Psychology degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in psychology earn a median $49,968 four years after finishing, across 998 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in psychology earn $50,762, $11,287 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is registered nurses (3%).
Median across 998 colleges; middle half $45,749–$54,887.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $32,994–$72,788. 19,018 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Psychology"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$15,124/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs psychology graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in psychology actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3% | $97,550 | +5.6% | Bachelor's degree | SCI |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 3% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Human Resources Workers | 3% | $76,700 | +6.1% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Social Workers, All Other | 3% | $71,900 | +2.3% | Bachelor's degree | — |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Retail Sales Workers | 2% | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | ECS |
| Teaching Assistants | 2% | $37,010 | +0.0% | — | — |
These 8 jobs account for 22% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Psychology earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $42,756 (14) | $40,809 (155) |
| Arizona | $52,038 (5) | $51,325 (364) |
| Arkansas | $43,144 (12) | $36,756 (135) |
| California | $54,013 (58) | $54,889 (2,988) |
| Colorado | $51,658 (14) | $55,860 (604) |
| Connecticut | $56,960 (20) | $55,839 (262) |
| Delaware | $50,669 (3) | — |
| District of Columbia | $60,654 (6) | — |
| Florida | $49,010 (28) | $47,730 (1,119) |
| Georgia | $45,368 (29) | $47,226 (515) |
| Hawaii | $51,202 (4) | — |
| Idaho | $44,449 (6) | — |
| Illinois | $51,104 (37) | $50,713 (764) |
| Indiana | $46,851 (30) | $45,805 (326) |
| Iowa | $50,877 (17) | $41,979 (124) |
| Kansas | $48,375 (11) | $52,473 (112) |
| Kentucky | $44,848 (15) | $43,012 (192) |
| Louisiana | $43,011 (17) | $41,979 (190) |
| Maine | $48,242 (7) | — |
| Maryland | $54,790 (16) | $52,473 (385) |
| Massachusetts | $54,117 (35) | $56,946 (631) |
| Michigan | $49,596 (23) | $47,730 (421) |
| Minnesota | $52,239 (24) | $55,860 (315) |
| Mississippi | $38,325 (9) | — |
| Missouri | $46,138 (29) | $46,701 (307) |
| Montana | $49,321 (3) | — |
| Nebraska | $50,142 (10) | — |
| Nevada | $51,553 (3) | $48,695 (133) |
| New Hampshire | $55,084 (11) | — |
| New Jersey | $54,516 (24) | $55,860 (772) |
| New Mexico | $44,782 (4) | — |
| New York | $55,175 (72) | $58,094 (1,552) |
| North Carolina | $47,720 (29) | $47,226 (558) |
| North Dakota | $57,832 (4) | — |
| Ohio | $48,258 (52) | $45,686 (524) |
| Oklahoma | $46,983 (13) | $43,656 (137) |
| Oregon | $51,608 (14) | $48,732 (309) |
| Pennsylvania | $49,543 (86) | $48,276 (682) |
| Rhode Island | $57,212 (5) | — |
| South Carolina | $45,469 (19) | $45,127 (224) |
| South Dakota | $49,840 (6) | — |
| Tennessee | $45,700 (25) | $45,343 (345) |
| Texas | $46,827 (50) | $50,762 (1,333) |
| Utah | $51,111 (7) | $47,717 (204) |
| Vermont | $52,697 (4) | — |
| Virginia | $49,922 (32) | $54,991 (594) |
| Washington | $54,357 (17) | $55,860 (521) |
| West Virginia | $45,352 (8) | — |
| Wisconsin | $52,002 (28) | $49,520 (231) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where psychology graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 39 in Florida, 38 in Virginia, 70 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara UniversityCA | $75,742 | $17,667 |
| 2 | Virginia Military InstituteVA | $75,059 | $19,250 |
| 3 | University of San DiegoCA | $74,178 | $24,293 |
| 4 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $70,461 | $14,000 |
| 5 | Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaCA | $70,123 | $26,998 |
| 6 | National UniversityCA | $66,849 | $31,250 |
| 7 | University of San FranciscoCA | $65,071 | $24,315 |
| 8 | University of RichmondVA | $64,584 | $25,500 |
| 9 | Azusa Pacific UniversityCA | $63,963 | $23,406 |
| 10 | Chapman UniversityCA | $63,617 | $21,500 |
| 11 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $62,835 | — |
| 12 | University of VirginiaVA | $62,794 | $19,500 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Psychology degree questions
How much do Psychology graduates make?
Psychology graduates earn a median $49,968 four years after finishing, across 998 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $45,749 to $54,887; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in psychology, the median is $50,762 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Psychology degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in psychology earn a median $50,762: $11,287 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $15,124 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Psychology graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in psychology, the most common jobs are registered nurses (3%), elementary and middle school teachers (3%), human resources workers (3%). Registered Nurses earn a U.S. median $97,550.
How much do Psychology graduates earn in Florida?
Across 28 Florida colleges reporting, Psychology graduates earn a median $49,010 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $47,730.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Psychology degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/psychology.