Psychologist Salary: Real Numbers

By Author: Rob Roy
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Psychologist Salary: Real Numbers

How much, do you think, psychologists can earn? Quite a lot, I can say! But of course not right after the graduation! What psychologist salary can you expect? And, what is also important, when? Let's try to answer.

Factors Influencing Psychologist Salary

Two keys to high salary of psychologist are degree and experience. Higher degree, more years of experience - and higher earnings! Psychology is quite flexible field, so you can employ your knowledge in many relevant disciplines. Be sure that you won't have any problems finding a job.

So what about psychologist wage? Let's look at data from US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Salary overview on the national level shows that annual psychologist salary is $84.220, as of May 2009. The lowest 10 per cent earn less than $41,070 whereas the highest 10 per cent make more than $117,470 a year. I'm sure you'll be able to reach these highest 10 per cent! As was mentioned above, psychologist salary depends greatly on your degree. So graduate degree holders have wider spectrum of job opportunities and their pay ...
... is way higher as opposed to those with under-grad degrees.

And experience matters as well when it comes to salary of psychologist. Your first job won't pay the highest psychologist salary but may give you a valuable experience. Entry-level jobs are multiple. Students with high academic degrees could start from $25,500. Master's degree holders with 1 year of experience in a relevant field can anticipate $31,200 a year. Psychologist salary for those with Ph.D. or Psy.D. and 1 year of internship is $37,800 on average. And if you have some experience in addition to this qualification you can start at $45,200.

Top Paying Industries

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also lists the industries which offer the highest salary of psychologist.

Offices of Physicians - $109,550
Educational Support Services - $91,980
Scientific Research and Development Services - $91,260
Individual and Family Services - $90,690
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - $89,450

So have you understood where to look for a job?

Top Paying States

Psychologist salary may also vary according to the state you plan to practice in. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics located the highest salary figure of $101,100 in the state of Arizona. Next goes New Hampshire with an average salary of $97,290. California ($96,050) and District of Columbia ($96,040) follow in the list.

Are you inspired by numbers of psychologist wage? All you need to reach these numbers is persistence and hard work.