Neuropsychology Technician

[Neuropsych_Applicant]

Does anyone have any knowledge of opportunities to work as a neuropsych tech after graduating with a B.S. in psychology? I know the jobs for this are much more scarce and low-pay compared to doctoral level positions, but I believe it would be a valuable experience should I not get into graduate school in my first cycle. I have only done some preliminary searching on job sites for this kind of position and was wondering if anyone has some advice. I do have a good amount of experience in research, neuropsych research, and volunteering with a VA hospital. Is there anything else I can do to be competitive for these positions?

Thank you!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Try searching for the term "psychometrist" in addition to neuropsychology technician, as this may turn up more positions. Also, some states require certification in order to function in that role if you aren't a trainee; if yours is one of those states, then obtaining or at least becoming knowledgeable about certification would be a plus. There are also national certifications available, although I honestly have no idea which, if any, are worthwhile; other folks here who regularly use psychometrists can probably speak to that better than myself.

 

[erg923]

I did this full-time for 2 years, but had a masters at the time. Not sure the masters was really necessary or helped significantly, but the person who hired me wanted individuals with some formal clinical training (which I understand). 10 years ago I made $19.00/hour, so not too bad.

 

[WisNeuro]

There are occasionally jobs popping up here and there. Really depends on location. As erg mentioned in his own experience, most of the jobs I have seen hiring are looking for individuals with a masters degree. There is the occasional posting that does not require a masters, although those appear to be the minority in locations I have worked. I'd scour the usajobs site for one. Otherwise, you can sometimes get decent research jobs as a psychometrician. I got 25/hr in grad school with time and a half on weekends, but I think they also wanted a masters degree and someone formally enrolled in a clinical program as well. Good luck with the search!

 

[gypsyflemming]

Not sure where in the country you live, but I frequently see psychometrist paid positions around the greater Boston area, especially at Mass General Hospital. If a good fit, you will usually shadow/observe and receive formal training and mentorship from a licensed neuropsychologist before you're allowed to administer assessments independently. Training gets more stringent depending on the population you're working with (for example, assessing healthy older adults requires less training than those with age related pathologies).

 

[bcliff]

Made ~30k/year working as a "neuropsychometrist" with a B.S. at a large research university.