Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Master's degree
None
Internship/residency
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
School psychologists work at the intersection of education and psychology, supporting students and school communities. Nationally, this occupation has a median annual salary of $86,930 and employs about 67,000 people. Employment is projected to grow by 0.7%, with around 4,000 openings each year, indicating a steady flow of opportunities from new positions and turnover. This field values strong interpersonal, speaking and listening, and writing and reading skills, along with critical and analytical thinking and problem solving. Creativity, adaptability, and comfort with computers and information technology also play a role, making it a career that combines human-focused work with analytical and technical capabilities. For people interested in related paths, similar occupations include various types of psychologists, social scientists, and certain postsecondary and adult education teaching roles. Overall, school psychology offers a blend of consistent demand, graduate-level professional work, and a skill profile that can support long-term career development.
School psychologists earn a national median salary of $86,930, placing this role solidly in the professional, graduate-level range. Earning potential varies meaningfully by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $98,670 in Massachusetts to $127,780 in California. New York and Washington also offer six-figure medians at $106,550 and $108,780, while Colorado is similarly high at $124,770. At the metro level, salary medians can be even higher. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA reports $130,520, and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is similar at $130,540. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro shows a median of $117,540, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV comes in at $106,550. These figures suggest that, for school psychologists, choosing certain states or metro areas can significantly influence earnings over the course of a career.
School psychologists currently account for about 67,000 jobs nationwide, with a projected employment growth rate of 0.7%. There are an estimated 4,000 annual openings, which reflects both new positions and the need to replace workers who change roles or retire. The projected growth rate of 0.7% is consistent across all the highlighted top states and metro areas, indicating a broadly similar growth expectation in those locations. This combination of an established employment base with ongoing annual openings points to a field where opportunities continue to arise over time, even without rapid expansion. For individuals thinking about related options, similar occupations include psychologists (such as clinical and counseling psychologists), other social scientists and related workers, and some teaching roles like business teachers or adult basic and secondary education instructors. This range of related paths can be useful for long-term career planning within or adjacent to school psychology.
Location plays a major role in the career landscape for school psychologists. Among states, California stands out with a median salary of $127,780, employment of 8,340, and an opportunity score of 67.38. New York has the largest employment among the listed states at 9,070, with a median salary of $106,550 and an opportunity score of 65.78. Massachusetts combines a median salary of $98,670 with employment of 3,300 and an opportunity score of 65.87. Colorado and Washington also offer six-figure median salaries—$124,770 and $108,780, respectively—with opportunity scores in the mid-50s. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ show particularly high opportunity scores of 77.42 and 77.27, along with high salaries. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH offer strong combinations of salary, employment levels, and opportunity scores, giving candidates several attractive geographic options.
The typical education requirement for school psychologists is a master’s degree, reflecting the advanced professional knowledge expected in this field. This graduate-level preparation aligns with the broad skill profile associated with the role. Strong interpersonal skills, along with speaking and listening abilities, are central to working effectively with students and other stakeholders. Writing and reading skills support documentation, communication, and the use of professional resources. Critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, and mathematics contribute to evidence-based practice and structured analysis. Creativity and innovation, plus adaptability, help school psychologists respond to varied situations and changing needs. Comfort with computers and information technology is also important, alongside customer service skills that support working with individuals and families in a service-oriented context. Together, these skills and the master’s-level education form the foundation for effective, long-term practice as a school psychologist.
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