Psychologist Salary: What the Federal Data Shows (Plus Specialties)
Clinical and counseling psychologists earn a median of $100,580 a year in the US, per the most recent federal wage data (BLS, May 2025 estimates, released May 2026). The middle 80 percent of the field spans $55,170 to $180,960, and state medians run from $64,270 in New Hampshire to $134,350 in Oregon.
This page covers the state-by-state numbers, then two specialty questions the data gets asked about most: what geropsychologists earn, and what testing-focused roles (psychometricians and assessment psychologists) earn. Everything is sourced to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and refreshed each spring.
National snapshot
The mean sitting $12,000 above the median tells you the top of this field pulls hard: private practice, forensic work, and assessment specialties stretch the high end well past what the typical salaried role pays.
Highest-paying states
| Rank | State | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $134,350 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $127,090 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $124,800 |
| 4 | Alaska | $124,270 |
| 5 | Arizona | $119,010 |
New Mexico and Arizona on this list while New York sits at $114,400 and Illinois at $83,750 makes the point plainly: psychologist pay follows shortage and payer mix, not coastal prestige. Illinois is the arresting case: a bottom-tier median despite Chicago, on the largest psychologist workforce in the Midwest.
Psychologist salary by state
| State | Employment | 10th pctile | Median | 90th pctile | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 260 | $57,530 | $90,800 | $154,340 | $110,120 |
| Alaska | 40 | $42,360 | $124,270 | $170,180 | $122,210 |
| Arizona | 730 | $61,890 | $119,010 | $170,170 | $115,230 |
| Arkansas | 370 | $58,090 | $77,520 | $111,560 | $82,100 |
| California | 12,840 | $62,900 | $116,000 | $188,050 | $123,570 |
| Colorado | 1,170 | $46,870 | $113,290 | $161,700 | $126,480 |
| Connecticut | 660 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Delaware | 280 | $66,150 | $113,050 | $147,930 | $114,760 |
| District of Columbia | 220 | $70,400 | $107,000 | $324,950 | $127,690 |
| Florida | 3,040 | $55,480 | $85,610 | $259,990 | $118,480 |
| Georgia | 1,120 | $45,310 | $96,060 | $179,850 | $102,950 |
| Hawaii | 250 | $86,770 | $117,860 | $141,860 | $117,510 |
| Idaho | 300 | $60,720 | $97,790 | $148,930 | $114,380 |
| Illinois | 5,810 | $36,580 | $83,750 | $168,730 | $95,590 |
| Indiana | 1,850 | $56,200 | $84,990 | $129,110 | $91,480 |
| Iowa | 440 | $64,200 | $91,690 | $168,660 | $104,130 |
| Kansas | 400 | $47,620 | $76,690 | $151,800 | $85,550 |
| Kentucky | 710 | $49,220 | $99,140 | $174,820 | $109,760 |
| Louisiana | 320 | $46,500 | $71,330 | $121,750 | $79,510 |
| Maryland | 2,140 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Massachusetts | 2,860 | $60,250 | $115,180 | $216,570 | $124,560 |
| Michigan | 2,170 | $61,290 | $84,730 | $134,980 | $95,160 |
| Minnesota | 1,290 | $62,290 | $107,030 | $163,610 | $110,480 |
| Mississippi | 210 | $48,270 | $76,000 | $107,160 | $83,860 |
| Missouri | 840 | $45,770 | $99,410 | $141,810 | $99,190 |
| Montana | 150 | $49,800 | $68,160 | $143,640 | $106,980 |
| Nebraska | 770 | $45,370 | $94,540 | $143,190 | $99,180 |
| Nevada | 680 | $77,700 | $102,650 | $150,840 | $114,680 |
| New Hampshire | 330 | $44,550 | $64,270 | $194,050 | $98,030 |
| New Jersey | 2,700 | $57,180 | $127,090 | $224,050 | $131,590 |
| New Mexico | n/a | $54,080 | $124,800 | $169,520 | $122,330 |
| New York | 8,420 | $64,980 | $114,400 | $204,540 | $124,380 |
| North Carolina | 2,770 | $52,890 | $92,130 | $213,160 | $106,270 |
| North Dakota | 170 | $69,520 | $116,130 | $148,320 | $109,570 |
| Ohio | 2,080 | $39,640 | $101,190 | $161,580 | $103,950 |
| Oklahoma | 950 | $62,150 | $79,950 | $205,790 | $97,850 |
| Oregon | 540 | $93,600 | $134,350 | $163,340 | $129,590 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,140 | $61,340 | $91,870 | $175,410 | $108,710 |
| Puerto Rico | 330 | $46,340 | $67,660 | $90,410 | $66,470 |
| Rhode Island | 420 | $54,500 | $107,490 | $144,700 | $104,670 |
| South Carolina | n/a | $59,600 | $92,700 | $131,420 | $91,790 |
| South Dakota | 120 | $63,630 | $80,130 | $123,210 | $88,560 |
| Tennessee | 1,180 | $50,520 | $76,820 | $126,930 | $84,350 |
