How much money do psychologists earn in the United States of America?

A summary of what psychologists earn in the USA, according to various criteria.

The psychologist's profession has been increasingly valued and better paid, thanks to the fact that governments have started to become more aware and give more importance to mental health. However, in many countries the situation is not very favorable for our employment and many young people are considering migrating.

Some are considering going to other European or Latin American countries, due to cultural and geographical proximity, but many are considering going to North America. But, how much money do psychologists earn in the United States of America? This is the question that we are going to solve next, providing data extracted from the very same census of the USA.

How much do psychologists earn in the USA?

In recent years, society and governments have become increasingly aware of the importance of mental health, valuing more and more the figure of the psychologist and understanding that it is a very useful and necessary profession for all kinds of fields. Clinical psychologists, educational psychologists, organizational psychologists, neuropsychologists and many other branches of behavioral science are becoming more and more important in a myriad of fields.

But, unfortunately, this does not mean that there is a significant percentage of psychologists who have just finished their studies who are faced with an unfavorable employment panorama, in which they are either not hired because they do not yet have the necessary experience or they are given jobs, but very poorly paid and not in what they wanted to work in. Faced with such a situation, it is inevitable to consider the possibility of going abroad to try their luck.

Apart from Europe and Latin America, one of the places where many Spaniards and Latin Americans consider traveling to see if they can get a job is the United States. With its good things and its bad things, the nation of the stars and stripes seems to be one of the places where psychologists are best paid, although it is also a place where psychologists can find a job.However, it must also be said that it is a country where university salaries are higher and the standard of living is also more expensive. In any case, it seems that the work of psychologists is well rewarded there.

What does it mean to be a psychologist in the United States?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a psychologist in the United States is a professional who must be sufficiently trained and licensed to perform the following actions:

• Conduct scientific research and studies on human behavior and cognitive, brain and emotional functions.
• Investigate and differentiate individual and collective behavioral patterns.
• Identify and diagnose psychological, emotional and behavioral problems.
• Interview and observe individuals analyzing their behavioral traits.
• Test theories and patterns to explain and predict behaviors, emotions and attitudes.
• Counsel patients about treatments for their disorders.
• Report on their findings and participate in outreach activities.
• Supervise other professionals in areas of the study of human behavior.

Also, according to the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), there are more than 15 specialties in the country, there are more than 15 recognized specialties in the field of psychology in the country.. Among the most demanded are

• Clinical Psychology
• Organizational Psychology
• Psychological counseling
• Cognitive developmental psychology
• Forensic psychology
• Neuropsychology
• School counseling psychologist
• Rehabilitation psychology
• Sports psychologists

As in any other country, in the United States, the United States a demanding academic training is required to practice psychology, requiring a bachelor's degree in psychology, specialization and graduate studies.. Most states require a license to practice psychology. In some areas, such as clinical psychology, a doctorate in psychology, an internship of one to two years of supervised professional experience, and passing the psychology professional practice exam are required.

Exactly how much do they earn? Psychologist compensation in the U.S.

On average, psychologists in the United States earn about $39.51 per hour and about $82,180 per year, although this can vary depending on many variables. The salary will depend, among other things, on the field of psychology to which the professional is dedicated, the type of service, the treatments, the institution in which he/she works, the degree of prestige of the professional and even in which of the 48 states that make up the country he/she works.

1. According to years of experience

Psychologists who have just finished their studies and are entering the working world have an income of $50,000 per year.. Those who have been working for 1 to 4 years have higher salaries, earning $60,000 annually, and those who have been working for 5 to 9 years earn $70,000.

Those with 10 to 19 years of experience receive annual earnings of $88,000. Finally, those with 20 years of experience practicing psychology have average earnings of $92,000 per year.

2. According to specialization

According to data obtained by BLS, the annual salary for clinical and school psychologists was $89,290 in May 2020 with an average hourly wage of $42.93.. Psychologists in the 10th percentile (the lowest paid 10%) had hourly earnings of $22.31 and annual earnings of $46,410, while those in the 90th percentile earned hourly earnings of $66.61 and $138,550 annually.

