Salary Outlook with PhD in Educational Psychology
Educational psychologists study children in every age group and how they learn. As they investigate how children process social, emotional, and cognitive stimuli, they perform assessments based on how the child reacts to stimuli. They use this information to identify learning, social, and behavioral problems that affect the child’s learning.
Educational psychology has grown beyond preschool and elementary schools to help adults in educational settings. Adults who have learning disabilities may benefit from working with educational psychologists. (TUW.edu).
Some of the areas of focus in this degree program are teaching, testing, assessment methods, psychometrics, classroom and learning environments, and learning, social, and behavioral problems that can slow the learning process. (WSU.edu).
Other topics of note in educational psychology programs are:
- Educational technology: Understanding how different types of technology help students learn.
- Instructional design: Designing innovative learning materials.
- Special education: Helping students who might need specialized instruction.
- Curriculum development: Devising curriculums that improve the learning process.
- Organizational learning: Studying how children and adults learn in an organizational setting.
- Gifted learners: Assisting students who have been identified as gifted learners.
Graduates in educational psychology can expect to find work in school districts, universities, private companies, or state and local social service agencies.
To become an educational psychologist, it is required to earn a Ph.D. in the field. If you are interested in this degree, below is detailed salary information for educational psychologists with a Ph.D.
Ph.D. in Educational Psychology Salary Information
School psychologists earn an average annual salary of $91,990 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The full breakdown of school psychologist salary is as follows:
- Bottom 25% – $70,520 and below
- Median – $84,940
- Average – $91,990
- Top 25% – $107,400 and up
- Top 10% – $131,470 and up
The sectors offering the highest average salaries for school psychologists are:
- Childcare services – $142,500
- Other health practitioner offices – $105,140
- Educational support services – $102,230
- Employment services – $94,140
- Elementary and secondary schools – $90,940
The BLS reports the following average school psychologist salaries according to state:
| Colorado | $111,720 |
| California | $109,830 |
| New Mexico | $106,940 |
| New York | $106,130 |
| Washington | $105,190 |
| Massachusetts | $104,180 |
| Alaska | $102,590 |
| Oregon | $101,920 |
| District of Columbia | $101,350 |
| Connecticut | $97,480 |
| Maryland | $96,210 |
| New Jersey | $94,060 |
| Ohio | $92,240 |
| Wyoming | $90,830 |
| Georgia | $89,610 |
| Nevada | $89,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $89,410 |
| Wisconsin | $85,820 |
| Rhode Island | $85,630 |
| Virginia | $85,200 |
| Arizona | $84,160 |
| Maine | $83,900 |
| Minnesota | $83,740 |
| Illinois | $83,060 |
| Delaware | $82,260 |
| New Hampshire | $81,960 |
| Nebraska | $81,390 |
| Michigan | $81,140 |
| South Dakota | $81,020 |
| Texas | $80,610 |
| Vermont | $79,040 |
| Indiana | $77,870 |
| Florida | $77,360 |
| Montana | $77,160 |
| South Carolina | $76,620 |
| Utah | $73,430 |
| Idaho | $73,070 |
| Kentucky | $72,480 |
| Tennessee | $70,340 |
| Kansas | $69,690 |
| West Virginia | $69,280 |
| North Dakota | $69,070 |
| North Carolina | $69,060 |
| Mississippi | $68,560 |
| Iowa | $68,250 |
| