Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) degree: salary, jobs & colleges

Bachelor's graduates in psychology (clinical / counseling) earn a median $52,771 four years after finishing, across 59 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in miscellaneous psychology earn $53,067, $8,982 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is social workers, all other (4%).

Graduates, 4 years out
$52,771

Median across 59 colleges; middle half $46,512–$60,589.

College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)

All workers ages 25-34 with this degree
$53,067

Middle half $35,797–$79,431. 496 survey respondents.

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Miscellaneous Psychology"; EducationGuide calculation

Compared with
  • All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
  • High school, 25-34$35,638
  • This degree vs high school+$17,429/yr

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school

Median federal debt at graduation
$27,000

Median across colleges reporting.

College Scorecard field of study

Jobs psychology (clinical / counseling) graduates hold

What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in miscellaneous 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.

JobShare of graduatesU.S. median wageJobs growth 2025-35Typical entryInterests
Social Workers, All Other4%$71,900+2.3%Bachelor's degree—
Other Managers3%————
Registered Nurses3%$97,550+5.6%Bachelor's degreeSCI
Elementary And Middle School Teachers3%$64,170-0.4%——
Preschool And Kindergarten Teachers3%$43,780+3.7%——
Food Service Managers3%$69,390+5.8%High school diploma or equivalentECR
Accountants And Auditors2%$83,680+5.0%Bachelor's degreeCEI
Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive2%$47,540-6.0%High school diploma or equivalentCES

These 8 jobs account for 23% 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 (Clinical / Counseling) 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.

StateGraduates, 4 yrs (colleges)Ages 25-34 (respondents)
California$59,531 (6)—
Georgia$40,621 (3)—
Indiana$54,118 (4)—
Massachusetts$57,190 (4)—
New York$58,501 (7)—
Pennsylvania$55,928 (6)—

College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.

Colleges where psychology (clinical / counseling) graduates earn the most

In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 8 in Florida, 2 in Virginia, 16 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.

College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.

Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) degree questions

How much do Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) graduates make?

Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) graduates earn a median $52,771 four years after finishing, across 59 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $46,512 to $60,589; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in miscellaneous psychology, the median is $53,067 (Census ACS 2020-2024).

Is a Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) degree worth it?

At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in miscellaneous psychology earn a median $53,067: $8,982 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $17,429 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.

What jobs do Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) graduates get?

Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in miscellaneous psychology, the most common jobs are social workers, all other (4%), other managers (3%), registered nurses (3%). Social Workers, All Other earn a U.S. median $71,900.

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
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Cite this: “Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/psychology-clinical-counseling.