Psychologist Salary Facts
If you have ambitions to begin school and train to become a
psychologist, or even if you are out of school and searching for a
psychologist job, it's necessary to keep in mind that your choice of
future employer will have a huge impact on the amount of money you can
make.
Fortunately for job seekers, one of the biggest employers of psychologists is also one of the more generous salary providers. Based upon data collected by the BLS, many health offices are paying a psychologist salary of as much as $86,700 annually.
Fortunately for job seekers, one of the biggest employers of psychologists is also one of the more generous salary providers. Based upon data collected by the BLS, many health offices are paying a psychologist salary of as much as $86,700 annually.
Overview:
The Average Psychologist Salary
A psychologist studies both mental processes and human actions by witnessing, understanding and then recording the ways that people and other kinds of animals relate to both one another as well as the environment around them. In order to be successful at this purpose, a psychologist will often see if he can spot specific patterns that are going to help him comprehend and then predict future behavior by utilizing scientific methods, principles and processes to test out any theories that they have. This understanding can be applied to ordinary people, companies, cultures, countries and groups.
One of the points of attraction to being a psychologist is the psychologist salary that comes with the job. Figuring out the average psychologist salary is a complicated matter because it is based on several factors: the number of years of experience, geographical location and employer type to name a few. However it may be helpful to know that the average annual psychologist salary is $72,540 per year or $34.87 an hour. The lowest ten percentile earners in this field are paid $39,010 per annum ($18.76) while the highest earning 10% get $108,670 ($52.24).
Continue reading in order to find out more detailed information all about the psychologist salary, including the most significant factors that are going to dictate just where you would fit in on the psychologist pay scale.
Salary By Employer Type
There is significant good news for those looking for jobs in the field of psychology and who want to be compensated with handsome psychologist salary figures. There are other industries that pay their psychologists even more money than the aforementioned example. The industries of employment services and management of companies and enterprises pay their psychologists, respectively, the most compensation out of any industry type. A psychologist who works in the industry of employment services will earn an average psychologist salary of $96,700, and a psychologist who works in the industry of the management of companies and enterprises will earn an average psychologist salary of $94,210. However, it must be stressed that there are currently only 300 psychologists working in employment services and even fewer (150) who work in the management of companies and enterprises. One industry that only employs 40 psychologists offers high-paying compensation, too, at $86,840. This is the industry of business schools and computer and management training.
Now, there are several other areas of industry in which psychologists can work, but they pay considerably less on average than the industries above. However, a lot more psychologists are actively working in the following industries, which means that your chances of finding gainful employment are a lot easier. For example, if you are a psychologist working in elementary and secondary schools, you will be taking home an annual average psychologist salary of $71,070. There are currently 42,900 psychologists in this industry. The industry of individual and family services possesses 6790 psychologists actively working in the field, and the average mean wage is $69,540. Those psychologists working in state government can expect to make an average psychologist salary of $74,300, and there are currently 5620 people working in this field. In outpatient care centers, psychologists will be earning an annual psychologist salary of $68,670, and there are 4570 psychologists working in this industry today.
Psychologists working in psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals will take home $69,830 per year. 3850 psychologists are today working in this industry. The industry of educational support services has 2000 psychologists who make an average psychologist salary of $66,420 per year. The offices of physicians are another industry that employs 3120 psychologists who, on average, pull in $79,180 a year. The lowest-paying industry among all is the other residential care facilities, whose psychologists earn only $56,080 per year.
Psychologists are compensated based upon the stress and the intensity of the work they perform in their industry of employment. Psychologists who earn around $90,000 (industries of employment services, management of companies and enterprises, and business schools and computer and management training) get this much because the work they perform is highly specialized, which is evidenced in how relatively few psychologists work in these industries. Now, in contrast, psychologists working at places like residential care facilities will not be challenged as much because they are dealing with elderly people, which is why their annual psychologist salary is a lot less.
Salary By Location
The type of employer you have is not the sole determining factor in dictating how much your psychologist salary is going to be. The earning potential that you will have is going to be dictated by the region in which you live and work. In this very important aspect, the state of New Jersey is the highest-paying state of all the states at $91,910 for an annual psychologist salary. Colorado is close behind with $88,930 per year average psychologist salary. In third place is California with $82,770, New York is fourth with $82,300 and Rhode Island is fifth at $79,070.
