Summarize

Psychologist Salary in USA

Psychologist salary data in USA from BLS OEWS 2025, with median pay, fresher range, intermediate range, senior range, mean salary, and source notes.

Median annual salary

$59,350

BLS OEWS 2025

25th percentile

$47,100

Lower market anchor

75th percentile

$76,530

Upper market anchor

Mean annual salary

$64,440

Average published wage

Salary Explorer

Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.

View salary

Selected estimate

Intermediate range for Psychologist in USA

$47,100 to $76,530

This is the 25th to 75th percentile. It uses salary percentiles, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.

Salary Range by Experience

These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.

Median salary

$59,350

Fresher

10th to 25th percentile

BLS

From

$38,940

to

To

$47,100

Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.

Intermediate

25th to 75th percentile

BLS

From

$47,100

to

To

$76,530

Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.

Senior

75th to 90th percentile

BLS

From

$76,530

to

To

$97,590

Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.

Fresher salary answer

Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare psychologist offers in United States against $38,940 to $47,100.

Intermediate salary answer

Intermediate candidates can compare psychologist offers in United States against $47,100 to $76,530.

Senior salary answer

Senior candidates can compare psychologist offers in United States against $76,530 to $97,590.

How USA Salaries Compare With Major Cities for This Role

USA is the national BLS estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, so candidates can compare national pay with city hiring markets.

Mean annual salary

San Francisco

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$82,100

Seattle

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

$77,520

Denver

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

$71,840

Washington DC

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

$71,360

Austin

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX

$71,150

Chicago

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

$70,180

New York

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

$68,560

Boston

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

$67,030

Dallas

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

$65,610

USA

United States estimate

$64,440

How Psychologist Salaries Compare With Other Roles

This chart compares psychologist pay in USA with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.

Mean annual salary

Physician

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

Psychiatrist

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

Surgeon

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

CIO

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

CTO

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

Engineering Manager

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

IT Manager

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

VP of Engineering

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

Dentist

Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021

$191,350

Psychologist

Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, SOC 21-1018

$64,440

Salary Snapshot

The median annual salary for psychologists in United States is $59,350. The middle market range runs from $47,100 at the 25th percentile to $76,530 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $38,940to $97,590.

MeasureValueHow to read it
10th percentile$38,940Lower published wage point
25th percentile$47,100Common lower market anchor
Median$59,350Middle of the BLS wage range
75th percentile$76,530Upper market anchor
90th percentile$97,590High published wage point

Source Notes

This page maps Psychologist to BLS occupation Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, SOC 21-1018. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.

This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, SOC 21-1018, as the public wage source for Psychologist.

BLS area
United States
Employment estimate
491,930

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median psychologist salary in United States?

The median annual salary for psychologists in United States is $59,350, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors.

How much can fresher psychologist candidates expect in United States?

Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For psychologists in United States, that range is $38,940 to $47,100. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.

What is the intermediate psychologist salary range in United States?

Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For psychologists in United States, that range is $47,100 to $76,530.

What do senior psychologist candidates earn in United States?

Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For psychologists in United States, that range is $76,530 to $97,590.

Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?

No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.

How should I use these salary percentiles?

Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.

Why does this page use Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors instead of only Psychologist?

BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Psychologist to Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, SOC 21-1018, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.

How fresh is this USA salary data?

The snapshot uses BLS OEWS 2025, generated from public BLS series. Refresh the snapshot when BLS publishes a newer annual release.

Adithyan RKWritten by Adithyan RK
Surya N
Fact-checked by Surya N
Published on: 27 Apr 2026Last updated: 16 Jun 2026
Share: