New Mexico Clinical Psychologist Salary Outlook
Just under 1 in 5 American adults has a mental illness, which can include common problems like depression but also can extend to potentially debilitating disorders like schizophrenia. In New Mexico, that rate is nearly identical, with 19.1% of adults in the state having some form of mental illness.
While the state has an average rate of mental illness compared to other states, the percentage of adults actually seeking help for these issues is below the national rate. According to the most recent data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 15% of U.S. adults received mental health services in the past year, while New Mexico’s rate was only about 14%.
SEE ALSO: New Mexico Psychology Doctorate Programs
One reason for lagging utilization of mental health services could be that there simply aren’t enough qualified, licensed professionals to help people cope with their mental and behavioral health problems. One possible remedy would be for the state to become more attractive to those with advanced psychology training, such as clinical psychologists. What can such professionals expect to make in New Mexico, and what is their career outlook in the state?
What’s On This Page
- How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in New Mexico?
- Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in New Mexico?
- Which New Mexico Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in New Mexico?
The average clinical psychologist in New Mexico makes more than $73,000 per year. This puts the state on the bottom half of its region, and it’s a noticeably lower salary level than the overall U.S. average of about $81,000.
Average annual clinical psychologist wage, Western states
| Oregon | $112,010 |
| California | $111,750 |
| Colorado | $92,840 |
| Utah | $88,480 |
| Alaska | $83,770 |
| Nevada | $83,280 |
| Wyoming | $78,620 |
| Washington | $77,700 |
| New Mexico | $73,550 |
| Arizona | $65,400 |
| Montana | $64,160 |
| Idaho | $60,880 |
| Hawaii | – |
While wages in New Mexico for psychologists may be behind the curve of the nation as a whole, these professionals are among the best-paid workers in the state. The overall average annual wage for all jobs in New Mexico is about $47,000, and clinical psychologists can expect to make about 55% more than that.
Average annual New Mexico wage, select occupations
| All Occupations | $47,040 |
| Advertising Sales Agents | $45,720 |
| Budget Analysts | $76,220 |
| Cargo and Freight Agents | $46,940 |
| Clinical, Counseling and School Psychologists | $73,550 |
| Credit Analysts | $67,180 |
| Dental Hygienists | $74,960 |
| Editors | $46,770 |
| File Clerks | $31,810 |
| Gas Plant Operators | $63,080 |
| Home Appliance Repairers | $40,230 |
| Interior Designers | $53,160 |
| Loan Officers | $61,190 |
| Microbiologists | $50,280 |
| Nursing Assistants | $28,850 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $34,650 |
| Power Plant Operators | $84,820 |
| Security Guards | $28,750 |
| Tax Preparers | $43,340 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | $35,750 |
In addition to wages falling below average, the long-term growth rate for clinical psychologist job openings in New Mexico is among the 10 lowest in the country. Still, a nearly double-digit growth rate through 2028 is nothing to sneeze at.
States by projected long-term growth rate for clinical psychologist job openings, bottom 10
| Mississippi | 2.4% |
| Maine | 6.4% |
| Alaska | 7.7% |
| Michigan | 7.7% |
| Kansas | 8.4% |
| Illinois | 9.3% |
| New Mexico | 9.7% |
| South Carolina | 9.7% |
| Wisconsin | 10.4% |
| New Jersey | 11.7% |
Note: Short-term 2019-2021; long-term 2018-2028
Which New Mexico Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
Predictably, salaries vary quite a bit by geography within the vast state, and non-metro areas actually have higher average wages than many cities in the state. In fact, among areas for which data is available, Northern New Mexico has by far the highest average clinical psychologist wage in the state, while Albuquerque’s is the lowest.
New Mexico cities and non-metro areas by average annual clinical psychologist wage
| Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $93,540 |
| Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $84,180 |
| Las Cruces | $75,020 |
| Santa Fe | $73,720 |
| Albuquerque | $68,960 |
Similarly, the availability of jobs varies by geography as well, with Las Cruces having the highest concentration of employment in this job, while Santa Fe is the lowest.
New Mexico cities by average clinical psychologist employment per 1,000 jobs
| Las Cruces | 1.61 |
| Albuquerque | 1.209 |
| Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | 0.652 |
| Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | 0.577 |
| Santa Fe | 0.52 |
Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in New Mexico?
When it comes to employers for clinical psychologists, there’s a world of possibility beyond establishing your own private practice. In fact, companies, organizations, nonprofits, schools and even government agencies all are in the market for clinical psychologists in New Mexico.
SEE ALSO: How to Become a Clinical Psychologist
While openings are posted all the time, here’s a look at some of the New Mexico employers that were seeking to hire clinical psychologists in the summer of 2020:
- Presbyterian Mental Health Services
- The GEO Group
- Thriving Mind Psychology
- State of New Mexico
- University of New Mexico Hospitals
- Decypher
- Prairie Band Health Services
- Chiricahua Community Health Centers
- Las Cruces Public Schools
- La Clinica de Familia
- US Department of Veterans Affairs
- Mescalero Apache Tribe
- Eating Disorders Treatment Center
- First Choice Community Health Care
- New Mexico Solutions
- Cognitive Behavioral Institute of Albuquerque
- Southwest Cares
- Rio Rancho Public Schools
- Bernalillo County Government
- Red Mountain Family Services
Conclusion
Though it’s a fact that clinical psychologist salaries are lower in New Mexico than in most other states, a high rate of mental health services utilization, combined with nearly double-digit job growth over the next few years, make the state an excellent option for transplants or new psychology students.
Additional References
- Information on clinical psychologist job openings in New Mexico was gathered from listings posted in summer 2020 on Indeed.com and Glassdoor.com
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017-2018 NSDUH State Prevalence Estimates. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2017-2018-nsduh-state-prevalence-estimates
- U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Query System. (2020). 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. (2020). Retrieved from https://psydprograms.org/average-clinical-psychologist-salary-by-state/