| Texas | 3,640 | $59,490 | $83,660 | $136,360 | $92,130 |
| Utah | 1,020 | $48,070 | $99,170 | $156,000 | $104,390 |
| Vermont | 190 | $58,070 | $83,270 | $137,620 | $99,780 |
| Virginia | 2,140 | $41,990 | $86,520 | $176,080 | $98,460 |
| Washington | 1,270 | $78,940 | $115,240 | $179,470 | $137,530 |
| West Virginia | 920 | $44,100 | $77,040 | $146,240 | $90,120 |
| Wisconsin | 1,150 | $76,360 | $113,360 | $166,270 | $121,440 |
| Wyoming | 50 | $64,200 | $89,890 | $169,270 | $102,760 |
Connecticut and Maryland are suppressed in this release. A reading tip: the median-to-90th gap marks where the private-practice and assessment upside lives; Florida's 90th percentile ($259,990) against its modest median ($85,610) is the clearest picture of a two-tier market in the table.
What geropsychologists earn
Geropsychology, the specialty focused on older adults' mental health, has no separate line in federal wage data; geropsychologists are counted inside the clinical and counseling psychologist figures above. What the data can't show, demographics can: by 2030 roughly one in five Americans will be 65 or older, and the supply of psychologists with formal geriatric training is small relative to that curve. Specialists whose skills sit on the short side of a demand curve negotiate from strength, and settings that hire them (health systems, long-term care, hospice-adjacent practices) benchmark against the tables above rather than below them. For the field's shape, training paths, and why we consider it a growth specialty, see The Rise of the Geropsychologist.
What testing psychologists and psychometricians earn
Assessment work splits into two tiers the data treats differently. Doctoral-level testing psychologists (neuropsychological, forensic, and psychoeducational assessment) sit inside the psychologist figures above, and assessment work is one of the specialties that stretches the field's high percentiles; testing-heavy roles are a recurring feature of the highest-paying listings we index. Psychometrists and psychometricians, who administer and score tests under supervision (typically at the bachelor's or master's level), have no dedicated federal category, so treat any single salary figure you see quoted online with caution; the honest description is that these roles generally sit between technician-tier and licensed-clinician pay, varying with setting and credential (board certification through organizations like the Board of Certified Psychometrists strengthens the negotiating position). Where employers publish ranges on our listings, we show them.
Testing psychologists
Included in the psychologist wage data. Neuropsychological, forensic, and psychoeducational assessment work helps stretch the field’s upper percentiles.
Psychometrists and psychometricians
No dedicated federal category. Pay generally falls between technician-tier and licensed-clinician compensation and varies by setting and credential.
Frequently asked questions
How much do psychologists make?
Clinical and counseling psychologists earn a national median of $100,580 a year (BLS, May 2025 estimates), with the middle 80 percent spanning $55,170 to $180,960.
Which states pay psychologists the most?
By median wage: Oregon ($134,350), New Jersey ($127,090), New Mexico ($124,800), Alaska ($124,270), and Arizona ($119,010).
How much do geropsychologists make?
Federal data doesn't split geropsychology out; they're included in the psychologist figures above. Demand-side factors (an aging population and few geriatric-trained specialists) favor the specialty's earning position within those ranges.
Can psychologists practice across state lines?
Increasingly yes, through PSYPACT, which changes which state markets a telepsychologist can serve. Our PSYPACT explainer covers participating states and how it works.
Where these numbers come from
Wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates (occupation code 19-3033, Clinical and Counseling Psychologists), released May 2026 and the most recent federal data available. OEWS reports wages for employees; independent contractor and private-practice owner earnings are not included, which matters in this field more than most. Some state figures are suppressed in the source data and marked n/a. All figures are estimates and marked as such. We refresh this page when BLS publishes new estimates each spring.
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