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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 #1 best state for psychologists

    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:
    1.72
  2. California #2 best state for psychologists

    2. California

    Total psychologist jobs:660
    Average annual salary:$127,902
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$87,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$186,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.52
  3. Connecticut #3 best state for psychologists

    3. Connecticut

    Total psychologist jobs:42
    Average annual salary:$111,680
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$84,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$148,000
    Location Quotient:
    0.85
  4. New Jersey #4 best state for psychologists

    4. 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:
    1.02
  5. Washington #5 best state for psychologists

    5. Washington

    Total psychologist jobs:134
    Average annual salary:$102,953
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$73,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$143,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.23
  6. Maryland #6 best state for psychologists

    6. Maryland

    Total psychologist jobs:144
    Average annual salary:$101,363
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$75,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$135,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.53
  7. Oklahoma #7 best state for psychologists

    7. Oklahoma

    Total psychologist jobs:69
    Average annual salary:$93,071
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$68,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$125,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.51
  8. New Hampshire #8 best state for psychologists

    8. 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:
    0.69
  9. Massachusetts #9 best state for psychologists

    9. Massachusetts

    Total psychologist jobs:107
    Average annual salary:$108,841
    Lowest 10 percent earn:$82,000
    Highest 10 percent earn:$143,000
    Location Quotient:
    0.78
  10. District of Columbia #10 best state for psychologists

    10. 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 Ashburn, VA

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

RankStateAverage salaryLowest 10% earnPopulationJob count
1Delaware$118,166$88,000961,93932
2California$127,902$87,00039,536,653660
3Connecticut$111,680$84,0003,588,18442
4New Jersey$108,370$81,0009,005,644120
5Washington$102,953$73,0007,405,743134
6Maryland$101,363$75,0006,052,177144
7Oklahoma$93,071$68,0003,930,86469
8New Hampshire$110,125$83,0001,342,79518
9Massachusetts$108,841$82,0006,859,819107
10District of Columbia$108,836$81,000693,97224
11Louisiana$99,793$67,0004,684,33331
12Nevada$93,310$64,0002,998,03933
13Pennsylvania$92,781$69,00012,805,537172
14New York$94,112$70,00019,849,399273
15Ohio$93,313$70,00011,658,609113
16Tennessee$97,471$72,0006,715,98430
17Arizona$89,403$61,0007,016,270104
18Vermont$102,222$78,000623,6573
19Illinois$88,424$67,00012,802,023290
20Virginia$94,373$70,0008,470,020122
21Rhode Island$93,539$70,0001,059,63913
22North Dakota$87,571$68,000755,39315
23Wisconsin$84,612$65,0005,795,483115
24Oregon$90,212$63,0004,142,77678
25Indiana$88,431$67,0006,666,81886
26Colorado$90,994$67,0005,607,154104
27Alaska$90,308$72,000739,79511
28Wyoming$81,732$61,000579,31511
29Minnesota$86,393$67,0005,576,606113
30Georgia$84,860$61,00010,429,379139
31Nebraska$80,878$61,0001,920,07646
32Texas$85,121$58,00028,304,596211
33Michigan$81,680$62,0009,962,31190
34New Mexico$83,123$58,0002,088,07028
35Idaho$84,946$62,0001,716,94312
36Alabama$84,112$60,0004,874,74713
37Missouri$80,970$61,0006,113,53272
38Arkansas$79,519$59,0003,004,27915
39North Carolina$75,365$55,00010,273,419166
40South Carolina$74,049$54,0005,024,36977
41Hawaii$71,465$57,0001,427,53816
42Kansas$79,448$59,0002,913,12322
43Maine$77,569$59,0001,335,90714
44Utah$77,609$56,0003,101,83325
45Montana$72,741$54,0001,050,49317
46South Dakota$70,717$54,000869,66614
47Florida$74,269$48,00020,984,400130
48Iowa$74,274$56,0003,145,71120
49Mississippi$74,611$53,0002,984,10011
50Kentucky$70,528$53,0004,454,18930
51West Virginia$69,841$52,0001,815,8579

Highest paying states for psychologists

RankStateAvg. Psychologist Salary
1Delaware$118,166
2California$127,902
3Connecticut$111,680
4New Jersey$108,370
5Washington$102,953
6Maryland$101,363
7Oklahoma$93,071
8New Hampshire$110,125
9Massachusetts$108,841
10District of Columbia$108,836
11Louisiana$99,793
12Nevada$93,310
13Pennsylvania$92,781
14New York$94,112
15Ohio$93,313
16Tennessee$97,471
17Arizona$89,403
18Vermont$102,222
19Illinois$88,424
20Virginia$94,373
21Rhode Island$93,539
22North Dakota$87,571
23Wisconsin$84,612
24Oregon$90,212
25Indiana$88,431
26Colorado$90,994
27Alaska$90,308
28Wyoming$81,732
29Minnesota$86,393
30Georgia$84,860
31Nebraska$80,878
32Texas$85,121
33Michigan$81,680
34New Mexico$83,123
35Idaho$84,946
36Alabama$84,112
37Missouri$80,970
38Arkansas$79,519
39North Carolina$75,365
40South Carolina$74,049
41Hawaii$71,465
42Kansas$79,448
43Maine$77,569
44Utah$77,609
45Montana$72,741
46South Dakota$70,717
47Florida$74,269
48Iowa$74,274
49Mississippi$74,611
50Kentucky$70,528
51West 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.Kris Vasquez Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

    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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