What the occupation covers
Diagnose and implement individual or schoolwide interventions or strategies to address educational, behavioral, or developmental issues that adversely impact educational functioning in a school. May address student learning and behavioral problems and counsel students or families. May design and implement performance plans, and evaluate performance. May consult with other school-based personnel.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 19-3034.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $63,070 | $5,256 | $1,213 | $30.32 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $77,470 | $6,456 | $1,490 | $37.25 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $95,990 | $7,999 | $1,846 | $46.15 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $120,310 | $10,026 | $2,314 | $57.84 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $142,330 | $11,861 | $2,737 | $68.43 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for School Psychologists is $95,990, which is 88% higher. Among the 48 occupations of the field Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks number 20 by median pay. With 63,940 jobs, it makes up about 4.1 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
School Psychologists pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($127,780), Colorado ($124,770) and New Mexico ($110,360). The lowest was in Mississippi ($61,070), Arkansas ($64,030) and Oklahoma ($64,930). The most jobs were in New York (9,070), California (8,340) and Texas (4,250). The occupation is most concentrated in New York, where its share of all jobs is 2.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 8,340 | $127,780 | $127,830 | $61.43 |
| Colorado | 1,380 | $124,770 | $124,220 | $59.98 |
| New Mexico | 630 | $110,360 | $115,950 | $53.06 |
| Maryland | 1,520 | $109,700 | $111,560 | $52.74 |
| Washington | 1,420 | $108,780 | $112,640 | $52.30 |
| District of Columbia | 250 | $107,500 | $115,760 | $51.68 |
| New York | 9,070 | $106,550 | $112,460 | $51.22 |
| Oregon | 570 | $106,070 | $110,930 | $50.99 |
| Connecticut | 1,140 | $100,600 | $98,100 | $48.37 |
| Georgia | 1,650 | $99,110 | $94,070 | $47.65 |
| Massachusetts | 3,300 | $98,670 | $100,640 | $47.44 |
| Puerto Rico | 810 | $97,210 | $93,320 | $46.74 |
| Delaware | 280 | $95,990 | $92,310 | $46.15 |
| New Jersey | 2,130 | $95,160 | $99,570 | $45.75 |
| Rhode Island | 210 | $94,900 | $91,350 | $45.62 |
| Alaska | 120 | $94,460 | $91,810 | $45.42 |
| Nevada | 290 | $93,680 | $96,920 | $45.04 |
| Arizona | 1,100 | $92,380 | $92,220 | $44.42 |
| Ohio | 2,050 | $91,010 | $92,600 | $43.76 |
| Nebraska | 440 | $88,980 | $92,260 | $42.78 |
| Virginia | 1,200 | $85,670 | $93,390 | $41.19 |
| Minnesota | 1,060 | $85,190 | $88,600 | $40.96 |
| Florida | 2,020 | $84,760 | $87,970 | $40.75 |
| Illinois | 3,590 | $84,690 | $93,700 | $40.72 |
| Michigan | 1,480 | $83,960 | $86,920 | $40.36 |
| Wyoming | 120 | $83,740 | $87,810 | $40.26 |
| Texas | 4,250 | $83,690 | $88,680 | $40.24 |
| Wisconsin | 1,180 | $83,330 | $87,770 | $40.06 |
| Vermont | 180 | $82,820 | $86,270 | $39.82 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,600 | $82,190 | $87,220 | $39.51 |
| Hawaii | 90 | $82,110 | $87,100 | $39.48 |
| Maine | 120 | $81,650 | $89,820 | $39.25 |
| Montana | 170 | $80,010 | $80,090 | $38.47 |
| South Dakota | 110 | $78,370 | $83,490 | $37.68 |
| Utah | 490 | $77,820 | $81,120 | $37.42 |
| Indiana | 710 | $77,640 | $80,540 | $37.33 |
| Tennessee | 900 | $76,850 | $77,390 | $36.95 |
| South Carolina | 720 | $76,720 | $77,900 | $36.89 |
| Kentucky | 590 | $75,370 | $80,220 | $36.24 |
| West Virginia | 250 | $75,220 | $76,850 | $36.16 |
| Alabama | 370 | $75,060 | $78,560 | $36.09 |
| Iowa | 400 | $74,410 | $72,460 | $35.77 |
| New Hampshire | 360 | $73,490 | $69,880 | $35.33 |
| North Carolina | 1,540 | $73,220 | $73,080 | $35.20 |
| Kansas | 630 | $73,020 | $74,220 | $35.11 |
| Idaho | 310 | $71,700 | $74,700 | $34.47 |
| Missouri | 520 | $70,290 | $74,370 | $33.79 |
| Louisiana | 670 | $69,020 | $74,650 | $33.18 |
| North Dakota | 90 | $68,960 | $68,500 | $33.15 |
| Oklahoma | 510 | $64,930 | $70,610 | $31.22 |
| Arkansas | 440 | $64,030 | $61,640 | $30.78 |
| Mississippi | not published | $61,070 | $62,350 | $29.36 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Atmospheric and Space Scientists$99,070 a year
- Biological Scientists, All Other$98,920 a year
- Hydrologists$96,600 a year
- Life Scientists, All Other$93,750 a year
- Chemists$91,240 a year
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$90,150 a year
Common questions
How much do School Psychologists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $95,990 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $63,070 and the highest-paid 10% more than $142,330.
How many people work as School Psychologists?
About 63,940 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.