2026 Pediatric Neurologist Salary Guide: Child Neurology Compensation & Subspecialties

Pediatric neurologists manage the full spectrum of neurological disorders in patients from newborn through young adult — seizure disorders and epilepsy, cerebral palsy, neurodevelopmental conditions, headache, pediatric stroke, neuroimmune diseases (pediatric MS, ADEM, NMDAR encephalitis), and neuromuscular disorders (DMD, SMA, Charcot-Marie-Tooth). The field is a subspecialty of both pediatrics and neurology (accessible via either training pathway), with board certification through ABP (American Board of Pediatrics, ABPN subspecialty certificate in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Epilepsy) or ABPN (Child Neurology certification). Total compensation in 2026 runs from $220,000 to $380,000, with academic center salaries at the lower end and community children's hospital positions at the higher end.

Salary overview by practice setting

• Academic children's hospital (child neurology fellowship program): $220,000–$320,000; NIH NINDS and NICHD research funding; ABP/ABPN fellowship training; pediatric epilepsy surgery center infrastructure; PSLF-eligible employment; programs at Boston Children's, CHOP, Texas Children's, Cincinnati Children's, CHLA, and Lurie Children's anchor academic child neurology training
• Freestanding community children's hospital (non-academic): $280,000–$370,000; employed model; clinical focus without research requirement; pediatric neurology outpatient + inpatient consult service; wRVU-based incentive; PSLF-eligible if nonprofit; EEG interpretation as major ancillary income generator
• Community hospital pediatric neurology (general hospital with pediatric unit): $260,000–$360,000; smaller pediatric census than freestanding children's hospitals; general pediatric neurology scope; EEG services may be limited; call sharing among fewer physicians
• Outpatient child neurology clinic (group practice): $260,000–$350,000; high-volume outpatient epilepsy, headache, ADHD, and developmental neurology; EEG lab; no inpatient call in some models; botulinum toxin injection for spasticity generates procedural revenue
• Pediatric epilepsy subspecialist (within child neurology): $300,000–$400,000; NAEC Level 4 pediatric epilepsy center; EMU beds; epilepsy surgery evaluation; stereoEEG; the highest-compensated subspecialty within pediatric neurology; RNS and VNS programming adds procedural revenue

Fellowship pathway

Child neurology is reached via two pathways:

• Pediatrics pathway: 2 years of pediatric residency → 3 years of child neurology fellowship (ACGME accredited); ABP/ABPN dual board examination; most common pathway; pipeline of approximately 150–180 child neurology fellows per year
• Neurology pathway: 4 years of neurology residency + 2 years of child neurology fellowship; less common; results in dual neurology + child neurology certification; useful for physicians treating adolescents transitioning to adult neurology or wanting adult-practice flexibility

Child neurology is a chronically undersupplied subspecialty — the American Academy of Pediatrics has repeatedly cited child neurology workforce shortage as a critical issue, particularly for epilepsy subspecialists and in geographic markets without academic children's hospitals.

Billing and wRVU in pediatric neurology

• New patient outpatient visit (complex): CPT 99205; 4.11 wRVU; professional fee $280–$450; new epilepsy evaluation, new-onset headache, first seizure workup, developmental delay assessment; pediatric neurology new patient visits are complex and time-intensive
• Established patient visit: CPT 99214–99215; professional fee $180–$280; epilepsy follow-up, medication adjustment, headache management, neuromuscular disease surveillance
• Inpatient consultation (hospital): CPT 99254–99255; professional fee $200–$500; new onset seizure in hospitalized child, suspected meningitis/encephalitis, altered mental status evaluation, Guillain-Barré in children, stroke evaluation; highest-complexity pediatric neurology consults generate 99255
• Routine EEG interpretation: CPT 95816; professional fee $200–$400; 0.88 wRVU; standard interpretation of scalp EEG; pediatric epilepsy programs read dozens of EEGs per week; remote interpretation possible for physicians with teleneurology capabilities
• Video-EEG monitoring (EMU): CPT 95951 per 24-hour period; professional fee $400–$800/day; pediatric epilepsy monitoring unit admission for seizure characterization and pre-surgical evaluation; 3–7 day EMU stays generate $1,200–$5,600 in professional EEG monitoring fees per admission
• Botulinum toxin for pediatric spasticity (cerebral palsy): CPT 64642 (1–4 muscles) / 64644 (5+ muscles); professional fee $400–$900; buy-and-bill on J0585 (onabotulinumtoxinA); repeat every 3–4 months in CP patients with spasticity; pediatric CP spasticity is the primary botulinum toxin indication in child neurology
• VNS and RNS programming (pediatric epilepsy): CPT 95976 (VNS programming); professional fee $300–$600; LivaNova VNS implanted devices; RNS (NeuroPace) emerging in adolescent/young adult pediatric epilepsy surgery candidates; programming visits every 3–6 months
• Nerve conduction study and EMG: CPT 95913 (11+ conduction studies) + CPT 95886 (needle EMG, per extremity); professional fee $300–$700; pediatric neuromuscular disease evaluation (SMA, DMD, CIDP, GBS, hereditary neuropathy); EMG in children is technically demanding; child neurologists who perform their own NCS/EMG generate higher wRVU per clinic session
• Gene therapy administration coordination: Nusinersen (Spinraza, CPT 96416 or 99601 for intrathecal delivery) for SMA Type I; onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi (Zolgensma, IV) for SMA; risdiplam (Evrysdi, oral); child neurologists who manage SMA gene therapy programs generate significant administration billing and drug management fees at programs with active SMA patient panels

Geographic variation

• Major academic children's hospitals (Boston Children's, CHOP, Texas Children's, Cincinnati Children's, CHLA): $225,000–$330,000; strongest training program; NIH funding; complex case mix including rare pediatric neurological conditions
• Regional freestanding children's hospitals (Children's Mercy, Rady, Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus, Cook Children's): $280,000–$375,000; higher base than academic; clinical focus; strong EEG program; pediatric epilepsy surgery at some programs
• Sun Belt and growing suburban markets (FL, TX, AZ, GA): $290,000–$390,000; growing pediatric population; health system investment in children's neurology programs; competitive recruiting due to thin child neurology pipeline in Sun Belt geography
• Rural and underserved markets: Significant access gap in pediatric neurology outside major urban centers; telehealth child neurology programs growing; rural on-site positions command meaningful premium ($280,000–$380,000)

What we see at Ava Health

Pediatric neurologists respond well to outreach because the child neurology pipeline is chronically undersized relative to demand — a child neurologist shortage that AAP and AANEM have documented repeatedly. The physicians most open to movement are those at academic centers who have completed their initial research-building period and are evaluating community children's hospital positions offering significantly higher compensation without meaningful loss of clinical complexity. Epilepsy subspecialists within child neurology are the most sought-after profile: NAEC Level 3/4 pediatric epilepsy programs at community children's hospitals are actively building out comprehensive epilepsy surgery capability and need fellowship-trained pediatric epileptologists to credentialite those programs.

Related: Epileptologist Salary Guide, Pediatric Cardiologist Salary Guide, Pediatric Intensivist Salary Guide, Neurologist Salary Guide.