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Licensed psychologist salary
Average licensed psychologist salary
$97,852
Understanding Licensed Psychologist Salaries
The average salary for a licensed psychologist is $97,852 per year, translating to approximately $47 per hour. This figure can vary widely depending on factors such as location, years of experience, and specific areas of practice. For example, psychologists specializing in clinical settings or research may command higher salaries than those in educational roles.
Salary by State
Geographical variations also play a significant role in salary differences. States with a high demand for mental health professionals, such as California and New York, often offer higher wages. Understanding the salary landscape allows potential psychologists to target regions that align with their financial goals.
Experience Levels
Entry-level psychologists typically start at a lower salary, but as they gain experience and further their education, their earning potential increases significantly. Psychologists with advanced degrees or certifications often see a higher return on their investment in education.
By exploring these aspects, aspiring psychologists can make informed decisions about their career paths, ensuring they choose opportunities that not only fulfill their professional aspirations but also meet their financial needs.
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Where can a Licensed Psychologist earn more?
Licensed psychologist salaries by experience level
Licensed psychologist salary estimates from across the web
Average licensed psychologist salary by state
The average licensed psychologist salary in California, Nevada, and Idaho are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average licensed psychologist salary states are West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for licensed psychologists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $148,568 | $71.43 |
| 2 | Washington | $104,412 | $50.20 |
| 3 | Nevada | $115,591 | $55.57 |
| 4 | Idaho | $108,042 | $51.94 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $103,861 | $49.93 |
| 6 | Oregon | $103,970 | $49.99 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $97,444 | $46.85 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $102,452 | $49.26 |
| 9 | Arizona | $95,725 | $46.02 |
| 10 | Delaware | $92,164 | $44.31 |
| 11 | Maine | $107,278 | $51.58 |
| 12 | Texas | $92,248 | $44.35 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $101,163 | $48.64 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $92,217 | $44.34 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $98,354 | $47.29 |
| 16 | Iowa | $86,250 | $41.47 |
| 17 | Michigan | $86,554 | $41.61 |
| 18 | Utah | $91,338 | $43.91 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $87,070 | $41.86 |
| 20 | Kansas | $83,240 | $40.02 |
| 21 | Illinois | $88,698 | $42.64 |
| 22 | Colorado | $91,408 | $43.95 |
| 23 | Virginia | $94,709 | $45.53 |
| 24 | Alaska | $90,803 | $43.66 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $91,665 | $44.07 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $96,130 | $46.22 |
| 27 | New York | $92,225 | $44.34 |
| 28 | Indiana | $86,099 | $41.39 |
| 29 | Missouri | $82,609 | $39.72 |
| 30 | Maryland | $90,039 | $43.29 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $80,120 | $38.52 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $85,051 | $40.89 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $83,182 | $39.99 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $81,254 | $39.06 |
| 35 | Montana | $81,331 | $39.10 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $77,946 | $37.47 |
| 37 | Ohio | $81,847 | $39.35 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $81,248 | $39.06 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $82,007 | $39.43 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $80,102 | $38.51 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $78,841 | $37.90 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $76,730 | $36.89 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $68,862 | $33.11 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $67,339 | $32.37 |
| 45 | Georgia | $76,094 | $36.58 |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | $72,744 | $34.97 |
| 47 | Alabama | $74,177 | $35.66 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $73,118 | $35.15 |
| 49 | Vermont | $76,830 | $36.94 |
| 50 | Florida | $69,607 | $33.46 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $68,621 | $32.99 |
Highest paying cities for licensed psychologists
The highest-paying cities for licensed psychologists are San Francisco, CA, Las Vegas, NV, and Arlington, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $155,482 | $74.75 |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | $116,476 | $56.00 |
| 3 | Arlington, MA | $100,998 | $48.56 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $96,539 | $46.41 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $96,098 | $46.20 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $95,585 | $45.95 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $94,254 | $45.31 |
| 8 | Commack, NY | $92,534 | $44.49 |
| 9 | Freehold, NJ | $92,288 | $44.37 |
| 10 | Hartford, CT | $91,596 | $44.04 |
| 11 | Denver, CO | $91,293 | $43.89 |
| 12 | Orem, UT | $90,911 | $43.71 |
| 13 | Baltimore, MD | $90,235 | $43.38 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $88,924 | $42.75 |
| 15 | Troy, MI | $86,795 | $41.73 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $83,458 | $40.12 |
| 17 | Duluth, MN | $80,360 | $38.63 |
| 18 | Omaha, NE | $78,165 | $37.58 |
| 19 | Duluth, GA | $76,670 | $36.86 |
| 20 | Oklahoma City, OK | $76,657 | $36.85 |
Licensed psychologist salary details
A licensed psychologist's salary ranges from $69,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $137,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a licensed psychologist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $137,000 | $11,417 | $66 |
| 75th Percentile | $117,000 | $9,750 | $56 |
| Average | $97,852 | $8,154 | $47 |
| 25th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| 10th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
Highest paying licensed psychologist jobs
The highest paying types of licensed psychologists are chief psychologist, senior staff psychologist, and psychologist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Fellow | $69,060 | $5,755 | $33.20 | 59,094 |
| Psychotherapist | $69,921 | $5,827 | $33.62 | 20,520 |
| Clinical Psychology Internship | $38,471 | $3,206 | $18.50 | 107,002 |
| Licensed Professional Counselor | $94,675 | $7,890 | $45.52 | 153,612 |
| Clinical Psychologist-Licensed | $96,135 | $8,011 | $46.22 | 83,526 |
| Staff Psychologist | $77,671 | $6,473 | $37.34 | 85,221 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for licensed psychologists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Donald B. Katz Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, Brandeis University
Top companies hiring licensed psychologists now:
Which companies pay licensed psychologists the most?
