10% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.
The 10 Highest-Paying Psychology Careers (2026)
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist tops this list at $193,950 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +6.3% projected employment change over 2024–2034. Below are 10 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.
The occupations whose standard entry route is a psychology or counselling degree: the four BLS psychologist occupations, the postsecondary psychology teacher and the five counselling occupations, ranked by national median wage. Psychiatry (a medical degree) and social work (an MSW) are not counted.
- Careers on this list
- 10
- Median pay on the list
- $73,640
- Projected to grow
- 10 of 10
- Openings a year
- 274,400
From 923 in the bank
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Combined, BLS EP
How we built this list
- Psychology is not a SOC group, so this list is an explicit set of occupations rather than a category: the four BLS psychologist occupations (industrial-organizational, clinical, school, and psychologists all other), the postsecondary psychology teacher, and the five counselling occupations whose standard entry route is a psychology or counselling degree.
- Psychiatry is excluded because it requires a medical degree, and social work is excluded because it requires an MSW. Both are on the healthcare and helping-people lists instead.
- Ranked by national median annual wage from BLS OEWS. Most of these occupations require a master’s or doctoral degree and state licensure.
- BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over.
- Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
- The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.
The top 10 highest-paying jobs in psychology
1. Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $193,950
- Growth
- +6.3%
- Openings / yr
- 400
- Education
- Master's
Apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
2. Neuropsychologist
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $110,840
- Growth
- +4.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,900
- Education
- Master's
Apply theories and principles of neuropsychology to evaluate and diagnose disorders of higher cerebral functioning, often in research and medical settings.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
3. Clinical Psychologist
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $100,580
- Growth
- +11.2%
- Openings / yr
- 4,800
- Education
- Doctorate
Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
4. School Psychologist
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $95,990
- Growth
- +0.7%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Master's
Diagnose and implement individual or schoolwide interventions or strategies to address educational, behavioral, or developmental issues that adversely impact educational functioning in a school.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
5. Psychology Teacher, Postsecondary
Educational Instruction and Library
- Median pay
- $80,340
- Growth
- +3.6%
- Openings / yr
- 4,000
- Education
- Doctorate
Teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
6. Marriage and Family Therapist
Community and Social Service
- Median pay
- $66,940
- Growth
- +12.6%
- Openings / yr
- 7,700
- Education
- Master's
Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Community and Social Service
- Median pay
- $64,330
- Growth
- +3.5%
- Openings / yr
- 31,000
- Education
- Master's
Advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.
8. Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor
Community and Social Service
- Median pay
- $60,320
- Growth
- +10.4%
- Openings / yr
- 104,400
- Education
- N/A
Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
9. Mental Health Counselor
Community and Social Service
- Median pay
- $60,320
- Growth
- +10.4%
- Openings / yr
- 104,400
- Education
- N/A
Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
10. Rehabilitation Counselor
Community and Social Service
- Median pay
- $46,850
- Growth
- +1.4%
- Openings / yr
- 10,000
- Education
- Master's
Counsel individuals to maximize the independence and employability of persons coping with personal, social, and vocational difficulties that result from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, aging, or the stress…
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Highest-Paying Jobs in Psychology: FAQ
What is the top career on the highest-paying jobs in psychology list?
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist leads the list with a median wage of $193,950 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +6.3% over 2024–2034. Typical entry-level education is master's.
How was this list put together?
The occupations whose standard entry route is a psychology or counselling degree: the four BLS psychologist occupations, the postsecondary psychology teacher and the five counselling occupations, ranked by national median wage. Psychiatry (a medical degree) and social work (an MSW) are not counted. Psychology is not a SOC group, so this list is an explicit set of occupations rather than a category: the four BLS psychologist occupations (industrial-organizational, clinical, school, and psychologists all other), the postsecondary psychology teacher, and the five counselling occupations whose standard entry route is a psychology or counselling degree. Psychiatry is excluded because it requires a medical degree, and social work is excluded because it requires an MSW. Both are on the healthcare and helping-people lists instead. Ranked by national median annual wage from BLS OEWS. Most of these occupations require a master’s or doctoral degree and state licensure. BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET 30.3 Database.
How much do highest-paying jobs in psychology pay?
Across the 10 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $73,640 a year, from $46,850 at the bottom to $193,950 at the top (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.
How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?
None. BLS lists an associate's degree or higher as the typical entry requirement for all 10 careers on this list.