Neural Engineer Salary: A 2024 Guide

Neural engineering is a specific discipline within biomedical engineering. It concerns the study of the human nervous system by applying engineering practices to develop neural technologies. It’s a highly skilled role requiring a high level of education and very specific skills in biomedical research and engineering practices. As a result, salaries are high, and you’ll find opportunities for work in a variety of industries.

In this article, you’ll learn the average neural engineer salary and look at factors that affect it, including industry, location, experience, and education.

What is a neural engineer?

Neural engineering is a discipline of biomedical engineering that studies the human nervous system. Neural engineering combines neuroscience with technology, allowing engineers to replicate the human nervous system and come up with innovative ways to enhance or repair it. This includes devices for improving memory, restoring motor functions, hearing loss, and building prosthetic limbs.

Neural engineering is part of the wider discipline of biomedical engineering, which blends biology and technology to support medical growth.

How much does a neural engineer make?

According to various job websites, the average annual salary for a biomedical engineer, including neural engineers, ranges from $73,124 to $99,550. Five different career websites provide salary ranges [1,2,3,4,5].

Neural engineer salaries are generally grouped with biomedical engineer salaries rather than reported directly. Information on neural engineer salaries specifically is limited, but according to Zip Recruiter, they are $111,632 on average [6].

Factors that affect salary

Neural engineer salaries are not static. Many variables affect the pay you receive, including your location, the type of neural engineering you do, the industry you work in, your level of education, and your previous experience.

Education

The minimum requirement for a neural engineer is a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, biomedical science, or a similar field. However, it’s common for employers to ask for a master’s degree or even a Ph.D. for research positions. Neural engineering jobs often require a higher level of education than a general biomedical position.

According to Zippia [8], here’s how education level impacts salary for biomedical engineers (which includes neural engineers): 

• Bachelor’s degree: $75,477

• Master’s: $90,756

• Doctorate: $79,793

Experience is also important, and many courses offer practical experience and internships to allow students to apply their knowledge in a real-world setting. Employers may pay you, or you may opt for an unpaid internship. The average hourly salary for a paid biomedical engineering internship is $25.42 [7].

Experience

Experience is important in this industry, as adequate training is required to master equipment and engineering design. This may be learned as part of a course or on the job in entry-level positions such as field service technician or research assistant. Typically, biomedical engineers, including neural engineers, need one to two years of experience prior to applying.

To gain the highest salaries, experience is important. According to Payscale [4], here is the average annual salary by experience level for biomedical engineers (which includes neural engineers):

• Early career: $73,637

• Mid-career: $88,738

• Experienced: $97,390

• Late career: $93,263

Gender

Biomedical engineering is a male-dominated field, with 75 percent of employees being male and 25 percent female [9]. However, while in some industries, gender pay gaps are common, within biomedical engineering, you won’t find an obvious pay gap, with men receiving an annual average salary of $75,495 and women receiving an annual average salary of $75,583 [9].

Location

Location plays a part when it comes to the neural engineer salary you receive. Certain states and areas pay higher than others. Below you’ll find the highest-paying states for biomedical engineers, according to Zippia [8].

Different cities and locations have variations in salary, as do states. Below are the highest-paying cities for biomedical engineers, according to Zippia [8].

Industry/type

Biomedical and neural engineers specifically look for employment in various industries, which all have variations in pay levels. Common employers include genetic engineering companies, medical device companies, diagnostic equipment manufacturers, and government departments. Along with working in commercial industries, research accounts for a large portion of neural engineer’s work, looking at neurodata, neurotech, neurohealth, and neurodiscovery.

Below is a breakdown of some industries and the average biomedical/neural engineer salary [10]:

• Engineering services: $146,540

• Professional and commercial supplies: $100,440

• Medical equipment: $99,010

• Research and development: $92,240

• Healthcare: $84,970

Highest paying companies 

Salary varies widely depending on the company you work for. Some companies are notorious for high salaries. According to Zippia, the following companies currently pay the highest salaries for biomedical engineers, which includes neural engineers [8]:

• Cornerstone Research: $124,600

• Genentech: $113,044

• Novartis: $109,289

• Intuitive Surgical: $108,037

• Edwards Lifesciences: $107,365

Job outlook

According to BLS, the job outlook for a biomedical engineer, which includes the discipline of neural engineering, is above average. The predicted growth of 5 percent between 2022 and 2032 amounts to around 19,700 new jobs per year. 

Getting started with Coursera

Are you looking to start your career as a biomedical engineer or, more specifically, a neural engineer? Online courses offer a way to learn something new as well as validate your knowledge and experience. You may consider Industrial Biotechnology, delivered by the University of Manchester, or Genes and the Human Condition (From Behavior to Biotechnology), delivered by the University of Maryland.