School Psychologist Salary

School psychologists working in the United States generally report earning salaries in the range from $38,877 to $85,859 a year including bonuses and earnings from profit sharing according to the salary information provided by Payscale.

The basic annual salary for school psychologists is usually in the range from $38,475 to $83,339, the yearly bonuses can amount to up to $3,973, and the reported contributions from profit sharing range from none to $4,069 a year according to Payscale’s salary data.



School psychologists with the certification of Licensed Psychologist generally earn an annual pay in the range from $40,431 to $85,280, and those with a Teacher Certification are usually paid between $42,136 and $99,742 annually.

Professionals with the qualification of National Certified School Counselor (NCSC) earn salaries in the range from $39,171 to $93,558 a year, and those with the qualification of Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) typically report earning a yearly income in the range from $56,500 to $97,000 according to Payscale.

Salary by state

School psychologists’ annual salaries depend on geographical location and can vary significantly from state to state. School psychologists working in Texas are generally paid between $34,521 and $61,559 annually, those based in California typically earn an income in the range from $49,585 to $94,959 a year, and professionals employed in New York usually report earning an annual pay in the range from $39,305 to $93,096.

School psychologists working in Ohio are paid between $35,241 and $74,672 annually, and those employed in Pennsylvania make between $39,840 and $93,329 a year. Professionals based in Illinois earn salaries in the range from $38,255 to $86,417 a year, and those employed in New Jersey typically report earning a yearly income in the range from $38,438 to $79,855 according to the salary figures reported by Payscale.


The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that the states with the highest average annual salary for school psychologists are Rhode Island ($92,580), Hawaii ($90,420), New York ($84,850), New Jersey ($83,870), and Alabama ($80,430).

Based on the BLS salary data, school psychologists employed in California earn $79,520 a year on average, those based in New Mexico make around $67,760 annually, and professionals working in Massachusetts are paid $78,440 a year on average. School psychologists based in Pennsylvania earn around $73,620 a year, those working in Texas are paid $63,100 a year on average, and professionals employed in Illinois earn an average annual pay of $68,100.

Salary by city

School psychologists’ salaries can also vary considerably from city to city. Psychologists based in New York generally report earning an annual income in the range from $34,669 to $83,144, those working in Chicago typically make between $30,201 and $86,417 annually, and professionals employed in Phoenix are usually paid an income in the range from $30,410 to $96,660 a year.

School psychologists based in Atlanta earn salaries in the range from $49,000 to $69,000 a year, and those employed in Los Angeles are typically paid between $61,984 and $84,037 annually. Professionals working in San Diego generally make between $48,000 and $94,248 a year, and those based in Rochester typically report earning an annual pay in the range from $41,933 to $58,000 according to the salary figures provided by Payscale.

Starting salary

The average starting salary for school psychologists in their first year on the job is usually in the range from $30,000 to $61,042 a year according to the salary data provided by Payscale.

Average salary

The average salary for school psychologists employed in the United States is $56,228 a year according to Payscale and $62,000 a year according to the salary information reported by Indeed.



The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a mean annual salary of $72,220 and a median yearly pay of $67,650 for this occupation.

The salary data reported by the BLS reveals that the 10% of the best paid school psychologists earn salaries in the amount of $109,340 a year or more, and the 10% on the lower end of the pay scale are paid $38,450 a year or less. The middle 50% of school psychologists typically earn an annual income in the range from $50,480 to $87,910.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides average annual salaries for school psychologists employed in the following industries: elementary and secondary scholls ($71,730), offices of other health practitioners ($80,760), individual and family services ($64,730), state government (OES Designation, $76,390), outpatient care centers ($67,650), psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals ($74,960), other specialty hospitals ($83,070), educational support services ($67,190), continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly ($92,550), other residential care facilities ($53,130), employment services ($94,290), and scientific research and development services ($83,960).

Benefits

Along with their basic yearly income and annual bonus earnings, school psychologists usually get a wide range of perks and benefits, and these can sometimes reflect their annual salary.

