California Clinical Psychologist Salary Outlook
Clinical psychologists provide important mental health services, such as diagnosing emotional or behavioral disorders, conducting research into psychology and human behavior, and providing ongoing treatment for mental health, emotional or behavioral issues.
SEE ALSO: Steps to Becoming a Clinical Psychologist
Among all psychologists, clinical psychologists tend to make lower salaries, but their salaries still tend to be much higher than the overall average clinical psychology salary for all jobs in the U.S. What does the pay and employment outlook situation look like here in California for clinical psychologists?
What’s On This Page
- How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in California?
- Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in California?
- Which California Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in California?
The median annual wage for clinical and counseling psychologists is $96,100 nationally, but the median salary for these professionals in California is considerably higher at $126,450 per year.
Median annual clinical psychologist wage by state
| Top 10 | |
| New Jersey | $130,700 |
| Oregon | $126,830 |
| California | $126,450 |
| Washington | $110,480 |
| Rhode Island | $110,000 |
| Ohio | $105,680 |
| Nevada | $104,020 |
| Alaska | $103,530 |
| Maryland | $102,680 |
| Minnesota | $101,160 |
| Bottom 10 | |
| North Dakota | $74,110 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,470 |
| Montana | $67,590 |
| Kansas | $66,390 |
| Wyoming | $65,810 |
| Idaho | $65,590 |
| Arkansas | $65,440 |
| West Virginia | $65,350 |
| South Carolina | $59,580 |
| New Hampshire | $48,780 |
Median California wage by occupation, select occupations
| Nurse Midwives | $189,770 |
| Lawyers | $185,050 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $175,530 |
| Pharmacists | $160,950 |
| Training and Development Managers | $149,990 |
| Mathematicians | $141,290 |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | $140,360 |
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | $137,480 |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $126,450 |
| Web Developers | $111,910 |
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | $105,640 |
| Labor Relations Specialists | $105,560 |
| Financial Examiners | $100,400 |
| Epidemiologists | $99,340 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,160 |
| Fish and Game Wardens | $92,140 |
| News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists | $90,770 |
| Editors | $88,100 |
| Real Estate Brokers | $75,430 |
| Survey Researchers | $71,060 |
| Meter Readers, Utilities | $68,300 |
| All Occupations | $54,030 |
In addition to relatively high salaries, demand for clinical psychologists is expected to grow at a faster rate in California than elsewhere over the next couple of years.
States by projected growth rate for clinical psychologist job openings, 2022-2032, top 10
| Utah | 50% |
| Arizona | 26.8% |
| Florida | 26.1% |
| Oregon | 23.4% |
| Tennessee | 23.4% |
| New Mexico | 23.3% |
| South Carolina | 22.8% |
| California | 20.7% |
| Iowa | 20.6% |
| Colorado | 20.1% |
Which California Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
Not only does the state of California have one of the highest median salaries for clinical psychologists, but California metro areas dominate across the U.S. In fact, many California cities rank among the nation’s top 20 areas for clinical psychologist salaries, including the top five spots.
U.S. city/metro area by median annual clinical psychologist wage, top 20
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $149,590 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $144,180 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $139,800 |
| Madera, CA | $139,800 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $139,800 |
| Salem, OR | $135,200 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $134,940 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $134,430 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | $131,480 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $130,600 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | $129,570 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $127,730 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $126,450 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $125,260 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $125,070 |
| Waterbury, CT | $124,600 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $124,170 |
| Trenton, NJ | $123,020 |
| Chico, CA | $122,700 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $122,430 |
Additionally, several California cities are among those where clinical psychologist jobs are most plentiful.
U.S. cities by clinical psychologist employment per 1,000 jobs, top 12
| Rochester, MN | 1.973 |
| Pocatello, ID | 1.549 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 1.54 |
| New Bedford, MA | 1.35 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 1.272 |
| Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | 1.195 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 1.176 |
| Springfield, MA-CT | 1.142 |
| Madera, CA | 1.141 |
| Elmira, NY | 1.137 |
| Leominster-Gardner, MA | 1.11 |
| Charleston, WV | 1.088 |
May 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and labor market information for Psychologists is based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed January 2025.
Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in California?
While new jobs are listed every day, we know that the demand for clinical psychologist jobs is high here in California. Here’s a look at organizations, businesses, educational institutions and other employers who routinely seek to hire clinical psychologists throughout the state of California:
- Thrive Education
- Bay Area CBT Center
- Institutes of Health
- Brandman University
- S. Army
- Loma Linda University
- Los Angeles County Department of Human Resources
- UC Davis Health
- Monterey County
- Tri Counties Regional Center
- Alliance Medical Center
- University of California San Francisco
- UCLA Health
- S. Air Force
- Los Angeles County
- The Center for Well Being
- Tiny Steps Developmental Services
- Optimum Performance Institute
- Stars Behavioral Health Group
- The Center for Connection
- California Department of Veterans Affairs
Conclusion
A career in clinical psychology can be incredibly challenging, but for those with a passion for helping others, the chance to make a lifelong impact is well worth the struggle. Earning a comfortable wage doesn’t hurt, either. With both the state and several cities across the vastness of California offering well-above-average wages for clinical psychologists, California looks to continue being a popular destination for those with the drive.
SEE ALSO: California: How to Earn a 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 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, Short Term Occupational Projections. (Undated). Accessed from https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/ShortTerm
- 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/