School Psychologist Salary
School Psychologists earn a median $95,990 a year nationally. Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
U.S. median
$95,990
$46.15 per hour
Range
$63,070 – $142,330
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
63,940
across the U.S.
School Psychologist take-home pay calculator
Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.
Your take-home pay
$76,359
per year · effective tax rate 20.5%
$6,363Monthly
$3,182Twice a month
$2,937Every 2 weeks
$36.71Hourly
- Federal income tax$12,288
- Social Security (6.2%)$5,951
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,392
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$76,359
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state
Pay by experience
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home (no state tax) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $63,070 | $30.32 | $52,857 |
| 25th percentile | $77,470 | $37.25 | $63,330 |
| Median (50th) | $95,990 | $46.15 | $76,359 |
| 75th percentile | $120,310 | $57.84 | $93,468 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $142,330 | $68.43 | $108,549 |
Best cities for school psychologists (after tax & cost of living)
| # | Metro area | Median | Take-home | Real value* | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside, CA | $139,400 | $95,999 | $90,189 | 760 |
| 2 | Denver, CO | $129,340 | $94,687 | $89,512 | 770 |
| 3 | Sacramento, CA | $131,920 | $91,679 | $85,947 | 460 |
| 4 | San Diego, CA | $131,070 | $91,189 | $81,501 | 850 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $115,570 | $90,133 | $81,104 | 750 |
| 6 | Baltimore, MD | $114,520 | $84,299 | $80,679 | 570 |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $130,540 | $90,882 | $78,609 | 680 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $117,540 | $85,625 | $76,068 | 7,890 |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA | $122,390 | $86,176 | $75,882 | 3,060 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $99,110 | $74,033 | $73,990 | 1,300 |
| 11 | Cincinnati, OH | $89,290 | $69,972 | $73,369 | 550 |
| 12 | Washington, DC | $106,550 | $77,700 | $71,360 | 1,590 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $93,640 | $72,573 | $70,244 | 840 |
| 14 | Miami, FL | $100,750 | $79,708 | $69,824 | 590 |
| 15 | Houston, TX | $84,850 | $68,522 | $69,474 | 1,300 |
| 16 | San Antonio, TX | $80,920 | $65,757 | $69,426 | 560 |
| 17 | Worcester, MA | $93,090 | $69,884 | $68,165 | 480 |
| 18 | Boston, MA | $98,670 | $73,531 | $67,917 | 2,340 |
| 19 | Dallas, TX | $84,200 | $68,065 | $66,025 | 930 |
| 20 | Chicago, IL | $90,620 | $68,240 | $65,872 | 2,770 |
| 21 | Detroit, MI | $85,050 | $65,299 | $65,105 | 660 |
| 22 | Minneapolis, MN | $87,510 | $65,966 | $62,931 | 780 |
| 23 | Philadelphia, PA | $82,190 | $64,127 | $62,530 | 1,690 |
| 24 | Rochester, NY | $73,050 | $56,873 | $58,611 | 590 |
*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Highest-paying cities
- Riverside, CA — $139,400
- Sacramento, CA — $131,920
- San Diego, CA — $131,070
- San Francisco, CA — $130,540
- Denver, CO — $129,340
- Los Angeles, CA — $122,390
- New York, NY — $117,540
- Seattle, WA — $115,570
- Baltimore, MD — $114,520
- Washington, DC — $106,550
- Miami, FL — $100,750
- Atlanta, GA — $99,110
- Boston, MA — $98,670
- Phoenix, AZ — $93,640
- Worcester, MA — $93,090
School Psychologist salary by state
| State | Median | Take-home | Range | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $127,780 | $89,289 | $97,200 – $160,170 | 8,340 |
| Colorado | $124,770 | $91,765 | $88,090 – $161,570 | 1,380 |