School psychologists who have paid sick leave generally make between $38,469 and $93,852 a year, and those who have paid vacations and holidays are usually paid an income in the range from $34,999 to $92,209 a year. Professionals who have 403(b) plans as part of their benefits package generally earn salaries in the range from $41,466 to $95,385 a year, and those who have life and disability insurance typically make between $40,016 and $84,631 annually.

School psychologists who have 401(k) plans included in their benefits package generally earn an income in the range from $34,732 to $79,282 a year, those who can dress casually at work report making between $40,000 and $94,248 annually, and professionals who get reimbursement for training, education, tuition, or certification are generally paid between $39,321 and $91,926 a year according to the salary figures provided by Payscale.

The most popular benefits and perks among school psychologists are paid sick leave, paid vacation, life and disability insurance, 401(k), 403(b), reimbursement for education, training and certification, and casual dress and atmosphere at work

Salary range

School psychologists’ annual pay depends on a wide range of factors, including work experience. School psychologists with 1 to 4 years of experience generally report earning an annual income in the range from $35,128 to $71,329, and those with 5 to 9 years of work experience under their belt are typically paid between $39,987 and $78,020 annually. Professionals with 10 to 19 years of work experience generally make between $46,299 and $93,843 a year, and those with 20 or more years of professional experience report earning salaries in the range from $50,547 to $106,233 according to the salary figures provided by Payscale.

Women generally report earning an annual income in the range from $39,495 to $81,938 and men typically make between $39,775 and $93,425 a year according to Payscale’s data.

School psychologists’ yearly income also varies depending on skill set and area of specialty. Based on Payscale’s salary data, psychologists who specialize in counseling generally earn salaries in the range from $38,901 to $85,621 a year, those specializing in clinical psychology are usually paid between $39,336 and $93,597 annually, and professionals who specialize in childhood education typically earn an annual pay in the range from $43,236 to $81,389.

School psychologists’ annual salary also depends on industry and can vary considerably from one sector to another. For example, psychologists employed in public K-12 education generally report earning salaries in the range from $36,234 to $82,202 a year, while professionals working in education generally make between $43,624 and $89,948 annually according to Payscale.

School psychologists’ annual wage also depends on their education background and can vary by academic degree. Psychologists with a Doctorate (PhD) generally earn between $46,152 and $86,639 a year. Professionals with a Master of Science in School Psychology typically make between $39,984 and $83,526 annually, and those with a Master of Arts (MA) in School Psychology are paid between $30,000 and $80,929 a year.

Psychologists with a PhD in School Psychology earn between $30,201 and $95,356 annually, and those with a Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology make between $30,201 and $97,957 a year. Specialists in Psychology earn between $38,884 and $51,886 a year, and Specialists in School Psychology earn an income in the range from $37,750 to $84,235 a year.

Professionals with the degree of Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in School Psychology report earning salaries in the range from $35,235 to $82,069 a year, and those with a Master of Education (MEd) in Psychology are generally paid between $50,000 and $81,000 a year according to Payscale’s salary data.

Hourly wage

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a mean hourly wage of $34.72 and a median salary of $32.53 per hour for school psychologists. 10% of school psychologists working in the U.S. earn $52.57 per hour or more, and the 10% on the lower end of the pay scale make $18.49 per hour or more. The middle 50% of school psychologists earn an hourly pay in the range from $24.27 to $42.27 per hour.

Based on Payscale’s salary figures, school psychologists with 1 to 4 years of work experience under their belt typically report earning an hourly wage in the range from $9.91 to $38.78. School psychologists specializing in counseling earn between $10.70 and $43.50 per hour. Those employed in K-12 education make between $11.88 and $76.48 per hour. Professionals employed by schools or school districts earn an hourly pay in the range from $15.90 to $73.33.

Other income factors

School psychologists’ annual income can also vary significantly depending on the type of employer. Psychologists working for schools or school districts generally earn salaries in the range from $38,233 to $83,424 a year, and those employed by the state or local government are usually paid between $38,391 and $87,458 a year. Professionals employed by companies make between $54,045 and $76,302 annually, and those working for non-profit organizations typically report earning an annual pay in the range from $18,383 to $78,297 according to Payscale’s salary statistics.