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.

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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

StateShort-termLong-term
Connecticut7.4%1.8%
Maine5.3%0.0%
Massachusetts11.9%2.8%
New Hampshire12.2%2.0%
New Jersey7.6%1.5%
New York15.6%3.4%
Pennsylvania9.3%2.4%
Rhode Island4.3%1.3%
Vermont6.4%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
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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