Pennsylvania Clinical Psychologist Salary Outlook
Nearly 20% of American adults have a mental illness, but far fewer ever receive any treatment for their mental health issues, according to federal data. In Pennsylvania, just over 16% of adults receive services for any mental illnesses, which puts the commonwealth in the top half among all the states.
The relatively widespread acceptance of mental healthcare as a necessity makes Pennsylvania an attractive place for licensed clinical psychologists to ply their trade. Whether they specialize in anxiety or focus on helping children, there are hundreds of job openings in Pennsylvania for clinical psychologists.
How much can licensed clinical psychologists make in Pennsylvania, which areas of the commonwealth offer high wages, and what are some examples of companies or organizations who regularly seek to hire clinical psychologists here in Pennsylvania?
What’s On This Page
- How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in Pennsylvania?
- Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in Pennsylvania?
- Which Pennsylvania Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in Pennsylvania?
The median annual wage for clinical psychologists in Pennsylvania is just over $74,000, which is a tad lower than the overall U.S. median wage for this job.
Median annual clinical psychologist wage, top 20
| California | $100,850 |
| Oregon | $89,150 |
| Connecticut | $88,890 |
| New York | $88,710 |
| Rhode Island | $86,370 |
| New Jersey | $85,160 |
| District of Columbia | $84,780 |
| Alaska | $84,740 |
| Minnesota | $84,630 |
| Colorado | $84,410 |
| North Dakota | $83,730 |
| Massachusetts | $79,810 |
| Maryland | $78,980 |
| Iowa | $78,810 |
| Hawaii | $78,440 |
| Nevada | $77,200 |
| Wisconsin | $77,090 |
| Michigan | $75,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $74,930 |
| Delaware | $74,390 |
Pennsylvania may lag behind the states with the highest wages for clinical psychologists, but these jobs tend to be far better-paying than some other common occupations in the commonwealth. Clinical psychologist jobs pay nearly twice the median wage for all occupations in Pennsylvania.
Median annual Pennsylvania wage, select occupations
| All Occupations | $38,450 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,480 |
| Athletic Trainers | $44,930 |
| Bartenders | $20,270 |
| Budget Analysts | $70,610 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists | $74,930 |
| Commercial Pilots | $83,020 |
| Dental Assistants | $37,960 |
| Editors | $55,750 |
| Emergency Management Directors | $65,380 |
| Funeral Attendants | $27,250 |
| Genetic Counselors | $74,780 |
| Health Educators | $59,480 |
| Historians | $64,350 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $29,150 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $113,310 |
| Painters, Construction and Maintenance | $41,870 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $49,710 |
| Real Estate Sales Agents | $52,820 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | $36,160 |
Pennsylvania is expected to experience healthy growth for clinical psychologist employment over the next few years, nearing double-digit growth over the next decade.
Northeastern states by short- and long-term growth projections in clinical psychologist job openings
| State | Short-term | Long-term |
| Connecticut | 7.4% | 1.8% |
| Maine | 5.3% | 0.0% |
| Massachusetts | 11.9% | 2.8% |
| New Hampshire | 12.2% | 2.0% |
| New Jersey | 7.6% | 1.5% |
| New York | 15.6% | 3.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 9.3% | 2.4% |
| Rhode Island | 4.3% | 1.3% |
| Vermont | 6.4% | 1.4% |
Note: Short-term 2018-2020; long-term 2016-2026
Which Pennsylvania Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
Several areas of Pennsylvania boast clinical psychologist wages that are higher than both the commonwealth’s median wage for this role and the overall national median wage.
SEE ALSO: Top 5 Online PsyD in Clinical Psychology Programs
Pennsylvania cities and metro areas by median annual clinical psychologist wage
| Chambersburg-Waynesboro | $95,280 |
| Lancaster | $79,960 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $78,900 |
| Allentown | $78,410 |
| York-Hanover | $77,890 |
| Philadelphia | $77,240 |
| Reading | $72,570 |
| Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton | $70,900 |
| State College | $66,670 |
| Williamsport | $65,920 |
| Pittsburgh | $63,060 |
| Erie | $62,800 |
| Gettysburg | $51,200 |
Of the 300+ largest American cities and metro areas, excluding those in California, the Chambersburg-Waynesboro area of Pennsylvania boasts the fourth-highest median wage. California cities make up the entire top 10 and most of the top 20, so we’ve excluded them from this list.
U.S. cities and metro areas by clinical psychologist median annual wage, top 20, excl. California
| Baton Rouge, LA | $107,370 |
| Bend-Redmond, OR | $106,260 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $97,820 |
| Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA | $95,280 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $94,000 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $93,360 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $92,380 |
| Grand Junction, CO | $91,020 |
| Reno, NV | $90,900 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $88,920 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $88,590 |
| Kingston, NY | $87,900 |
| Jackson, MI | $87,530 |
| Salisbury, MD-DE | $87,480 |
| Leominster-Gardner, MA | $87,170 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $87,110 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $86,770 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | $86,650 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $86,090 |
| Springfield, MA-CT | $86,080 |
Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in Pennsylvania?
While clinical psychologist jobs generally involve working directly with patients or clients in helping them understand and deal with their mental health issues, the truth is that there is a huge range of settings in which clinical psychologists can work.
Here’s a look at some examples of real-life job openings for clinical psychologists in Pennsylvania over the summer of 2019:
- The Center for Autism
- Cornerstone Therapy and Wellness
- Dickinson College
- Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania
- Penn State University
- Help Healing and Hope Therapeutic Services
- S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- S. Department of Justice
- Commonwealth Charter Academy
- Public Health Management Corp.
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Geisinger
- Children’s Service Center
- The Stepping Stones Group
- Trinity Health of New England
- The IMA Group
- Barton Associates
- Johnson & Johnson
Conclusion
Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of adults seeking treatment for mental illness, which should help keep demand high for licensed clinical psychologists in the commonwealth. For those with the training and passion for helping others cope with their mental, emotional and behavioral health issues, the outlook in Pennsylvania is bright indeed.
SEE ALSO: Pennsylvania: How to Earn a Psychology Doctorate Degree
Additional References
- Information on clinical psychologist job openings in Pennsylvania 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
- 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/