The BLS mean annual wage for Oregon clinical and counseling psychologists is $129,590 (OEWS May 2025), ranking third in the nation behind Washington and New Jersey, with a median of $134,350. OHSU, the Portland VA, and Kaiser Permanente Northwest anchor demand. PSYPACT membership since 2020 lets Oregon psychologists practice telehealth into 41 other states.
Last verified 12 June 2026 · Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 19-3033, Oregon), Oregon Board of Psychology
$129,590
BLS mean annual wage
$62.30
Mean hourly
540
Clinical psychologists employed
#3
National state rank
Pay by Specialty in Oregon
Specialty premiums compound on top of the Oregon state premium. The numbers below combine BLS state-detail data (where available) with national-specialty multipliers applied to the Oregon state base.
Specialty
Oregon estimate
Notes
Industrial-Organizational
$147,400 mean
BLS SOC 19-3032, May 2025, direct (small sample: 60 jobs); Nike, Intel corporate I-O demand
Neuropsychologist
$140,000 - $170,000
OHSU, Kaiser, Providence neurorehab; OR all-other (19-3039) mean is $100,600
Clinical / Counseling
$134,350 median / $129,590 mean
BLS SOC 19-3033, May 2025, direct
Forensic
$125,000 - $160,000
Oregon State Hospital, court evaluator
School Psychologist
$106,070 median / $110,930 mean
BLS SOC 19-3034, May 2025; PPS top step ~$120K with 15 years tenure
VA Psychologist (GS-13)
$125,000 - $145,000
Portland VA locality is 25.69% (Portland-Vancouver-Salem RUS)
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (Oregon state file), OPM 2026 GS Locality Tables, AACN salary survey, AUCCCD annual report.
Oregon Metro Means (BLS May 2025)
The May 2025 metro data upends the old Portland-premium assumption: Salem and Eugene-Springfield both published above Portland on the clinical mean, though their samples are small (130 and 60 clinical psychologists respectively) and single-employer hiring can move small-metro means sharply between releases.
Area
Mean annual (May 2025)
vs state mean ($129,590)
Salem MSA
$144,240
+11% (small sample: 130 employed)
Eugene-Springfield
$137,620
+6% (small sample: 60 employed)
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
$123,900
-4%; largest market (330 employed), median $122,130
Medford
Not published
BLS suppressed the May 2025 clinical estimate
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metro-area estimates for SOC 19-3033. Bend and the coastal counties have no separately published clinical psychologist wage estimate.
Licensure Path
Oregon Board of Psychology requires a doctoral degree from an APA-accredited program, 3,000 supervised hours (1,500 pre-doc, 1,500 post-doc), a passing EPPP score, and a passing Oregon Jurisprudence Examination. The jurisprudence exam covers Oregon-specific statutes including duty-to-warn (ORS 179.505), child abuse mandatory reporting (ORS 419B.005), and the Oregon-specific informed consent requirements for telehealth.
The Oregon licensure process is generally faster than California (no second clinical exam) but slower than Idaho or Wyoming. Plan on 4 to 6 months from doctoral conferral to active license in hand. Continuing education requirement is 50 hours per two-year cycle, with mandatory cultural-competence and pain-management hours.
What is the average psychologist salary in Oregon?
The BLS reports a mean annual wage of $129,590 for clinical and counseling psychologists in Oregon (May 2025 OEWS), the third-highest of any state in the United States after Washington ($137,530) and New Jersey ($131,590). Hourly equivalent is $62.30, and the Oregon median is $134,350, unusually sitting above the mean. Oregon employs 540 clinical and counseling psychologists plus roughly 1,500 more across the school and all-other categories. The May 2025 metro data upends the old Portland-premium story: Salem ($144,240 mean) and Eugene-Springfield ($137,620) both published above Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro ($123,900), though Portland remains the largest market by headcount.
Why does Oregon pay psychologists so well?
Three structural reasons. First, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) is a major academic medical center that anchors the Portland regional wage benchmark. Second, Kaiser Permanente Northwest operates an integrated behavioral health system that absorbs a large share of the licensed pool at competitive salaries. Third, Oregon is a PSYPACT member as of 2020, so psychologists licensed in Oregon can practice telehealth into 41 other PSYPACT jurisdictions, expanding the addressable client pool. The relative scarcity of doctoral psychologists per capita (roughly 5.3 per 10,000 residents) further supports the wage premium.
How do I become licensed as a psychologist in Oregon?
The Oregon Board of Psychology (OBOP) administers licensure. Requirements: doctoral degree from an APA-accredited program (PhD, PsyD, or EdD); 1,500 hours of pre-doctoral practicum and internship; 1,500 hours of post-doctoral supervised experience; pass the EPPP at the national 500 cut score; pass the Oregon Jurisprudence Examination; submit application with documented supervision attestation. Maintain the license with 50 hours of continuing education every two-year renewal cycle. Oregon participates in PSYPACT (E-Passport and IPC).
Where are the highest-paying employers in Oregon?
OHSU and the Portland VA Health Care System set the benchmark for academic-medical and federal positions, with staff psychologists typically earning $115,000 to $145,000 base before bonus and locality. Kaiser Permanente Northwest staff psychologists earn $125,000 to $155,000 with strong benefits. Providence and Legacy hospital systems pay similarly. Private practice in NW Portland and Lake Oswego supports cash-pay rates of $200 to $300 per session. School psychologists in the Portland Public Schools and Beaverton districts top out around $115,000 to $125,000 at top step.
Is Oregon a PSYPACT state?
Yes. Oregon joined PSYPACT in 2020. Oregon-licensed psychologists who obtain an E-Passport from ASPPB can deliver telehealth services across state lines to clients located in any of the 41 other PSYPACT jurisdictions, which now include Washington, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho and most states east of the Mississippi. This is a meaningful economic advantage versus practising in non-PSYPACT states like California or Hawaii. Oregon psychologists serving high-cost-of-living metro areas via telehealth (e.g., NYC, Boston, DC) can charge above the Oregon market rate.
How does Oregon's cost of living affect the take-home figure?
Oregon has no state sales tax but a state income tax with a top marginal rate of 9.9 percent applied to most professional incomes. Portland metro housing has risen sharply since 2018; median home prices in the Portland MSA run approximately $545,000 (RMLS 2026). A psychologist earning the state mean of $129,590 in Portland has roughly comparable purchasing power to a psychologist earning $103,000 in Phoenix or $98,000 in Indianapolis. The nominal Oregon premium is real but the post-tax post-housing gap is roughly 8 to 12 percent rather than the headline 15 percent.
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