How much does a Psychologist make?

The national average salary for a Psychologist is $79,070 per year in United States. Filter by location to see a Psychologist salaries in your area. Salaries estimates are based on 2386 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Psychologist employees.

The highest salary for a Psychologist in United States is $128,020 per year.

The lowest salary for a Psychologist in United States is $48,837 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Psychologist or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Psychologist.

Psychologists are well compensated, often earning six-figure salaries. This pay level reflects both the advanced degrees required for their work and the rising demand for the services of mental health professionals. Psychologist pay is expected to only grow over the next decade, as the trend towards mental health awareness continues. Psychologists who work for the government or in a private practice typically earn higher salaries than those who work for elementary or secondary schools.

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In anonymous data gathered by Glassdoor, 73% of psychologists express satisfaction with their salaries. Many psychologists may earn a relatively high salary after about five years in the profession, with higher pay for those who complete subspecialty certifications.

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Psychologists can reach the maximum compensation of $139,599.11 after earning a lot of experience in the profession. This is a significant increase from a minimum of $52,506.76 over the course of your career. You may be able to increase your earnings above the average by practicing in a high cost-of-living area or working for government and hospital employers rather than in the school or clinic setting.

Learn more about negotiating salaries from thousands of other real professionals

Certifications from the American Psychology Association allow you to specialize in high-paying practice areas, increasing your value to employers and boosting your salary. These lucrative opportunities include credentials in industrial-organizational psychology, clinical neuropsychology, clinical health psychology, clinical psychology, couple and family psychology, and forensic psychology. You can also continue your education to become a psychiatrist, which can substantially increase your earnings. While psychologists primarily engage in therapy with their patients, psychiatrists have medical degrees and can prescribe medications. Research, publishing, consulting, and other avenues can also raise your psychologist's salary above the average for your geographic area.

When searching for psychology jobs, negotiating skills can result in a much higher salary. Prepare for the interview by reviewing salary information for psychologists in your specialty area and location. You can use these numbers to set your expectations. Most negotiation experts recommend starting with a target number, then adding about 20% so you have room to adjust. You should also emphasize how your past experience can bring value to your employer. For example, you could say "in my previous role as a school therapist, I improved outcomes for at-risk students based on established measures, increasing the graduation rate by 10%."