Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Counseling psychologist salary
Average counseling psychologist salary
$80,294
As of October 2025, the average salary for a counseling psychologist stands at $80,294 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on factors like geographic location, educational background, and years of experience. For instance, counseling psychologists in states such as California and New York typically earn higher salaries than those in regions with a lower cost of living.
In addition, experience plays a crucial role in salary determination. Entry-level psychologists may earn around $60,000, while those with more than ten years of experience can command salaries exceeding $100,000. Specializations in areas like clinical psychology or child psychology may also offer higher compensation opportunities.
To explore salary variations, consider using resources like Zippia, where you can find detailed salary estimates by state and experience level. Staying informed about these trends can help you make strategic decisions about your career path in psychology and optimize your earning potential.
Let Zippia find your next counseling psychologist job
Let Zippia find your next counseling psychologist job
Where can a Counseling Psychologist earn more?
Counseling psychologist salaries by experience level
Counseling psychologist salary estimates from across the web
Average counseling psychologist salary by state
The highest-paying states for counseling psychologists are California, Nevada, and Utah. The lowest average counseling psychologist salary states are North Carolina, Iowa, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for counseling psychologists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $125,030 | $60.11 |
| 2 | Nevada | $122,302 | $58.80 |
| 3 | Delaware | $101,142 | $48.63 |
| 4 | Maryland | $100,585 | $48.36 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $100,995 | $48.56 |
| 6 | Utah | $105,952 | $50.94 |
| 7 | Montana | $99,086 | $47.64 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $100,550 | $48.34 |
| 9 | Alaska | $98,709 | $47.46 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $100,452 | $48.29 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $98,091 | $47.16 |
| 12 | Ohio | $97,761 | $47.00 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $99,638 | $47.90 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $94,402 | $45.39 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $92,867 | $44.65 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $98,114 | $47.17 |
| 17 | Colorado | $96,795 | $46.54 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $94,420 | $45.39 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $87,485 | $42.06 |
| 20 | Oregon | $83,776 | $40.28 |
| 21 | Vermont | $95,452 | $45.89 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $79,302 | $38.13 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $93,597 | $45.00 |
| 24 | New York | $79,381 | $38.16 |
| 25 | Missouri | $91,598 | $44.04 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $86,078 | $41.38 |
| 27 | Washington | $77,689 | $37.35 |
| 28 | Arizona | $71,391 | $34.32 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $79,502 | $38.22 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $84,622 | $40.68 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $66,913 | $32.17 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $66,020 | $31.74 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $69,488 | $33.41 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $73,671 | $35.42 |
| 35 | Idaho | $73,127 | $35.16 |
| 36 | Illinois | $64,734 | $31.12 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $64,691 | $31.10 |
| 38 | Michigan | $71,990 | $34.61 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $65,841 | $31.65 |
| 40 | Indiana | $65,669 | $31.57 |
| 41 | Texas | $68,746 | $33.05 |
| 42 | Virginia | $68,420 | $32.89 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $67,235 | $32.32 |
| 44 | Maine | $65,568 | $31.52 |
| 45 | Georgia | $62,109 | $29.86 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $65,340 | $31.41 |
| 47 | Minnesota | $65,165 | $31.33 |
| 48 | Iowa | $63,451 | $30.51 |
| 49 | Florida | $58,501 | $28.13 |
| 50 | Kansas | $62,167 | $29.89 |
| 51 | Alabama | $57,381 | $27.59 |
Highest paying cities for counseling psychologists
The highest-paying cities for counseling psychologists are Berkeley, CA, Reno, NV, and Provo, UT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley, CA | $140,412 | $67.51 |
| 2 | Reno, NV | $128,535 | $61.80 |
| 3 | Provo, UT | $106,264 | $51.09 |
| 4 | Columbia, MD | $100,654 | $48.39 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $100,485 | $48.31 |
| 6 | Holyoke, MA | $100,123 | $48.14 |
| 7 | Aurora, CO | $96,433 | $46.36 |
| 8 | Fargo, ND | $94,444 | $45.41 |
| 9 | Saint Louis, MO | $92,057 | $44.26 |
| 10 | Medford, OR | $89,832 | $43.19 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $79,601 | $38.27 |
| 12 | New Brunswick, NJ | $79,580 | $38.26 |
| 13 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $73,710 | $35.44 |
| 14 | Ann Arbor, MI | $71,969 | $34.60 |
| 15 | Mesa, AZ | $71,484 | $34.37 |
| 16 | Pocatello, ID | $70,190 | $33.75 |
| 17 | Philadelphia, PA | $69,720 | $33.52 |
| 18 | Huntsville, TX | $68,378 | $32.87 |
| 19 | Minneapolis, MN | $65,247 | $31.37 |
| 20 | Chicago, IL | $64,933 | $31.22 |
Counseling psychologist salary details
A counseling psychologist's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $116,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a counseling psychologist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $116,000 | $9,667 | $56 |
| 75th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| Average | $80,294 | $6,691 | $39 |
| 25th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying counseling psychologist jobs
The highest paying types of counseling psychologists are psychologist, clinical psychologist, and senior staff psychologist, counseling service.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychologist | $97,803 | $8,150 | $47.02 | 12,516 |
| School Psychologist | $78,431 | $6,536 | $37.71 | 25,457 |
| Clinical Psychologist | $97,659 | $8,138 | $46.95 | 69,762 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for counseling psychologists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Terry Pettijohn Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, Gupta College of Science
Top companies hiring counseling psychologists now:
Which companies pay counseling psychologists the most?