In the case of industrial psychologists, they earned on average $54.18 per hour and $112,690 annually. Those in the 10th percentile earned $27.61 per hour and $57,440 per year, while those in the 90th percentile earned $92.69 per hour and $192,800 per year.

3. By region

The United States is a very large country and this means that there is a big difference in terms of opportunities depending on the state where we go. According to the BLS itself, the states with the highest employment rates among clinical and school psychologists are California, New York, Texas, Illinois and Florida, while for industrial and organizational psychologists the places with the highest employment are California, Virginia, Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

However, if we focus on compensation and taking BLS data collected in May 2020 (latest update), the places to work in the field of clinical and school psychology where these professions are best paid are:

• California ($55.69 per hour; $115,830 per year)
• Hawaii ($53.26 per hour; $110,780 per year)
• Louisiana ($ 52.49 per hour; $ 109,180 per year)
• Oregon ($ 51.92 per hour; $ 108,000 per year)
• District of Columbia ($51.41 per hour; $106,920 per year)

The top five highest paying states for the organizational psychologist profession are:

• California ($57.26 per hour; $119,100 per year)
• New Jersey ($51.24 per hour; $106,570 per year)
• Ohio ($47.49 per hour; $98,770 per year)
• Pennsylvania ($45.68 per hour; $95,000 per year)
• Texas ($ 31.17 per hour; $ 64,820 per year)

Narrowing it down and going by metropolitan areasThe places where clinical and educational psychologists charge the most (session and annual respectively) are:

• Santa Rosa, California: $66.61, $138,550.
• Jefferson City, Missouri: $ 64.25, $ 133,640
• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California: $ 60.10, $ 125,020
• San Diego-Carlsbad, California: $58.41, $121,490
• Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California: $58.09, $120,830
• Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Oregon-Washington: $ 58.01, $ 120,660
• San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, California: $ 57.38, $ 119,350
• Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii: $56.75, $118,050
• Modesto, California: $56.71, $117,960
• Napa, California: $56.66, $117,860

With respect to the scope of organizations, the BLS only lists the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan area, which includes the states of Maryland, Virginia and Virginia. the states of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia in addition to Washington D.C. In this area the average organizational psychologist is paid $83.06 per session and $172,770 annually.

By place of work

Finally, among the variables that influence how much a psychologist earns in the United States, we have the place of work, whether it is related to clinical psychology, educational psychology, organizations or any other branch. Below we present the list according to the type of center and how much is earned per hour and per year in the U.S.:

• Individual and family services: $ 40.39, $ 84,000
• Medical facilities: $ 47.88, $ 99,590
• Outpatient health services: $52.45, $109,100
• Elementary and secondary schools: $ 38.93, $ 80,960
• Detoxification and psychiatric clinics: $ 43.33, $ 90,130
• Educational support services: $ 38.70, $ 80,500
• Day care services: $ 50.80, $ 105,670
• Scientific research and development services: $ 72.55, $ 150,910
• Universities and professional schools: $50.22, $104,470
• Management, scientific and technical consulting: $ 47.52, $ 98,840
• Government institutions, excluding schools and hospitals: $ 41.57, $ 86,460

Salaries in perspective

U.S. salaries for psychology professionals are high when compared to other countries, such as Spain, Mexico and Canada, but it must be said that everything still depends on the experience factor as well as the specialization, the region where you live and the demand for psychologists. If we go south of the U.S. border, salaries in Mexico are around 1,677,000 Mexican pesos ($84,000), and if we travel north to Canada, the salary ranges from $64,500 to $160,000 per year..

In the United States, as we have already mentioned, the experience factor has a huge influence, with the salary of recently graduated psychologists being around $50,000, but which is still higher if we compare it with the case of Spain where if you are lucky you can be paid between 18,000 and 47,800 € per year ($21,500-$57,000) depending a lot on experience and training.

Bibliographic references:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Psychologists, en https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm (visitado el 15 de Abril, 2021).