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Senior staff psychologist salary

Quoted expert
Terry Pettijohn Ph.D.

Average senior staff psychologist salary

$99,313

$47.75 hourly rate

Entry-level senior staff psychologist salary
$68,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding the Senior Staff Psychologist Salary

The average salary for a Senior Staff Psychologist in the United States is approximately $99,313 annually, equating to about $48 per hour. However, this figure can vary based on several factors including geographic location, years of experience, and the industry in which one works.

Salary Variation by State

For example, states like California and New York tend to offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for mental health services. In addition, metropolitan areas often provide competitive compensation packages compared to rural regions.

Career Advancement Opportunities

Senior Staff Psychologists have numerous opportunities for career growth, including roles in higher education, clinical supervision, or specialized practices. With the continuous demand for mental health professionals, pursuing advanced certifications can further enhance earning potential.

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Where can a Senior Staff Psychologist earn more?

Compare salary by location
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Columbus, OH$159,113
Goldsboro, NC$73,221
Compare salary by company
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Workday$120,703
Oakland County, Michigan Government$73,923

Average senior staff psychologist salary by state

The average senior staff psychologist salary in California, Nevada, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior staff psychologist salary states are Vermont, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for senior staff psychologists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1California$151,851$73.01
2Nevada$118,033$56.75
3Washington$117,507$56.49
4Maine$104,364$50.17
5Rhode Island$101,305$48.70
6Oregon$101,347$48.72
7Idaho$109,454$52.62
8Maryland$99,393$47.79
9New Mexico$100,163$48.16
10Virginia$104,428$50.21
11Utah$91,976$44.22
12Connecticut$97,048$46.66
13Colorado$95,968$46.14
14New Hampshire$95,929$46.12
15Ohio$89,100$42.84
16Wisconsin$98,100$47.16
17North Dakota$100,460$48.30
18New York$92,225$44.34
19Arizona$86,297$41.49
20Florida$89,526$43.04
21District of Columbia$90,329$43.43
22Indiana$83,159$39.98
23Arkansas$83,718$40.25
24Delaware$89,005$42.79
25Missouri$83,360$40.08
26Alaska$92,031$44.25
27Illinois$80,471$38.69
28Pennsylvania$76,929$36.99
29Louisiana$79,363$38.16
30New Jersey$81,637$39.25
31Iowa$83,345$40.07
32Minnesota$80,602$38.75
33Kansas$81,492$39.18
34Texas$79,566$38.25
35Massachusetts$76,969$37.00
36Montana$80,379$38.64
37Hawaii$80,343$38.63
38South Dakota$80,797$38.84
39Wyoming$80,396$38.65
40Mississippi$80,937$38.91
41Michigan$77,965$37.48
42Kentucky$78,428$37.71
43Vermont$74,786$35.95
44Georgia$75,320$36.21
45Oklahoma$76,655$36.85
46Nebraska$75,829$36.46
47North Carolina$72,190$34.71
48Tennessee$71,628$34.44
49Alabama$62,151$29.88
50West Virginia$70,358$33.83
51South Carolina$62,818$30.20

Highest paying cities for senior staff psychologists

The highest-paying cities for senior staff psychologists are Soledad, CA, Eugene, OR, and Annapolis, MD.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Soledad, CA$159,113$76.50
2Eugene, OR$102,197$49.13
3Annapolis, MD$99,572$47.87
4Hartford, CT$97,067$46.67
5Denver, CO$95,762$46.04
6New York, NY$92,338$44.39
7Columbus, OH$88,773$42.68
8Fort Lauderdale, FL$88,199$42.40
9Phoenix, AZ$87,107$41.88
10Lubbock, TX$83,152$39.98
11Chicago, IL$80,687$38.79
12Minneapolis, MN$80,614$38.76
13Bozeman, MT$79,981$38.45
14Pontiac, MI$78,143$37.57
15Boston, MA$76,996$37.02
16Atlanta, GA$75,575$36.33
17Goldsboro, NC$73,221$35.20

Senior staff psychologist salary details

A senior staff psychologist's salary ranges from $68,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $143,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average senior staff psychologist salary graph
Average senior staff psychologist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a senior staff psychologist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$143,000$11,917$69
75th Percentile$120,000$10,000$58
Average$99,313$8,276$48
25th Percentile$81,000$6,750$39
10th Percentile$68,000$5,667$33

