School Psychologists: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $77,470–$120,310. 63,940 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
100% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $71,068.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 3,400 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 65% | Psychology |
| Educational Psychology | 6% | — |
| Criminal Justice And Fire Protection | 2% | Criminal Justice · Security / Homeland Security |
| Family And Consumer Sciences | 2% | Human Development and Family Studies · Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services |
| Biology | 2% | Biology |
| General Education | 2% | Education |
| Elementary Education | 1% | — |
| Miscellaneous Psychology | 1% | Psychology (Research) · Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) |
| General Business | 1% | Business |
| Social Work | under 1% | Social Work |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| California | $127,780 |
| Colorado | $124,770 |
| New Mexico | $110,360 |
| Maryland | $109,700 |
| Washington | $108,780 |
| District of Columbia | $107,500 |
| New York | $106,550 |
| Oregon | $106,070 |
| Connecticut | $100,600 |
| Georgia | $99,110 |
| Massachusetts | $98,670 |
| PR | $97,210 |
| Delaware | $95,990 |
| New Jersey | $95,160 |
| Rhode Island | $94,900 |
| Alaska | $94,460 |
| Nevada | $93,680 |
| Arizona | $92,380 |
| Ohio | $91,010 |
| Nebraska | $88,980 |
| Virginia | $85,670 |
| Minnesota | $85,190 |
| Florida | $84,760 |
| Illinois | $84,690 |
| Michigan | $83,960 |
| Wyoming | $83,740 |
| Texas | $83,690 |
| Wisconsin | $83,330 |
| Vermont | $82,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,190 |
| Hawaii | $82,110 |
| Maine | $81,650 |
| Montana | $80,010 |
| South Dakota | $78,370 |
| Utah | $77,820 |
| Indiana | $77,640 |
| Tennessee | $76,850 |
| South Carolina | $76,720 |
| Kentucky | $75,370 |
| West Virginia | $75,220 |
| Alabama | $75,060 |
| Iowa | $74,410 |
| New Hampshire | $73,490 |
| North Carolina | $73,220 |
| Kansas | $73,020 |
| Idaho | $71,700 |
| Missouri | $70,290 |
| Louisiana | $69,020 |
| North Dakota | $68,960 |
| Oklahoma | $64,930 |
| Arkansas | $64,030 |
| Mississippi | $61,070 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$100,750
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$85,870
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$83,350
- Jacksonville$79,830
- Lakeland-Winter Haven$59,330
- Port St. Lucie$84,150
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$88,520
- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent$83,320
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$106,550
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$86,510
- Richmond$82,440
- Roanoke$75,550
- Charlottesville$80,900
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$122,390
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$131,070
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$139,400
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$130,540
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$131,920
- Fresno$123,920
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$130,520
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$129,610
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge used
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
Work styles
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Sincerity
People in this job tend to have Social (helping), Investigative (analytical), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
School Psychologists: questions
How much do school Psychologists make?
School Psychologists earn a U.S. median $95,990 a year; the middle half earn $77,470 to $120,310 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $71,068 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is school Psychologists a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 0.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,400 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a school Psychologist?
BLS lists the typical entry education as master's degree. In O*NET's survey, 100% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is psychology (65%).
How much do school Psychologists make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $84,760 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $95,990 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 19-3034. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “School Psychologists: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/school-psychologists.