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Best states for a licensed psychologist
Quoted expert
Kris Vasquez Ph.D.
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Do you want to become a licensed psychologist at Thriveworks, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for licensed psychologists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research shows that California is the best state in the country for licensed psychologists.
We figured that the best places for licensed psychologist jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.California is the best state, and Monterey is the city with the highest pay for licensed psychologists.
10 best states for licensed psychologists in 2025
1. California
Total licensed psychologist jobs: 3,122 Average annual salary: $148,568 Lowest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000 Location Quotient: 1.622. Washington
Total licensed psychologist jobs: 894 Average annual salary: $104,412 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1.853. Nevada
Total licensed psychologist jobs: 167 Average annual salary: $115,591 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.214. Idaho
Total licensed psychologist jobs: 136 Average annual salary: $108,042 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.265. Rhode Island
Total licensed psychologist jobs: 120 Average annual salary: $103,861 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.56. Oregon
Total licensed psychologist jobs: 326 Average annual salary: $103,970 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.197. New Mexico
Total licensed psychologist jobs: 178 Average annual salary: $97,444 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.388. North Dakota
Total licensed psychologist jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $102,452 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 0.269. Arizona
Total licensed psychologist jobs: 631 Average annual salary: $95,725 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.6310. Delaware
Total licensed psychologist jobs: 200 Average annual salary: $92,164 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 2.42
Licensed psychologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a licensed psychologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a licensed psychologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $148,568 | $103,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,122 |
| 2 | Washington | $104,412 | $75,000 | 7,405,743 | 894 |
| 3 | Nevada | $115,591 | $79,000 | 2,998,039 | 167 |
| 4 | Idaho | $108,042 | $79,000 | 1,716,943 | 136 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $103,861 | $78,000 | 1,059,639 | 120 |
| 6 | Oregon | $103,970 | $74,000 | 4,142,776 | 326 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $97,444 | $69,000 | 2,088,070 | 178 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $102,452 | $80,000 | 755,393 | 16 |
| 9 | Arizona | $95,725 | $66,000 | 7,016,270 | 631 |
| 10 | Delaware | $92,164 | $69,000 | 961,939 | 200 |
| 11 | Maine | $107,278 | $82,000 | 1,335,907 | 12 |
| 12 | Texas | $92,248 | $63,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,324 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $101,163 | $77,000 | 6,859,819 | 151 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $92,217 | $69,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,000 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $98,354 | $75,000 | 1,342,795 | 17 |
| 16 | Iowa | $86,250 | $66,000 | 3,145,711 | 430 |
| 17 | Michigan | $86,554 | $65,000 | 9,962,311 | 875 |
| 18 | Utah | $91,338 | $66,000 | 3,101,833 | 182 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $87,070 | $67,000 | 5,795,483 | 539 |
| 20 | Kansas | $83,240 | $63,000 | 2,913,123 | 415 |
| 21 | Illinois | $88,698 | $67,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,285 |
| 22 | Colorado | $91,408 | $68,000 | 5,607,154 | 562 |
| 23 | Virginia | $94,709 | $70,000 | 8,470,020 | 115 |
| 24 | Alaska | $90,803 | $73,000 | 739,795 | 65 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $91,665 | $69,000 | 3,588,184 | 58 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $96,130 | $71,000 | 693,972 | 55 |
| 27 | New York | $92,225 | $69,000 | 19,849,399 | 259 |
| 28 | Indiana | $86,099 | $65,000 | 6,666,818 | 91 |
| 29 | Missouri | $82,609 | $62,000 | 6,113,532 | 637 |
| 30 | Maryland | $90,039 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 130 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $80,120 | $62,000 | 5,576,606 | 844 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $85,051 | $63,000 | 3,004,279 | 17 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $83,182 | $64,000 | 869,666 | 14 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $81,254 | $61,000 | 579,315 | 43 |
| 35 | Montana | $81,331 | $62,000 | 1,050,493 | 100 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $77,946 | $59,000 | 1,920,076 | 260 |
| 37 | Ohio | $81,847 | $61,000 | 11,658,609 | 129 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $81,248 | $61,000 | 4,454,189 | 42 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $82,007 | $59,000 | 2,984,100 | 8 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $80,102 | $64,000 | 1,427,538 | 72 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $78,841 | $53,000 | 4,684,333 | 36 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $76,730 | $57,000 | 3,930,864 | 71 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $68,862 | $50,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,108 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $67,339 | $49,000 | 5,024,369 | 532 |
| 45 | Georgia | $76,094 | $55,000 | 10,429,379 | 143 |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | $72,744 | $54,000 | 12,805,537 | 191 |
| 47 | Alabama | $74,177 | $53,000 | 4,874,747 | 33 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $73,118 | $54,000 | 1,815,857 | 8 |
| 49 | Vermont | $76,830 | $59,000 | 623,657 | 3 |
| 50 | Florida | $69,607 | $45,000 | 20,984,400 | 161 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $68,621 | $51,000 | 6,715,984 | 42 |
Highest paying states for licensed psychologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Licensed Psychologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $148,568 |
| 2 | Washington | $104,412 |
| 3 | Nevada | $115,591 |
| 4 | Idaho | $108,042 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $103,861 |
| 6 | Oregon | $103,970 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $97,444 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $102,452 |
| 9 | Arizona | $95,725 |
| 10 | Delaware | $92,164 |
| 11 | Maine | $107,278 |
| 12 | Texas | $92,248 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $101,163 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $92,217 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $98,354 |
| 16 | Iowa | $86,250 |
| 17 | Michigan | $86,554 |
| 18 | Utah | $91,338 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $87,070 |
| 20 | Kansas | $83,240 |
| 21 | Illinois | $88,698 |
| 22 | Colorado | $91,408 |
| 23 | Virginia | $94,709 |
| 24 | Alaska | $90,803 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $91,665 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $96,130 |
| 27 | New York | $92,225 |
| 28 | Indiana | $86,099 |
| 29 | Missouri | $82,609 |
| 30 | Maryland | $90,039 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $80,120 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $85,051 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $83,182 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $81,254 |
| 35 | Montana | $81,331 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $77,946 |
| 37 | Ohio | $81,847 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $81,248 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $82,007 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $80,102 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $78,841 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $76,730 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $68,862 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $67,339 |
| 45 | Georgia | $76,094 |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | $72,744 |
| 47 | Alabama | $74,177 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $73,118 |
| 49 | Vermont | $76,830 |
| 50 | Florida | $69,607 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $68,621 |
Expert opinions on the best states for licensed psychologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for licensed psychologists to find work opportunities?
Kris Vasquez Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Alverno College
I don't have national data on employment for psychology graduates in 2020, and I assume you can look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics as quickly as possible. We do know that there are communities that are underserved by available mental health resources, often the same places where physical health resources are scarce.
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Updated January 8, 2025