Arizona Clinical Psychologist Salary Outlook
About 1 in 5 American adults report dealing with mental health issues on a regular basis, but less than 15% receive any treatment or clinical support for their problems, according to federal health data. Whether specializing in anxiety, substance abuse or some other area of mental and emotional health, clinical psychologists are uniquely positioned to make a huge impact in everyday lives.
In Arizona, only about 13% of adults receive mental health treatment or therapy, which is among the 10 lowest percentages in the U.S. Part of the reason could be that too few clinical psychologists are working in the state.
Among psychologists in a variety of settings, clinical psychologists tend to make lower salaries, but they still earn far more than the average worker in the United States. What do clinical psychologist salaries, job openings and employment trends look like here in Arizona?
What’s On This Page
- How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in Arizona?
- Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in Arizona?
- Which Arizona Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in Arizona?
Nationally, clinical psychologists earn a median wage of just under $77,000 per year, but salaries in Arizona are lower than the typical national wage.
Median annual clinical psychologist wage, Western states
| California | $100,850 |
| Oregon | $89,150 |
| Alaska | $84,740 |
| Colorado | $84,410 |
| Hawaii | $78,440 |
| Nevada | $77,200 |
| Wyoming | $74,350 |
| Washington | $71,670 |
| Utah | $70,740 |
| New Mexico | $66,810 |
| Idaho | $66,140 |
| Arizona | $61,500 |
| Montana | $60,540 |
Clinical psychologist wages in Arizona may lag behind the national median as well as coming in near the bottom regionally, but clinical psychologists in Arizona still tend to earn far more than individuals in many other popular jobs in the state.
Median annual Arizona wage, select occupations
| All Occupations | $37,020 |
| Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | $52,600 |
| Carpenters | $41,010 |
| Clergy | $52,050 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists | $61,500 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $43,110 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $32,450 |
| Dental Assistants | $41,690 |
| Electricians | $46,620 |
| Financial Examiners | $50,690 |
| Firefighters | $44,190 |
| Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors | $40,810 |
| Graphic Designers | $47,040 |
| Health Educators | $46,220 |
| Highway Maintenance Workers | $38,980 |
| Landscape Architects | $64,500 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $27,230 |
| Lawyers | $111,590 |
| Librarians | $48,110 |
| Massage Therapists | $38,800 |
| Physical Therapists | $85,190 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $65,220 |
| Travel Agents | $47,430 |
| Tree Trimmers and Pruners | $43,260 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | $33,370 |
Arizona’s wages for clinical psychologists may not be the highest in the nation, but the state is expected to have one of the most rapid growth rates for these jobs over the next few years.
States by projected long-term growth rate for clinical psychologist job openings
| Colorado | 33.5% |
| Utah | 30.8% |
| Arizona | 24.9% |
| Nevada | 21.7% |
| Washington | 21.5% |
| Texas | 20.0% |
| Florida | 19.9% |
| Virginia | 18.2% |
| Arkansas | 17.7% |
| Georgia | 17.4% |
Note: Long-term growth rate refers to projected increase in job openings between 2016 and 2026.
Which Arizona Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
While Arizona as a whole has salary figures that are relatively low compared to all other states, typical wages vary pretty widely depending on which area of the state you consider.
Arizona cities by median annual clinical psychologist wage
| Flagstaff | $67,370 |
| Yuma | $66,290 |
| Phoenix | $64,370 |
| Prescott | $57,850 |
| Tucson | $54,220 |
Of the 300+ largest U.S. cities or metro areas, one Arizona community boasts a concentration of clinical psychologist jobs that’s among the top 20.
U.S. cities/metro areas by clinical psychologist employment per 1,000 jobs, top 20
| Madera, CA | 2.97 |
| Mankato-North Mankato, MN | 2.62 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 2.46 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 2.09 |
| Fairbanks, AK | 2.03 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 1.98 |
| New Bedford, MA | 1.95 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 1.87 |
| Missoula, MT | 1.82 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 1.80 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 1.79 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 1.78 |
| Boulder, CO | 1.66 |
| Kingston, NY | 1.66 |
| Billings, MT | 1.61 |
| Prescott, AZ | 1.60 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 1.57 |
| Eau Claire, WI | 1.57 |
| Madison, WI | 1.57 |
| Trenton, NJ | 1.53 |
Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in Arizona?
Those with a passion for helping others improve their mental and emotional states have a wide range of options when it comes to the type of organization they want to work for. That’s because jobs are regularly available in the public and private sectors and in a range of specialty areas.
While new openings are posted all the time, here’s a look at some of the Arizona organizations that were seeking to hire clinical psychologists in the summer of 2019:
- White Mountain Apache Tribe
- District Medical Group
- S. Army Medicine Civilian Corps
- AceTek Solutions
- Washington Elementary School District
- University of Arizona
- S. Navy
- Desert Choice Schools
- Wellpath
- La Palma Correctional Center
- State of Arizona
- HumanEdge
- Dignity Health
- International Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment
- Rising Youth
- Circle the City
- Peoria Unified School District
- Soliant Health
Conclusion
With one of the fewest mental health utilization rates in the country, there’s no doubt that Arizona can use all the qualified, passionate clinical psychologists it can get. Despite earning relatively low wages when compared to other states, Arizona is projected to have very rapid growth in these jobs, which should help put qualified individuals in high demand across the state.
SEE ALSO: How to Earn an Arizona Psychology Doctorate Degree
Additional References
- Information on clinical psychologist job openings in California was gathered from listings posted in July 2019 on Indeed.com and Glassdoor.com
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2016-2017 NSDUH State Prevalence Estimates. (Undated). Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2016-2017-nsduh-state-prevalence-estimates
- U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Psychologists. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm#tab-5
- U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Query System. (2019). Accessed from https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/home
- Projections Managing Partnership, Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections. (Undated). Accessed from https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
- Average Clinical Psychologist Salary by State. (2019). Retrieved from https://psydprograms.org/average-clinical-psychologist-salary-by-state/
- How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make? (2019). Retrieved from https://psydprograms.org/how-much-do-clinical-psychologists-make/