Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Science and research / 19-3039.02

Neuropsychologists

Apply theories and principles of neuropsychology to evaluate and diagnose disorders of higher cerebral functioning, often in research and medical settings. Study the human brain and the effect of physiological states on human cognition and behavior. May formulate and administer programs of treatment.

US jobs
18,820 (SOC 19-3039 group, "Psychologists, All Other")
Median wage
$110,840 a year
Job family
Science and research

Can agents do the work of neuropsychologists?

We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Science and research:

  • Task levelPartialThin evidence. CORE-Bench asks agents to reproduce the results of published papers in computer science, social science, and medicine from the authors' code and data. Princeton's HAL team declared it solved in December 2025: Claude Code with Claude Opus 4.5 scored 95.5% after manual regrading. No benchmark in our collection tests new experiments or lab work.
  • Project levelNot yetThin evidence. On PaperBench, where agents replicate machine learning papers from scratch, the best official result is 26.0% (o1, April 2025). On a small subset, ML PhDs scored 41.4% against o1's 26.6%. No newer official results exist, and no benchmark tests research projects in other sciences.

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in science and research, not always this occupation's tasks.

  • CORE-Benchby Princeton UniversityTask level · CORE-Bench-Hard accuracy (public test set)
    95.5%Claude Code + Claude Opus 4.5 (after manual regrading) · 3 Dec 2025
    Solved
  • PaperBenchby OpenAIProject level · Average replication score
    26%IterativeAgent o1-high (36h limit) · 2 Apr 2025
    Emerging

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Conduct neuropsychological evaluations such as assessments of intelligence, academic ability, attention, concentration, sensorimotor function, language, learning, and memory.
  • Write or prepare detailed clinical neuropsychological reports, using data from psychological or neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct observations, or interviews.
  • Interview patients to obtain comprehensive medical histories.
  • Diagnose and treat conditions involving injury to the central nervous system, such as cerebrovascular accidents, neoplasms, infectious or inflammatory diseases, degenerative diseases, head traumas, demyelinating diseases, and various forms of dementing illnesses.
  • Establish neurobehavioral baseline measures for monitoring progressive cerebral disease or recovery.
  • Provide education or counseling to individuals and families.
  • Diagnose and treat pediatric populations for conditions such as learning disabilities with developmental or organic bases.
  • Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in neuropsychology.
  • Participate in educational programs, in-service training, or workshops to remain current in methods and techniques.
  • Consult with other professionals about patients' neurological conditions.
  • Educate and supervise practicum students, psychology interns, or hospital staff.
  • Design or implement rehabilitation plans for patients with cognitive dysfunction.
Other job titles for this occupation (9)

Aviation Neuropsychologist · Board Certified Neuropsychologist · Child and Adolescent Neuropsychologist · Forensic Neuropsychologist · Neuropsychologist · Neuropsychology Medical Consultant · Pediatric Neuropsychologist · Staff Psychologist · Adult Neuropsychologist