The highest-paying locations for psychologists are also ranked based upon cities/metropolitan areas. The highest-paying cities/metropolitan areas in terms of the psychologist salary are Montgomery, Alabama at $112,600; Hanford-Corcoran, California at $110,330; Trenton-Ewing, New Jersey at $109,730; Salinas, California at $104,420; Bakersfield, California at $101,970; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California at $100,010; Newark-Union, New Jersey-PA Metropolitan Division at $99,680; Madera, California at $99,550; Boulder, Colorado at $98,720; and Merced, California at $98,620.
Salary By Experience
The psychologist salary is very much influenced by experience, too. In other words, how many years a psychologist has been out of school and already practicing makes a big impact on just how much they can earn at any given phase in his or her career.
For the psychologist who has just started working in the field and only has up to 1 year of experience, he can expect to make $33,010 ($15.87 per hour) on the low end and $75,260 ($36.18 per hour) on the high end. For the psychologist who has between 1 and 5 years of work experience, he can stand to make $39,740 ($19.11 per hour) on the low end and $84,724 ($40.73 per hour) on the high end. For the psychologist who has between 5 and 10 years of experience, he can expect to make $50,830 ($24.44 per hour) on the low end and $101,300 ($48.70 per hour) on the high end. Finally, for the psychologist who has more than 10 years of work experience, he can expect to make $55,800 ($26.83 per hour) on the low end and $120,900 ($58.12 per hour) on the high end.
A psychologist studies both mental processes and human actions by witnessing, understanding and then recording the ways that people and other kinds of animals relate to both one another as well as the environment around them. In order to be successful at this purpose, a psychologist will often see if he can spot specific patterns that are going to help him comprehend and then predict future behavior by utilizing scientific methods, principles and processes to test out any theories that they have. This understanding can be applied to ordinary people, companies, cultures, countries and groups.
One of the points of attraction to being a psychologist is the psychologist salary that comes with the job. Figuring out the average psychologist salary is a complicated matter because it is based on several factors: the number of years of experience, geographical location and employer type to name a few. However it may be helpful to know that the average annual psychologist salary is $72,540 per year or $34.87 an hour. The lowest ten percentile earners in this field are paid $39,010 per annum ($18.76) while the highest earning 10% get $108,670 ($52.24).
Continue reading in order to find out more detailed information all about the psychologist salary, including the most significant factors that are going to dictate just where you would fit in on the psychologist pay scale.
Salary By Employer Type
There is significant good news for those looking for jobs in the field of psychology and who want to be compensated with handsome psychologist salary figures. There are other industries that pay their psychologists even more money than the aforementioned example. The industries of employment services and management of companies and enterprises pay their psychologists, respectively, the most compensation out of any industry type. A psychologist who works in the industry of employment services will earn an average psychologist salary of $96,700, and a psychologist who works in the industry of the management of companies and enterprises will earn an average psychologist salary of $94,210. However, it must be stressed that there are currently only 300 psychologists working in employment services and even fewer (150) who work in the management of companies and enterprises. One industry that only employs 40 psychologists offers high-paying compensation, too, at $86,840. This is the industry of business schools and computer and management training.
Now, there are several other areas of industry in which psychologists can work, but they pay considerably less on average than the industries above. However, a lot more psychologists are actively working in the following industries, which means that your chances of finding gainful employment are a lot easier. For example, if you are a psychologist working in elementary and secondary schools, you will be taking home an annual average psychologist salary of $71,070. There are currently 42,900 psychologists in this industry. The industry of individual and family services possesses 6790 psychologists actively working in the field, and the average mean wage is $69,540. Those psychologists working in state government can expect to make an average psychologist salary of $74,300, and there are currently 5620 people working in this field. In outpatient care centers, psychologists will be earning an annual psychologist salary of $68,670, and there are 4570 psychologists working in this industry today.
Psychologists working in psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals will take home $69,830 per year. 3850 psychologists are today working in this industry. The industry of educational support services has 2000 psychologists who make an average psychologist salary of $66,420 per year. The offices of physicians are another industry that employs 3120 psychologists who, on average, pull in $79,180 a year. The lowest-paying industry among all is the other residential care facilities, whose psychologists earn only $56,080 per year.
Psychologists are compensated based upon the stress and the intensity of the work they perform in their industry of employment. Psychologists who earn around $90,000 (industries of employment services, management of companies and enterprises, and business schools and computer and management training) get this much because the work they perform is highly specialized, which is evidenced in how relatively few psychologists work in these industries. Now, in contrast, psychologists working at places like residential care facilities will not be challenged as much because they are dealing with elderly people, which is why their annual psychologist salary is a lot less.
