 5: Pursue Board Certification (Optional but Worth It)
Board certification isn’t required to practice, but it’s the credential that separates you from the pack when you’re competing for the best jobs. The American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), through its specialty board, the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN), certifies neuropsychologists who:
- Hold a doctoral degree from an APA-accredited program
- Completed an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (or one recognized as equivalent through ABPP’s generic credentials review)
- Are licensed to practice independently as clinical psychologists
- Have documented training across 8 core knowledge areas, including neuroscience, neuropathology, and functional neuroanatomy
- Completed at least 50 percent of postdoctoral training within clinical neuropsychology specifically
- Pass both a written exam and an oral board examination
It’s a demanding checklist. That’s the point. Board certification tells hospitals and hiring committees that you’ve cleared a bar most psychologists never attempt.
Career Outlook and Salary for Clinical Neuropsychologists
The demand side of this field looks strong. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, clinical and counseling psychologists earned a median annual salary of $100,580 as of May 2025, with the top earners clearing $180,960. The BLS doesn’t break out neuropsychology as its own category, but given the specialized training involved, expect to land toward the higher end of that range once you’re established.
| Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Median | $100,580 |
| 75th Percentile | $135,200 |
| 90th Percentile | $180,960 |
The BLS projects 11.4% employment growth for clinical and counseling psychologists between 2022 and 2032, with about 4,100 job openings a year, according to Projections Central. An aging population means more demand for exactly what neuropsychologists specialize in: diagnosing and treating cognitive decline, dementia, and the effects of brain injury. See the full clinical psychologist salary breakdown for more detail on how these numbers vary by setting and experience.
If you’d rather browse programs by state than read about the national picture, you can explore accredited psychology doctoral programs near you and compare options directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a clinical neuropsychologist?
Plan on nine to fourteen years after high school. That’s roughly four years for a bachelor’s degree, four to seven years for the doctorate, one year of internship built into that doctoral program, and one to two years of supervised postdoctoral training before you’re eligible for licensure. Board certification adds time on top of that if you pursue it.
Do you need a master’s degree to become a clinical neuropsychologist?
No. Most psychology doctoral programs accept applicants straight from a bachelor’s degree and don’t require a master’s first. If you do earn one anyway, some doctoral programs will let you transfer in credits toward your coursework, which can shorten your timeline somewhat, but how much varies a lot by program, so check with your target schools directly rather than assuming a set number of years off.
Do clinical neuropsychologists go to medical school?
No, and this is one of the more common mix-ups about the field. Neuropsychologists earn a doctorate in psychology, not a medical degree, and they don’t attend medical school or complete a medical residency. The doctoral and postdoctoral training covers the neuroscience side in depth, but the credential is a PhD or PsyD, not an MD.
Is clinical neuropsychology a good career?
If you want to work at the exact spot where brain biology meets human behavior, yes. It’s one of the more demanding specialties in psychology, both to train for and to practice, but it puts you on the front line of some of the most active research in the field and gives you a real ability to help patients recovering from brain injury or living with neurodegenerative disease.
How much do clinical neuropsychologists make?
The BLS doesn’t track neuropsychologist salaries as a standalone category, but clinical and counseling psychologists as a whole earned a median of $100,580 annually as of May 2025, with top earners clearing $180,960. Given the extra specialization neuropsychology requires, expect to land at or above that median once you’re established.
Key Takeaways
- A doctorate is the floor. A PhD or PsyD from an APA-accredited program with a neuropsychology focus is non-negotiable for licensure.
- The internship isn’t optional. Most states expect a completed APA- or CPA-accredited predoctoral internship before licensure, on top of postdoctoral training.
- The EPPP is the real gate. Every state psychology board requires passing this exam, and some add a state-specific jurisprudence test.
- Board certification is optional but pays off. ABCN certification through ABPP signals a level of training most psychologists never pursue.
- Expect nine to fourteen years total. Bachelor’s degree through licensure, this is one of the longer paths in psychology.
Select your state below to find accredited psychology doctoral programs, application links, and licensing requirements for your jurisdiction.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary data and Projections Central 2022-2032 job growth forecasts for Psychologists (including Clinical & Counseling, Industrial-Organizational, and School Psychologists) and Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed June 2026.