Earnings for Psychologists

How much do psychologists earn each year? Learn more about some of the typical salaries for different specialty areas.

Image courtesy Otaviano Chignolli

How much does a psychologist typically earn? While wages vary considerably based on specialty area and employment sector, you can learn more about salary averages from information provided in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

The areas of clinical, counseling and school psychology represent three of the largest employment areas within psychology. As of May 2008, the median annual salary for clinical, counseling and school psychologists was $64,140.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the middle 50 percent of psychologists employed in these three areas earned between $48,700 and $82,800. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,900, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $106,840.

Salaries can vary depending upon many factors including the specific industry in which a psychologist is employed. The Occupational Outlook Handbook reports the following median annual earnings for clinical, counseling and school psychologists employed in the different industries:

Outpatient care centers - $59,130Individual and family services - $57,440Elementary and secondary schools - $65,710Offices of other health practitioners - $68,400State government - $63,710

Industrial-organizational psychology is one of the fastest growing specialty areas, with an expected 26 percent increase in jobs through the year 2018. In May 2008, median annual earnings of industrial-organizational psychologists were $77,010. The middle 50 percent earned between $54,100 and $115,720. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $38,690, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $149,120.

The U.S. Department of Labor also reports that in 2008, approximately 31-percent of all psychologists belonged to a union.

Learn more about psychologist salaries in this article on the average salaries for different psychology careers.

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Reference: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Psychologists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos056.htm

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