Salary By Location
The type of employer you have is not the sole determining factor in dictating how much your psychologist salary is going to be. The earning potential that you will have is going to be dictated by the region in which you live and work. In this very important aspect, the state of New Jersey is the highest-paying state of all the states at $91,910 for an annual psychologist salary. Colorado is close behind with $88,930 per year average psychologist salary. In third place is California with $82,770, New York is fourth with $82,300 and Rhode Island is fifth at $79,070.
The highest-paying locations for psychologists are also ranked based upon cities/metropolitan areas. The highest-paying cities/metropolitan areas in terms of the psychologist salary are Montgomery, Alabama at $112,600; Hanford-Corcoran, California at $110,330; Trenton-Ewing, New Jersey at $109,730; Salinas, California at $104,420; Bakersfield, California at $101,970; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California at $100,010; Newark-Union, New Jersey-PA Metropolitan Division at $99,680; Madera, California at $99,550; Boulder, Colorado at $98,720; and Merced, California at $98,620.
Salary By Experience
The psychologist salary is very much influenced by experience, too. In other words, how many years a psychologist has been out of school and already practicing makes a big impact on just how much they can earn at any given phase in his or her career.
For the psychologist who has just started working in the field and only has up to 1 year of experience, he can expect to make $33,010 ($15.87 per hour) on the low end and $75,260 ($36.18 per hour) on the high end. For the psychologist who has between 1 and 5 years of work experience, he can stand to make $39,740 ($19.11 per hour) on the low end and $84,724 ($40.73 per hour) on the high end. For the psychologist who has between 5 and 10 years of experience, he can expect to make $50,830 ($24.44 per hour) on the low end and $101,300 ($48.70 per hour) on the high end. Finally, for the psychologist who has more than 10 years of work experience, he can expect to make $55,800 ($26.83 per hour) on the low end and $120,900 ($58.12 per hour) on the high end.
Certification
Prior to you being allowed to practice as a psychologist, you have to earn your degree. Studying to become a psychologist involves obtaining a doctoral degree, which is applicable mainly to those who wish to work in an independent practice. Psychologists who possess a PhD or a Psy.D (Doctor of Psychology) have a wide range of job options ahead of them in settings that include counseling, clinical, research and teaching environments. Psychologists with this degree type are frequently found in healthcare services, colleges, schools, the government or private industry. If you want a doctoral degree, you are required to devote five, full years of study that will climax in an original-research dissertation. Examples of courses that are helpful for said dissertation include research design and quantitative experimental methods.
If a person wants to work as a school psychologist, he has to get a special degree, though some states will accept people with just a master's degree. A specialist degree for school psychology demands two years of continuous graduate study (60 semester hours) and a one-year internship. If you earn a master's degree, you have a shot at working as an industrial/organizational psychologist. To get this degree, you'll have to devote two years of continuous graduate study. You can also get work if you only have a bachelor's degree in psychology, but you'll likely end up as an assistant to a psychologist with a higher degree. However, if you land a job with the government, you are able to work without an advanced degree.
Psychologists who provide patient care must be licensed or certified to do so in all states plus D.C. Certifications and licensing is different from state to state; states demand that psychologist restrict their practice areas to areas in which they have been professionally trained or have developed experience.
It is recommended that people who want to be psychologists possesses emotional stability, keen insight and good communication skills with all people. Clinical psychologists have to have attributes such as being able to inspire people, being good leaders, showing compassion and showing sensitivity. Research psychologists should have a knack for working alone or with a team.
The American Board of Professional Psychology commemorates professional accomplishments via the handing out of specialty certification in 13 areas. To get said certification, psychologists have to have a state licensure and a doctoral degree. Further, they must also have several years of experience and postdoctoral training.
Employment Prospects
The prospects in this field are basically average, as in as fast as average or 12 percent growth from 2008 to 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Psychologists who will be in greatest demand are those with a doctoral degree in some applied area. Those with only a master's degree will not fare as well, unless they are working in industrial/organizational psychology, where their demand will be driven by the need for companies to retain workers and boost their productivity. Psychologists who only have a bachelor's degree will do the poorest of all because they are only likely to obtain assistant positions in research or high school psychology teaching work.
Career Paths
Your career path will primarily depend on what kind of degree you hold and what specific, applied area of psychology you choose. If your only attain a bachelor's degree, then your career path will likely stall unless you get more advanced degrees. Even if you obtain a master's degree, that still is not enough for much of anything else except a career as an industrial/organizational psychologist, although either of these could potentially lead to more lucrative management positions in a large company.
With a doctoral degree and the appropriate state licensing, many more options for career advancement are available to you. Beyond working as part of a practice or working in a healthcare facility, you could start your own practice and potentially employ other psychologists and healthcare professionals as the business grows.