Counseling psychologist salaries at Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego and University of California, Berkeley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average counseling psychologist salary at companies like UC Santa Barbara and Pico de Gallo are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $94,837 | $45.59 |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $89,862 | $43.20 |
| 3 | UC Santa Barbara | $86,854 | $41.76 |
| 4 | Pico de Gallo | $85,212 | $40.97 |
| 5 | University of California | $85,166 | $40.95 |
| 6 | Talkspace | $85,023 | $40.88 |
| 7 | The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | $85,023 | $40.88 |
| 8 | Brightside Health | $85,000 | $40.87 |
| 9 | UCI Health | $79,865 | $38.40 |
| 10 | Universal Health Services | $75,331 | $36.22 |
| 11 | St. Vincent's Services, Inc. | $74,811 | $35.97 |
| 12 | The Institute for Family Health | $74,599 | $35.86 |
| 13 | HealthTrust | $74,492 | $35.81 |
| 14 | Wediko Children's Services | $73,540 | $35.36 |
| 15 | University of Michigan | $73,188 | $35.19 |
| 16 | Rutgers University | $72,859 | $35.03 |
| 17 | UC Merced | $71,536 | $34.39 |
| 18 | Northern Illinois University | $71,241 | $34.25 |
| 19 | University of Houston | $69,315 | $33.32 |
| 20 | University of Illinois Springfield | $68,661 | $33.01 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Counseling psychologist salary trends
The average counseling psychologist salary has risen by $12,011 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average counseling psychologist earned $68,283 annually, but today, they earn $80,294 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for counseling psychologists over the last decade.
Compare counseling psychologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average counseling psychologist salary over time
Compare counseling psychologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Counseling psychologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $80,300 | $38.60 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $78,700 | $37.82 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $77,400 | $37.23 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $75,500 | $36.32 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | $73,700 | $35.44 | +3.7% |
Recently added counseling psychologist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island College | Psychologist, Counseling Center | Providence, RI | 06/10/2025 | $88,000 |
| ADHD & Autism Psychological | Clinical/Counseling Psychologist | Utica, NY | 05/25/2025 | $70,000 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Psychologist-Readjustment Counselor (Temporary NOT To Exceed | Toledo, OH | 04/25/2025 | $114,962 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Psychologist-Veterans Readjustment Counselor | Washington, DC | 04/23/2025 | $88,428 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Psychologist-Veterans Readjustment Counselor | Capitola, CA | 04/17/2025 | $92,433 |
| Connecticut College | Counselor/Psychologist | New London, CT | 04/13/2025 | $65,000 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Psychologist-Veterans Readjustment Counselor | Biloxi, MS | 03/25/2025 | $85,270 |
| Private Investigator Wellingborough | Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychologist-Learning Disability & Autism | Northampton, MA | 02/19/2025 | $58,581 |
| University of Michigan | Counseling Psychologist | Ann Arbor, MI | 02/19/2025 | $75,300 |
| Job Clerk Ltd. | Hi-Cbt Therapists, Psychotherapist or Clinical/Counselling Psychologist | Hawaii | 02/19/2025 | $65,328 |
Counseling psychologist salary FAQs
Search for counseling psychologist jobs