Psychologists

Detailed Occupation

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2017 Workforce

156k

Average Age

46.4

Average Salary

$69,458

Average Male Salary

$85,369

Average Female Salary

$63,168

About

Psychologists are most often employed by the Elementary & secondary schools industry. The average yearly wage for Psychologists was $69,458 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Psychologists by wage are Physical therapists, Miscellaneous plant & system operators, and Agents & business managers of artists, performers, & athletes.

Psychologists are part of the Life, physical, & social science occupations, along with Agricultural & food scientists, Biological scientists, Conservation scientists & foresters, Medical scientists, & life scientists, all other, Astronomers & physicists, and 17 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Psychologists are Newton City & Brookline Town PUMA, MA, Upper West Side & West Side PUMA, NY, and Philadelphia City (Center City) PUMA, PA. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Psychologists are Newton City & Brookline Town PUMA, MA, Philadelphia City (Center City) PUMA, PA, and Berkeley & Albany Cities PUMA, CA.

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Psychologists and on wages and locations for those in the field. Elementary & secondary schools is the industry that employs the most Psychologists, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Psychologists, by average wage, is Management, scientific & technical consulting services. Psychologists are paid most in Islip Town (South) PUMA, NY but are relatively concentrated in Newton City & Brookline Town PUMA, MA.

Yearly Wage

$69,458

AVERAGE SALARY

± $3,225

In 2017, Psychologists earned an average of $69,458, $13,504 more than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Physical therapists make somewhat more than Psychologists while Miscellaneous plant & system operators make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Psychologists as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.334

WAGE GINI

In 2015, Psychologists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.334, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Psychologists (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Psychologists.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Psychologists

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Psychologists.

Most Common

The most common industries employing Psychologists, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools, Offices of other health practitioners, Outpatient care centers, Hospitals, Individual & family services, Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, Justice, public order, & safety activities , Offices of physicians, Administration of human resource programs, Other health care services, and Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Psychologists, by average wage, are Management, scientific & technical consulting services, Architectural, engineering & related services, and National security & international affairs.

Industries by Share

156k

2017 Workforce

± 9,701

3.47%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 8.56%

The number of people employed as Psychologists has been growing at a rate of 3.47%, from 151,062 people in 2016 to 156,302 people in 2017.

This graphic shows the share of Psychologists employed by various industries. Elementary & secondary schools employs the largest share of Psychologists at 27.5%, followed by Offices of other health practitioners with 24.5% and Outpatient care centers with 13.4%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Psychologists in the US. The average age of male Psychologists in the workforce is 50.7 and of female Psychologists is 44.6, and the most common race/ethnicity for Psychologists is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

44.3k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 5,166

112k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 8,214

71.7% of Psychologists are Female, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Psychologists.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Psychologists

White (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)

80.4% of Psychologists are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 5.96% of Psychologists, White (Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Psychologists.

Age by Sex

50.7

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 1.64

44.6

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 0.981

The median age of Psychologists is 46.4, and Male employees are generally 6.11 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Psychologists from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Psychologists is Psychology but a relatively high number of Psychologists hold a major in Psychology.