Beyond that, you can always work towards additional certifications in one of the 13 specified areas according to the American Board of Psychology's standards.
Salary Summary
Psychologists are professionals who study and interpret how people and other animals think and behave. Examples of some of their roles are to predict future behavior and counsel people who have suffered psychological traumas or disorders. Because of the number of years of postgraduate study to advance through this career, psychologists will receive a high-paying psychologist salary that can range from around $38,000 for those just starting out to more than $100,000 for seasoned psychologists with many years of experience. Beyond the handsome psychologist salary that professionals here can earn, the work prospects are very solid as the expected growth rate is in the double-digits.
If you are serious about a career in psychology, you have to develop traits like keen deductive abilities, sharp observational skills, sensitivity, effective communication, emotional stability and great listening prowess. With these traits and the appropriate education, you will have a highly rewarding and secure career path ahead.
Prior to you being allowed to practice as a psychologist, you have to earn your degree. Studying to become a psychologist involves obtaining a doctoral degree, which is applicable mainly to those who wish to work in an independent practice. Psychologists who possess a PhD or a Psy.D (Doctor of Psychology) have a wide range of job options ahead of them in settings that include counseling, clinical, research and teaching environments. Psychologists with this degree type are frequently found in healthcare services, colleges, schools, the government or private industry. If you want a doctoral degree, you are required to devote five, full years of study that will climax in an original-research dissertation. Examples of courses that are helpful for said dissertation include research design and quantitative experimental methods.
If a person wants to work as a school psychologist, he has to get a special degree, though some states will accept people with just a master's degree. A specialist degree for school psychology demands two years of continuous graduate study (60 semester hours) and a one-year internship. If you earn a master's degree, you have a shot at working as an industrial/organizational psychologist. To get this degree, you'll have to devote two years of continuous graduate study. You can also get work if you only have a bachelor's degree in psychology, but you'll likely end up as an assistant to a psychologist with a higher degree. However, if you land a job with the government, you are able to work without an advanced degree.
Psychologists who provide patient care must be licensed or certified to do so in all states plus D.C. Certifications and licensing is different from state to state; states demand that psychologist restrict their practice areas to areas in which they have been professionally trained or have developed experience.
It is recommended that people who want to be psychologists possesses emotional stability, keen insight and good communication skills with all people. Clinical psychologists have to have attributes such as being able to inspire people, being good leaders, showing compassion and showing sensitivity. Research psychologists should have a knack for working alone or with a team.
The American Board of Professional Psychology commemorates professional accomplishments via the handing out of specialty certification in 13 areas. To get said certification, psychologists have to have a state licensure and a doctoral degree. Further, they must also have several years of experience and postdoctoral training.
Employment Prospects
The prospects in this field are basically average, as in as fast as average or 12 percent growth from 2008 to 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Psychologists who will be in greatest demand are those with a doctoral degree in some applied area. Those with only a master's degree will not fare as well, unless they are working in industrial/organizational psychology, where their demand will be driven by the need for companies to retain workers and boost their productivity. Psychologists who only have a bachelor's degree will do the poorest of all because they are only likely to obtain assistant positions in research or high school psychology teaching work.
Career Paths
Your career path will primarily depend on what kind of degree you hold and what specific, applied area of psychology you choose. If your only attain a bachelor's degree, then your career path will likely stall unless you get more advanced degrees. Even if you obtain a master's degree, that still is not enough for much of anything else except a career as an industrial/organizational psychologist, although either of these could potentially lead to more lucrative management positions in a large company.
With a doctoral degree and the appropriate state licensing, many more options for career advancement are available to you. Beyond working as part of a practice or working in a healthcare facility, you could start your own practice and potentially employ other psychologists and healthcare professionals as the business grows.
Beyond that, you can always work towards additional certifications in one of the 13 specified areas according to the American Board of Psychology's standards.
Salary Summary
Psychologists are professionals who study and interpret how people and other animals think and behave. Examples of some of their roles are to predict future behavior and counsel people who have suffered psychological traumas or disorders. Because of the number of years of postgraduate study to advance through this career, psychologists will receive a high-paying psychologist salary that can range from around $38,000 for those just starting out to more than $100,000 for seasoned psychologists with many years of experience. Beyond the handsome psychologist salary that professionals here can earn, the work prospects are very solid as the expected growth rate is in the double-digits.
If you are serious about a career in psychology, you have to develop traits like keen deductive abilities, sharp observational skills, sensitivity, effective communication, emotional stability and great listening prowess. With these traits and the appropriate education, you will have a highly rewarding and secure career path ahead.
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