Highest paying senior staff psychologist jobs

The highest paying types of senior staff psychologists are chief psychologist, licensed psychologist, and psychologist.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Clinical Fellow$69,060$5,755$33.2059,094
Clinical Psychology Internship$38,471$3,206$18.50107,002
Clinical Psychologist-Licensed$96,135$8,011$46.2283,526
Psychologist$97,803$8,150$47.0212,516
Child Psychologist$78,743$6,562$37.8622,815
Licensed Psychologist$97,852$8,154$47.0424,645

How would you rate the starting salaries for senior staff psychologists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Terry Pettijohn Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology, Gupta College of Science

While psychology graduates do not always earn high salaries as business and other specialized fields, psychology graduates do vital and rewarding work. In response to COVID-19, psychology is predicted to see job growth to meet the demand for an increased need for mental health services and other psychological skills. There will be plenty of new positions studying human behavior and mental health and finding ways to apply psychology to encourage mentally and physically healthy behaviors in a post-COVID-19 world.

Which companies pay senior staff psychologists the most?

Senior staff psychologist salaries at Workday and Charles Schwab are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior staff psychologist salary at companies like Bio-Rad Laboratories and UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Workday$120,703$58.03
2Charles Schwab$105,524$50.73
3Bio-Rad Laboratories$102,334$49.20
4UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS$96,742$46.51
5California Dept Rehabilitation$94,848$45.60
6DENTSPLY IH$94,848$45.60
7eHealth$91,896$44.18
8University of California-Berkeley$90,039$43.29
9UCI Health$89,511$43.03
10Booz Allen Hamilton$88,680$42.63
11American Psychological Association$88,183$42.40
12Northwell Health$85,639$41.17
13Oakland, New Jersey$85,281$41.00
14Simpson Gumpertz & Heger$83,616$40.20
15Wheeler Clinic$82,437$39.63
16Hennepin Healthcare$81,882$39.37
17Youth Focus$78,652$37.81
18Crowe$77,465$37.24
19Boston College$77,302$37.16
20Oakland County, Michigan Government$73,923$35.54

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$101,000$100,200$99,400$98,600$97,800$97,000
MaleFemale

Senior Staff Psychologist salary by industry

The average senior staff psychologist salary varies across industries:

  • The average senior staff psychologist salary in the telecommunication industry is $92,154, the highest of any industry.
  • The average senior staff psychologist salary in the finance industry is $91,925.
  • Senior staff psychologists in the government industry earn an average salary of $62,608, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for senior staff psychologists

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Telecommunication$92,154$44.30
2Health Care$91,925$44.19
3Professional$77,467$37.24
4Government$62,608$30.10

High paying senior staff psychologist jobs

Senior staff psychologist salary trends

The average senior staff psychologist salary has risen by $14,856 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior staff psychologist earned $84,457 annually, but today, they earn $99,313 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for senior staff psychologists over the last decade.

Compare senior staff psychologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average senior staff psychologist salary over time

Compare senior staff psychologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Senior staff psychologist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$99,300$47.75+2.0%
2024$97,300$46.78+1.5%
2023$95,800$46.05+2.5%
2022$93,400$44.92+2.4%
2021$91,200$43.83+3.7%

Recently added senior staff psychologist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Northwell HealthSenior Psychologist-Trauma CenterGlen, NY06/05/2025$121,200
University Health SystemSenior Staff PsychologistSan Antonio, TX05/29/2025$96,000
State of North CarolinaSenior Psychologist I-Temporary SolutionsRaleigh, NC05/28/2025$104,350
Maimonides Medical CenterSR Staff PsychologistNew York, NY05/24/2025$139,829
Boston CollegeStaff/Senior Staff Psychologist or Staff/Senior Staff Social WorkerBoston, MA04/10/2025$92,320
NYU Langone HospitalsSR. Psychologist, PH.D. or Psy.D.-NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, Monday-FNew York, NY03/30/2025$115,000
Northwell HealthSenior PsychologistNew York, NY03/18/2025$121,200
New York City Health and Hospitals CorporationPsychologist SeniorNew York03/14/2025$118,450
Boston CollegeStaff/Senior Staff Psychologist or Staff/Senior Staff Social WorkerBoston, MA03/07/2025$92,320
Hennepin HealthcarePsychologist-SR Clinical (Adult) Incentive; Excellent BenefitsMinneapolis, MN02/19/2025$112,000

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