Licensed psychologist salaries at Acadia Healthcare and Wexford-Missaukee Intermediate School District are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average licensed psychologist salary at companies like Clinical Management Consultants and Universal Health Services are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acadia Healthcare | $106,111 | $51.01 |
| 2 | Wexford-Missaukee Intermediate School District | $96,821 | $46.55 |
| 3 | Clinical Management Consultants | $95,549 | $45.94 |
| 4 | Universal Health Services | $94,462 | $45.41 |
| 5 | Pathways of Pennsylvania | $93,315 | $44.86 |
| 6 | St. Luke's Hospital | $92,607 | $44.52 |
| 7 | Brightside Health | $92,510 | $44.48 |
| 8 | Kona Community Hospital | $92,296 | $44.37 |
| 9 | Thriveworks | $92,170 | $44.31 |
| 10 | ATC Healthcare | $92,100 | $44.28 |
| 11 | Montefiore Health System | $91,984 | $44.22 |
| 12 | Vida Health | $91,721 | $44.10 |
| 13 | Verland Foundation | $90,510 | $43.51 |
| 14 | Legacy Community Health | $89,734 | $43.14 |
| 15 | American Psychological Association | $89,578 | $43.07 |
| 16 | Connecticut Children's Medical Center | $88,822 | $42.70 |
| 17 | Beaumont Health | $87,953 | $42.29 |
| 18 | Deer Oaks Behavioral Health | $87,379 | $42.01 |
| 19 | TLC Plumbing | $87,180 | $41.91 |
| 20 | Mental Health Center | $86,571 | $41.62 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Licensed Psychologist salary by industry
The average licensed psychologist salary varies across industries:
- The average licensed psychologist salary in the health care industry is $89,569, the highest of any industry.
- The average licensed psychologist salary in the finance industry is $85,723.
- Licensed psychologists in the government industry earn an average salary of $63,110, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for licensed psychologists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $89,569 | $43.06 |
| 2 | Professional | $85,723 | $41.21 |
| 3 | Education | $80,041 | $38.48 |
| 4 | Government | $63,110 | $30.34 |
High paying licensed psychologist jobs
Licensed psychologist salary trends
The average licensed psychologist salary has risen by $14,637 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average licensed psychologist earned $83,215 annually, but today, they earn $97,852 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for licensed psychologists over the last decade.
Compare licensed psychologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average licensed psychologist salary over time
Compare licensed psychologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Licensed psychologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $97,900 | $47.04 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | $95,900 | $46.09 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $94,400 | $45.38 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $92,100 | $44.26 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $89,800 | $43.18 | +3.7% |
Recently added licensed psychologist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thriveworks | Licensed Psychologist | Chesapeake, VA | 06/30/2025 | $126,700 |
| Thriveworks | Licensed Psychologist | Knoxville, TN | 06/30/2025 | $132,300 |
| Thriveworks | Licensed Psychologist | Cope, SC | 06/30/2025 | $117,100 |
| Thriveworks | Licensed Psychologist | Huntsville, AL | 06/30/2025 | $132,300 |
| Thriveworks | Licensed Psychologist | Lafayette, IN | 06/30/2025 | $132,300 |
| Thriveworks | Licensed Psychologist | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/30/2025 | $151,100 |
| Thriveworks | Licensed Psychologist | Tigard, OR | 06/30/2025 | $151,100 |
| Thriveworks | Licensed Psychologist | Cambridge, MA | 06/30/2025 | $183,100 |
| Thriveworks | Licensed Psychologist | Anchorage, AK | 06/30/2025 | $151,100 |
| Thriveworks | Licensed Psychologist | Providence, RI | 06/30/2025 | $151,100 |
Licensed psychologist salary FAQs
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