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Best states for a psychologist
Quoted expert
Kris Vasquez Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for psychologists? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for psychologist jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for psychologists. We found that Delaware is the best state in the nation for psychologists, and people in Monterey earn the most in the field.
The median salary for psychologists in Delaware is $118,166. Compare that to the median salary in West Virginia of $69,841, which ranked worst for psychologists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a psychologist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for psychologists in 2025
1. Delaware
Total psychologist jobs: 32 Average annual salary: $118,166 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.722. California
Total psychologist jobs: 660 Average annual salary: $127,902 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 1.523. Connecticut
Total psychologist jobs: 42 Average annual salary: $111,680 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.854. New Jersey
Total psychologist jobs: 120 Average annual salary: $108,370 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1.025. Washington
Total psychologist jobs: 134 Average annual salary: $102,953 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.236. Maryland
Total psychologist jobs: 144 Average annual salary: $101,363 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.537. Oklahoma
Total psychologist jobs: 69 Average annual salary: $93,071 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.518. New Hampshire
Total psychologist jobs: 18 Average annual salary: $110,125 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 0.699. Massachusetts
Total psychologist jobs: 107 Average annual salary: $108,841 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.7810. District of Columbia
Total psychologist jobs: 24 Average annual salary: $108,836 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
Psychologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a psychologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a psychologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $118,166 | $88,000 | 961,939 | 32 |
| 2 | California | $127,902 | $87,000 | 39,536,653 | 660 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $111,680 | $84,000 | 3,588,184 | 42 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $108,370 | $81,000 | 9,005,644 | 120 |
| 5 | Washington | $102,953 | $73,000 | 7,405,743 | 134 |
| 6 | Maryland | $101,363 | $75,000 | 6,052,177 | 144 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $93,071 | $68,000 | 3,930,864 | 69 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $110,125 | $83,000 | 1,342,795 | 18 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $108,841 | $82,000 | 6,859,819 | 107 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $108,836 | $81,000 | 693,972 | 24 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $99,793 | $67,000 | 4,684,333 | 31 |
| 12 | Nevada | $93,310 | $64,000 | 2,998,039 | 33 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $92,781 | $69,000 | 12,805,537 | 172 |
| 14 | New York | $94,112 | $70,000 | 19,849,399 | 273 |
| 15 | Ohio | $93,313 | $70,000 | 11,658,609 | 113 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $97,471 | $72,000 | 6,715,984 | 30 |
| 17 | Arizona | $89,403 | $61,000 | 7,016,270 | 104 |
| 18 | Vermont | $102,222 | $78,000 | 623,657 | 3 |
| 19 | Illinois | $88,424 | $67,000 | 12,802,023 | 290 |
| 20 | Virginia | $94,373 | $70,000 | 8,470,020 | 122 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $93,539 | $70,000 | 1,059,639 | 13 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $87,571 | $68,000 | 755,393 | 15 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $84,612 | $65,000 | 5,795,483 | 115 |
| 24 | Oregon | $90,212 | $63,000 | 4,142,776 | 78 |
| 25 | Indiana | $88,431 | $67,000 | 6,666,818 | 86 |
| 26 | Colorado | $90,994 | $67,000 | 5,607,154 | 104 |
| 27 | Alaska | $90,308 | $72,000 | 739,795 | 11 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $81,732 | $61,000 | 579,315 | 11 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $86,393 | $67,000 | 5,576,606 | 113 |
| 30 | Georgia | $84,860 | $61,000 | 10,429,379 | 139 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $80,878 | $61,000 | 1,920,076 | 46 |
| 32 | Texas | $85,121 | $58,000 | 28,304,596 | 211 |
| 33 | Michigan | $81,680 | $62,000 | 9,962,311 | 90 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $83,123 | $58,000 | 2,088,070 | 28 |
| 35 | Idaho | $84,946 | $62,000 | 1,716,943 | 12 |
| 36 | Alabama | $84,112 | $60,000 | 4,874,747 | 13 |
| 37 | Missouri | $80,970 | $61,000 | 6,113,532 | 72 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $79,519 | $59,000 | 3,004,279 | 15 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $75,365 | $55,000 | 10,273,419 | 166 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $74,049 | $54,000 | 5,024,369 | 77 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $71,465 | $57,000 | 1,427,538 | 16 |
| 42 | Kansas | $79,448 | $59,000 | 2,913,123 | 22 |
| 43 | Maine | $77,569 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 14 |
| 44 | Utah | $77,609 | $56,000 | 3,101,833 | 25 |
| 45 | Montana | $72,741 | $54,000 | 1,050,493 | 17 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $70,717 | $54,000 | 869,666 | 14 |
| 47 | Florida | $74,269 | $48,000 | 20,984,400 | 130 |
| 48 | Iowa | $74,274 | $56,000 | 3,145,711 | 20 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $74,611 | $53,000 | 2,984,100 | 11 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $70,528 | $53,000 | 4,454,189 | 30 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $69,841 | $52,000 | 1,815,857 | 9 |
Highest paying states for psychologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Psychologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $118,166 |
| 2 | California | $127,902 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $111,680 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $108,370 |
| 5 | Washington | $102,953 |
| 6 | Maryland | $101,363 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $93,071 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $110,125 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $108,841 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $108,836 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $99,793 |
| 12 | Nevada | $93,310 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $92,781 |
| 14 | New York | $94,112 |
| 15 | Ohio | $93,313 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $97,471 |
| 17 | Arizona | $89,403 |
| 18 | Vermont | $102,222 |
| 19 | Illinois | $88,424 |
| 20 | Virginia | $94,373 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $93,539 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $87,571 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $84,612 |
| 24 | Oregon | $90,212 |
| 25 | Indiana | $88,431 |
| 26 | Colorado | $90,994 |
| 27 | Alaska | $90,308 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $81,732 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $86,393 |
| 30 | Georgia | $84,860 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $80,878 |
| 32 | Texas | $85,121 |
| 33 | Michigan | $81,680 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $83,123 |
| 35 | Idaho | $84,946 |
| 36 | Alabama | $84,112 |
| 37 | Missouri | $80,970 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $79,519 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $75,365 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $74,049 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $71,465 |
| 42 | Kansas | $79,448 |
| 43 | Maine | $77,569 |
| 44 | Utah | $77,609 |
| 45 | Montana | $72,741 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $70,717 |
| 47 | Florida | $74,269 |
| 48 | Iowa | $74,274 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $74,611 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $70,528 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $69,841 |
Expert opinions on the best states for psychologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for 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