School Psychologists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for school psychologistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $99,160 ≈ $48/hr
National median salary $95,990
Total employment 63,940 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +0.7%
Slower than average
Annual openings 3,800 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 67,200 → 67,700 (+500)
Typical entry education Master's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$127,830
- Colorado$124,220
- New Mexico$115,950
- District of Columbia$115,760
- Washington$112,640
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$61,640
- Mississippi$62,350
- North Dakota$68,500
- New Hampshire$69,880
- Oklahoma$70,610
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $127,830 | $127,780 | $61 | +28.9% | 8,340 |
| 2 | Colorado | $124,220 | $124,770 | $60 | +25.3% | 1,380 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $115,950 | $110,360 | $56 | +16.9% | 630 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $115,760 | $107,500 | $56 | +16.7% | 250 |
| 5 | Washington | $112,640 | $108,780 | $54 | +13.6% | 1,420 |
| 6 | New York | $112,460 | $106,550 | $54 | +13.4% | 9,070 |
| 7 | Maryland | $111,560 | $109,700 | $54 | +12.5% | 1,520 |
| 8 | Oregon | $110,930 | $106,070 | $53 | +11.9% | 570 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $100,640 | $98,670 | $48 | +1.5% | 3,300 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $99,570 | $95,160 | $48 | +0.4% | 2,130 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $98,100 | $100,600 | $47 | -1.1% | 1,140 |
| 12 | Nevada | $96,920 | $93,680 | $47 | -2.3% | 290 |
| 13 | Georgia | $94,070 | $99,110 | $45 | -5.1% | 1,650 |
| 14 | Illinois | $93,700 | $84,690 | $45 | -5.5% | 3,590 |
| 15 | Virginia | $93,390 | $85,670 | $45 | -5.8% | 1,200 |
| 16 | Ohio | $92,600 | $91,010 | $45 | -6.6% | 2,050 |
| 17 | Delaware | $92,310 | $95,990 | $44 | -6.9% | 280 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $92,260 | $88,980 | $44 | -7% | 440 |
| 19 | Arizona | $92,220 | $92,380 | $44 | -7% | 1,100 |
| 20 | Alaska | $91,810 | $94,460 | $44 | -7.4% | 120 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $91,350 | $94,900 | $44 | -7.9% | 210 |
| 22 | Maine | $89,820 | $81,650 | $43 | -9.4% | 120 |
| 23 | Texas | $88,680 | $83,690 | $43 | -10.6% | 4,250 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $88,600 | $85,190 | $43 | -10.6% | 1,060 |
| 25 | Florida | $87,970 | $84,760 | $42 | -11.3% | 2,020 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $87,810 | $83,740 | $42 | -11.4% | 120 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $87,770 | $83,330 | $42 | -11.5% | 1,180 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $87,220 | $82,190 | $42 | -12% | 2,600 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $87,100 | $82,110 | $42 | -12.2% | 90 |
| 30 | Michigan | $86,920 | $83,960 | $42 | -12.3% | 1,480 |
| 31 | Vermont | $86,270 | $82,820 | $41 | -13% | 180 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $83,490 | $78,370 | $40 | -15.8% | 110 |
| 33 | Utah | $81,120 | $77,820 | $39 | -18.2% | 490 |
| 34 | Indiana | $80,540 | $77,640 | $39 | -18.8% | 710 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $80,220 | $75,370 | $39 | -19.1% | 590 |
| 36 | Montana | $80,090 | $80,010 | $39 | -19.2% | 170 |
| 37 | Alabama | $78,560 | $75,060 | $38 | -20.8% | 370 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $77,900 | $76,720 | $37 | -21.4% | 720 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $77,390 | $76,850 | $37 | -22% | 900 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $76,850 | $75,220 | $37 | -22.5% | 250 |
| 41 | Idaho | $74,700 | $71,700 | $36 | -24.7% | 310 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $74,650 | $69,020 | $36 | -24.7% | 670 |
| 43 | Missouri | $74,370 | $70,290 | $36 | -25% | 520 |
| 44 | Kansas | $74,220 | $73,020 | $36 | -25.2% | 630 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $73,080 | $73,220 | $35 | -26.3% | 1,540 |
| 46 | Iowa | $72,460 | $74,410 | $35 | -26.9% | 400 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $70,610 | $64,930 | $34 | -28.8% | 510 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $69,880 | $73,490 | $34 | -29.5% | 360 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $68,500 | $68,960 | $33 | -30.9% | 90 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $62,350 | $61,070 | $30 | -37.1% | — |
| 51 | Arkansas | $61,640 | $64,030 | $30 | -37.8% | 440 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 279 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Centro, CA | $145,400 | $141,360 | 50 |
| 2 | Boulder, CO | $143,020 | $142,700 | 110 |
| 3 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $139,400 | $135,230 | 760 |
| 4 | Merced, CA | $133,230 | $127,050 | 90 |
| 5 | North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $131,980 | $129,320 | 50 |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $131,920 | $127,440 | 460 |
| 7 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $131,070 | $124,580 | 850 |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,540 | $135,970 | 680 |
| 9 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $130,520 | $137,350 | 260 |
| 10 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $129,610 | $130,050 | 220 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing school psychologistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other Schools and Instruction | $161,470 | $139,920 | — |
| 2 | Social Assistance | $148,780 | $134,900 | — |
| 3 | Child Care Services | $148,780 | $142,820 | — |
| 4 | Offices of Physicians | $148,060 | $134,790 | — |
| 5 | Sector 62 - Health Care and Social Assistance | $135,910 | $119,660 | 4,180 |
| 6 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $135,690 | $141,850 | — |
| 7 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $135,690 | $141,850 | — |
| 8 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $111,240 | $107,940 | 40 |
| 9 | Junior Colleges, Local Government Owned | $108,670 | $104,600 | 60 |
| 10 | Administrative and Support Services | $108,430 | $109,760 | 1,160 |
| 11 | Sector 56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $108,430 | $109,760 | 1,160 |
| 12 | Educational Support Services, Privately Owned | $108,310 | $118,810 | 810 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do school psychologists make in the U.S.?
The median school psychologists salary in the United States is $95,990 per year (mean $99,160), and about 80% earn between $63,070 and $142,330.
How much do school psychologists make per hour?
Roughly $48 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $99,160 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays school psychologists the most?
California has the highest average pay for school psychologists at $127,830 per year (median $127,780).
What is the job outlook for school psychologists?
Employment is projected to change +0.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 3,800 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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