Research Summary. Based on updated analysis by the Zippia data science team, we have identified the following details regarding therapist salaries by state in the United States for 2026:
-
California offers the highest average therapist salary at $72,873
-
Missouri has the lowest average therapist salary at $44,095
-
The national average salary for therapists is $55,943
-
The national hourly pay for therapists is $26.90
For more details, you can read about our specific methodology.
Background
Salary remains the primary factor for job seekers across demographics, and therapists are no exception. Understanding how much therapists are compensated in your region is essential for career planning.
Many factors contribute to individual salary expectations, but robust data exists for average therapist salaries across the United States, segmented by state and seniority level. While local variations exist, these averages provide a general benchmark for salary expectations.
California continues to lead in therapist compensation.
Here’s a snapshot of the top ten states for therapist salaries in 2026:
Let’s take a deeper look at the data and a complete ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Therapists By State
| Rank | State | Average Therapist Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $72,873 | $47,000 | $110,000 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $72,644 | $47,000 | $110,000 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $65,435 | $43,000 | $98,000 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $64,560 | $45,000 | $90,000 |
| 5 | Virginia | $64,529 | $42,000 | $99,000 |
| 6 | Vermont | $62,110 | $42,000 | $91,000 |
| 7 | Maryland | $61,867 | $40,000 | $94,000 |
| 8 | Louisiana | $61,554 | $39,000 | $95,000 |
| 9 | Nevada | $61,221 | $40,000 | $92,000 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $61,055 | $40,000 | $91,000 |
| 11 | New York | $60,889 | $40,000 | $92,000 |
| 12 | Washington | $60,328 | $43,000 | $84,000 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $58,668 | $40,000 | $84,000 |
| 14 | Maine | $57,955 | $39,000 | $84,000 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $57,838 | $38,000 | $87,000 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $57,638 | $38,000 | $85,000 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $57,365 | $38,000 | $86,000 |
| 18 | Idaho | $56,652 | $40,000 | $79,000 |
| 19 | Arkansas | $56,025 | $38,000 | $82,000 |
| 20 | Texas | $55,069 | $36,000 | $83,000 |
| 21 | Illinois | $54,910 | $37,000 | $81,000 |
| 22 | Alabama | $54,818 | $36,000 | $83,000 |
| 23 | Mississippi | $54,755 | $36,000 | $83,000 |
| 24 | Arizona | $54,419 | $36,000 | $80,000 |
| 25 | Michigan | $53,853 | $35,000 | $80,000 |
| 26 | Oregon | $53,583 | $37,000 | $75,000 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $53,421 | $38,000 | $73,000 |
| 28 | Alaska | $52,598 | $44,000 | $61,000 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $52,313 | $35,000 | $77,000 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $52,242 | $33,000 | $80,000 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $51,682 | $34,000 | $78,000 |
| 32 | Ohio | $51,000 | $33,000 | $77,000 |
| 33 | Georgia | $50,155 | $32,000 | $76,000 |
| 34 | Delaware | $49,244 | $32,000 | $74,000 |
| 35 | Utah | $48,736 | $34,000 | $69,000 |
| 36 | Colorado | $48,615 | $34,000 | $68,000 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $48,615 | $32,000 | $71,000 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $48,449 | $33,000 | $70,000 |
| 39 | Indiana | $47,539 | $31,000 | $71,000 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $47,265 | $30,000 | $73,000 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $47,088 | $31,000 | $70,000 |
| 42 | Montana | $46,169 | $33,000 | $63,000 |
| 43 | Iowa | $45,910 | $31,000 | $66,000 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $45,900 | $30,000 | $68,000 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $45,830 | $35,000 | $58,000 |
| 46 | Florida | $45,486 | $28,000 | $72,000 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $44,782 | $31,000 | $62,000 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $44,756 | $31,000 | $62,000 |
| 49 | Kansas | $44,352 | $31,000 | $63,000 |
| 50 | Missouri | $44,095 | $30,000 | $63,000 |
Methodology: Therapist Salary By State
To accurately assess therapist pay by state, Zippia aggregates data from various sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and other reputable organizations. This data is supplemented with actual salary listings from job postings. Our data science team calculates a weighted average from these inputs to derive the average pay for therapists by state.
We ranked each state based on the average annual salary data for therapists, identifying the state with the highest salary as the leader in therapist compensation.
Therapist Salary By State FAQs
-
What is the highest-paid state for therapists?
The highest-paid state for therapists is California, with an average salary of $72,873 per year.
-
What city pays therapists the most?
San Francisco, CA offers the highest average salary for therapists at $77,931 per year.
-
What is the worst state for therapists?
The lowest-paying state for therapists is Missouri, with an average salary of $44,095 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