| New Mexico | $110,360 | $82,392 | $83,980 – $165,830 | 630 |
| Maryland | $109,700 | $81,149 | $64,360 – $138,250 | 1,520 |
| Washington | $108,780 | $85,357 | $82,600 – $139,110 | 1,420 |
| District of Columbia | $107,500 | $78,287 | $83,470 – $164,380 | 250 |
| New York | $106,550 | $78,542 | $67,160 – $148,790 | 9,070 |
| Oregon | $106,070 | $74,999 | $83,710 – $146,320 | 570 |
| Connecticut | $100,600 | $75,644 | $68,350 – $126,170 | 1,140 |
| Georgia | $99,110 | $74,033 | $61,980 – $132,740 | 1,650 |
| Massachusetts | $98,670 | $73,531 | $65,990 – $135,280 | 3,300 |
| Delaware | $95,990 | $71,365 | $68,270 – $124,830 | 280 |
| New Jersey | $95,160 | $71,903 | $72,700 – $127,910 | 2,130 |
| Rhode Island | $94,900 | $72,650 | $59,640 – $107,360 | 210 |
| Alaska | $94,460 | $75,283 | $67,140 – $104,160 | 120 |
| Nevada | $93,680 | $74,734 | $72,250 – $136,160 | 290 |
| Arizona | $92,380 | $71,719 | $66,920 – $121,700 | 1,100 |
| Ohio | $91,010 | $71,135 | $61,100 – $122,660 | 2,050 |
| Nebraska | $88,980 | $68,258 | $66,420 – $125,050 | 440 |
| Virginia | $85,670 | $64,987 | $63,130 – $132,800 | 1,200 |
| Minnesota | $85,190 | $64,492 | $61,530 – $113,330 | 1,060 |
| Florida | $84,760 | $68,459 | $62,320 – $107,540 | 2,020 |
| Illinois | $84,690 | $64,362 | $62,620 – $127,640 | 3,590 |
| Michigan | $83,960 | $64,578 | $57,480 – $118,560 | 1,480 |
| Wyoming | $83,740 | $67,741 | $60,500 – $111,690 | 120 |
| Texas | $83,690 | $67,706 | $67,650 – $116,180 | 4,250 |
| Wisconsin | $83,330 | $64,417 | $60,660 – $129,380 | 1,180 |
| Vermont | $82,820 | $64,088 | $61,940 – $105,920 | 180 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,190 | $64,127 | $62,550 – $118,440 | 2,600 |
| Hawaii | $82,110 | $61,884 | $77,190 – $92,750 | 90 |
| Maine | $81,650 | $61,928 | $66,960 – $118,450 | 120 |
| Montana | $80,010 | $61,957 | $59,520 – $101,380 | 170 |
| South Dakota | $78,370 | $63,963 | $65,930 – $127,310 | 110 |
| Utah | $77,820 | $61,040 | $60,400 – $109,980 | 490 |
| Indiana | $77,640 | $61,189 | $56,260 – $105,290 | 710 |
| Tennessee | $76,850 | $62,894 | $53,290 – $102,400 | 900 |
| South Carolina | $76,720 | $59,356 | $52,340 – $104,450 | 720 |
| Kentucky | $75,370 | $59,332 | $61,550 – $113,760 | 590 |
| West Virginia | $75,220 | $59,057 | $58,690 – $99,610 | 250 |
| Alabama | $75,060 | $58,147 | $68,710 – $104,720 | 370 |
| Iowa | $74,410 | $59,002 | $45,130 – $99,720 | 400 |
| New Hampshire | $73,490 | $60,530 | $38,680 – $98,850 | 360 |
| North Carolina | $73,220 | $57,928 | $58,510 – $91,970 | 1,540 |
| Kansas | $73,020 | $56,925 | $60,620 – $95,810 | 630 |
| Idaho | $71,700 | $56,579 | $51,630 – $101,040 | 310 |
| Missouri | $70,290 | $55,913 | $57,290 – $100,410 | 520 |
| Louisiana | $69,020 | $55,701 | $58,260 – $100,940 | 670 |
| North Dakota | $68,960 | $57,258 | $52,690 – $84,660 | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $64,930 | $51,975 | $39,080 – $104,190 | 510 |
| Arkansas | $64,030 | $51,344 | $31,770 – $81,110 | 440 |
| Mississippi | $61,070 | $49,539 | $46,470 – $78,180 | — |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a school psychologist make?
The national median salary for school psychologists is $95,990 a year ($46.15 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $63,070 and the top 10% earn over $142,330. Source: BLS, May 2025.
Which state pays school psychologists the most?
California has the highest median pay at $127,780. After taxes and local prices, Riverside, CA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.
How many school psychologists are there in the U.S.?
About 63,940 people work as school psychologists nationwide.