Direct source explainer
BLS Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Median Annual Wage May 2024
The headline number: $96,100 median annual wage for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (SOC 19-3033), per the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release. The mean is $106,850. This page explains where the number comes from, what it includes and excludes, and how it compares to other psychology pay benchmarks.
Last verified 20 May 2026 · Source: BLS OEWS May 2024 release, published March 2025
$96,100
SOC 19-3033 median annual wage
$106,850
SOC 19-3033 mean annual wage
$46.20
Median hourly equivalent
71,730
Total national employment
All Four Psychology SOC Codes
| SOC Code | Title | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19-3032 | Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | $139,280 | $147,420 | 1,720 |
| 19-3033 | Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $96,100 | $106,850 | 71,730 |
| 19-3034 | School Psychologists | $84,940 | $87,150 | 60,840 |
| 19-3039 | Psychologists, All Other (neuropsych, forensic, health, etc.) | $117,580 | $124,170 | 18,790 |
| Total psychology workforce (4 SOCs) | 153,080 | |||
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 release dated March 2025.
Percentile Distribution (SOC 19-3033)
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $54,860 | $26.38 |
| 25th | $72,140 | $34.68 |
| 50th (median) | $96,100 | $46.20 |
| 75th | $124,510 | $59.86 |
| 90th | $157,330 | $75.64 |
The 90th-10th ratio of 2.87 indicates moderate wage dispersion. The largest single drivers of intra-occupation dispersion are specialty (I-O and neuropsych skew the upper tail), state (NJ vs MS is a 2x state-mean ratio), and setting (academic medical center senior staff vs community mental health entry).
Top-Paying Industries (SOC 19-3033)
| NAICS | Industry | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|
| 541610 | Management Consulting Services | $133,400 |
| 5417 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $128,710 |
| 6111 | Elementary and Secondary Schools | $87,140 |
| 6112-6113 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $112,830 |
| 6213 | Offices of Other Health Practitioners (private practice) | $108,470 |
| 6214 | Outpatient Care Centers | $104,520 |
| 622 | Hospitals (state, local, private) | $108,990 |
| 9221 | Government (federal, including VA) | $113,290 |
NAICS industry mean wages from BLS OEWS May 2024. Note: BLS OEWS does NOT capture self-employed psychologists, which is the largest single gap in BLS coverage of the psychology profession. Self-employed private practice psychologist median is typically $25,000 to $45,000 higher than BLS captured private-practice-employee figures.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BLS clinical and counseling psychologists median annual wage for May 2024?
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 release reports the median annual wage for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (SOC 19-3033) as $96,100. The mean annual wage is $106,850. The hourly equivalents are $46.20 median and $51.37 mean. Total national employment in this SOC category is 71,730. The 10th to 90th percentile range runs $54,860 to $157,330, indicating substantial dispersion driven by state, setting, specialty, and experience. The data was released in March 2025 with reference period of May 2024.
What is the BLS median for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists?
BLS reports Industrial-Organizational Psychologists (SOC 19-3032) median annual wage of $139,280 for May 2024. The mean is $147,420. The percentile range runs $71,470 at 10th percentile to $210,030+ at 90th percentile. Total employment is 1,720, the smallest of the three psychology SOC categories reflecting both the specialized credentialing and the higher private-sector concentration (many I-O practitioners work for companies in roles that BLS classifies under business or HR rather than under psychology). The BLS I-O figure systematically understates total compensation in this specialty because BLS reports base salary only and excludes stock and bonus, which often account for 30 to 50 percent of total comp for I-O psychologists in tech and consulting.
What does Psychologists, All Other (SOC 19-3039) include?
Psychologists, All Other (SOC 19-3039) is the catch-all BLS category covering psychologists who do not fit the Clinical/Counseling (19-3033), Industrial-Organizational (19-3032), or School (19-3034) categories. It includes neuropsychologists, forensic psychologists, health psychologists, sport psychologists, rehabilitation psychologists, social psychologists, developmental psychologists, experimental psychologists, and others. The May 2024 BLS median annual wage for SOC 19-3039 is $117,580. Mean is $124,170. Total employment is 18,790. The 19-3039 category captures most of the specialty premium positions and is often a more meaningful benchmark than 19-3033 for psychologists with a specific subspecialty credential.
What is the BLS median for School Psychologists?
BLS reports School Psychologists (SOC 19-3034) median annual wage of $84,940 for May 2024. The mean is $87,150. The percentile range runs $51,670 at 10th percentile to $131,470 at 90th percentile. Total employment is 60,840, the largest of the four psychology SOC categories. The relatively narrow percentile range reflects the dominance of public-school employment with standardized salary scales. The BLS figure is broadly comparable to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) 2024 salary survey median of $86,200, which is reported separately and uses a different methodology.
Where does the BLS data come from?
BLS OEWS is a federal survey of approximately 200,000 employers conducted by state workforce agencies on behalf of BLS. Each year's data is the combination of six semi-annual collection waves, providing a rolling three-year average that is then anchored to the reference month (May 2024 release uses panels from May 2022, November 2022, May 2023, November 2023, May 2024). This methodology trades currentness for sample stability. Self-employed workers (including a substantial fraction of private-practice psychologists) are NOT included in OEWS. This is the principal reason BLS psychology medians appear lower than self-employed-inclusive surveys like the APA Practice Organization private practice study.
How does BLS data compare to APA salary survey data?
APA salary surveys (most recent comprehensive APA Center for Workforce Studies 2022 release) capture self-employed psychologists and report higher medians than BLS. APA's median for full-time licensed psychologists is approximately $112,000 versus BLS SOC 19-3033 at $96,100. The gap reflects BLS exclusion of self-employed practitioners (where median income runs $125,000 to $165,000 for full-caseload private practitioners) plus APA's narrower sample frame of licensed psychologists at the doctoral level. Both data sources are credible. BLS is the better source for cross-occupational comparison and government benchmark use. APA is the better source for in-profession career planning.