It can be a challenge to enter the field of Psychology where you will be working with patients who experience psychological disorders. Such disorders have a way of preventing individuals from all walks of life from performing as they should whether that is in their personal or professional lives. They also tend to lead to destructive behaviors.
Through their training, psychologists learn how to deal with a variety of people from differing backgrounds as they help them to change their thought processes and behaviors. They deserve an appropriate salary for performing their jobs well.
The psychologist salary will always depend on their chosen field. It is often difficult to project exactly what a psychologist salary will be because of all the variables that must be taken into account. Some of those factors to consider are the industry they will be working in, specialty area, and whether they are self-employed, working with a large corporation or at a government level of practice. State and local governments also differ in what they offer as psychologist salary compensation.
The best place to find reliable information about psychologist salary would be the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. The USBLS periodically compiles data and creates an analysis of the statistics concerning salaries and wages. You will find the latest analysis of psychologist salary below. The first set of numbers reflects the expected salary for psychologists working in schools, the clinical setting as well as general counseling.
You should also keep in mind when viewing these that they are averages, and the middle 50% earned from $48,700 to $82,800 with the lower 10% earning below $37,900 and the upper 10% earning more than $106,840.
Health Practitioner Offices $68,400
Secondary and Elementary Schools 65,710
State Governments 63,710
Care Centers for Outpatients 59,130
Family and individual service 57,440
Psychologist salary was then averaged according to the industrial-organizational setting, and here are the results for that.
The average psychologist salary for psychologists in the industrial and organizational area was around $77,010 annually. Salaries for the middle 50% was from $54,100 to $115,720. On the lower side of the scale 10% of psychologists earned $38,690 and at the higher end, 10% earned more than $149,120 annually.
As stated before, there are many factors that go into determining an actual psychologist salary. Variables will always exist, but the two overriding factors are location and he experience brought to the table. A good understanding is required when deciding on a career path.