Psychologist demographics and statistics in the US
Psychologist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates psychologist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our psychologist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about psychologists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 63,579 psychologists currently employed in the United States.
- 64.8% of all psychologists are women, while 35.2% are men.
- The average psychologist age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of psychologists is White (75.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.8%), Black or African American (5.1%) and Asian (4.2%).
- Psychologists are most in-demand in Los Angeles, CA.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $131,657, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women psychologists earned 95% of what men earned.
- Delaware is the best state for psychologists to live.
- Psychologists are 43% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Psychologist demographics by:
Psychologist gender statistics
64.8% of psychologists are women and 35.2% of psychologists are men.
- Female, 64.8%
- Male, 35.2%
Psychologist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 64.8% |
| Male | 35.2% |
Psychologist gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$94,264
Female income
$89,562
Psychologist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in psychologist positions over time. Currently, 64.8% of psychologists are female.
Psychologist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 41.47% | 58.53% |
| 2011 | 39.44% | 60.56% |
| 2012 | 36.44% | 63.56% |
| 2013 | 34.62% | 65.38% |
| 2014 | 36.71% | 63.29% |
| 2015 | 34.96% | 65.04% |
| 2016 | 34.17% | 65.83% |
| 2017 | 33.47% | 66.53% |
| 2018 | 38.37% | 61.63% |
| 2019 | 34.72% | 65.28% |
| 2020 | 34.15% | 65.85% |
| 2021 | 35.22% | 64.78% |
Psychologist related jobs gender ratio
We compared psychologists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, econometrician and political advisor have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Home Economist | 4% | 96% |
| Educational Diagnostician | 11% | 89% |
| Senior Behavioral Scientist | 15% | 85% |
| Psychologist | 35% | 65% |
| Agricultural Economist | 75% | 25% |
| Political Advisor | 76% | 24% |
| Econometrician | 77% | 23% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Psychologist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among psychologists is White, which makes up 75.9% of all psychologists. Comparatively, 10.8% of psychologists are Hispanic or Latino and 5.1% of psychologists are Black or African American.
- White, 75.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 10.8%
- Black or African American, 5.1%
- Asian, 4.2%
- Unknown, 3.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Psychologist race
| Psychologist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.8% |
| Black or African American | 5.1% |
| Asian | 4.2% |
| Unknown | 3.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Psychologist race and ethnicity over time
See how psychologist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Psychologist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.74% | 4.74% | 3.41% | 8.20% |
| 2011 | 81.23% | 4.98% | 3.23% | 8.65% |
| 2012 | 80.41% | 5.46% | 3.44% | 8.87% |
| 2013 | 80.34% | 4.95% | 3.75% | 8.97% |
| 2014 | 79.97% | 4.98% | 3.85% | 9.25% |
| 2015 | 81.27% | 4.70% | 3.76% | 8.56% |
| 2016 | 80.53% | 4.55% | 3.97% | 8.82% |
| 2017 | 79.96% | 4.80% | 3.63% | 9.34% |
| 2018 | 81.87% | 3.83% | 3.64% | 8.83% |
| 2019 | 79.05% | 4.66% | 4.25% | 10.15% |
| 2020 | 76.00% | 5.47% | 4.20% | 10.33% |
| 2021 | 75.92% | 5.14% | 4.25% | 10.82% |
Psychologist wage gap by race
According to our data, white psychologists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown psychologists have the lowest average salary at $90,154.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $90,154 |
| White | $96,932 |
| Black or African American | $94,511 |
| Asian | $94,506 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $95,356 |
Average psychologist age
See how the average age of psychologists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Psychologist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 47 | |
| White | 51 | 43 |
| Black or African American | 45 | 43 |
| Asian | 45 | 44 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 46.5 | 39 |
Psychologist age breakdown
The average age of psychologists is 40+ years years old, representing 65% of the psychologist population.
Psychologist age breakdown
| Psychologist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 65% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 5% |
Psychologist educational attainment
The most common degree for psychologists is bachelor's degree, with 47% of psychologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 26% and master's degree degree at 23%.
- Bachelor's, 47%
- Master's, 26%
- Doctorate, 23%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Psychologists by degree level
| Psychologist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 47% |
| Master's | 26% |
| Doctorate | 23% |
| Associate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Psychologist jobs you might like
Psychologist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $88,497 |
| Doctorate Degree | $108,846 |
Psychologist employment statistics
Most psychologists work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where psychologists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where psychologists work.
Psychologist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 17% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 26% |
| > 10,000 employees | 12% |
Psychologist jobs by company type
Employees with the psychologist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most psychologists prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Psychologist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 36% |
| Public | 1% |
| Private | 43% |
| Government | 19% |
Psychologist jobs by industry
The most common industries for psychologists are health care, education and government.
Psychologist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 33% |
| Education | 28% |
| Government | 14% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
Psychologist turnover and employment statistics
Psychologist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for psychologists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Psychologist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Psychologist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.20% |
| 2011 | 1.58% |
| 2012 | 1.40% |
| 2013 | 1.11% |
| 2014 | 1.11% |
| 2015 | 0.77% |
| 2016 | 0.85% |
| 2017 | 0.90% |
| 2018 | 0.44% |
| 2019 | 0.61% |
| 2020 | 0.96% |
| 2021 | 0.92% |
Average psychologist tenure
The average psychologist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 6,549 psychologists resumes in Zippia's database.
Psychologist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 17% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 16% |
Psychologist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of psychologists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Research Economist | 7.51% | 85,025 |
| American Indian Policy Specialist | 10.82% | 6,569 |
| School Psychology Specialist | 11.87% | 21,246 |
| Planner | 13.00% | 15,269 |
| Psychologist | 19.82% | - |
Similar psychologist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Research Economist | 7.51% | 85,025 |
| American Indian Policy Specialist | 10.82% | 6,569 |
| School Psychology Specialist | 11.87% | 21,246 |
| Planner | 13.00% | 15,269 |
Foreign languages spoken by psychologists
The most common foreign language among psychologists is Spanish at 62.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.8% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 5.4%.
- Spanish, 62.3%
- French, 7.8%
- Portuguese, 5.4%
- German, 3.9%
- Russian, 3.0%
- Other, 17.6%
Psychologist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 62.3% |
| French | 7.8% |
| Portuguese | 5.4% |
| German | 3.9% |
| Russian | 3.0% |
| Other | 17.6% |
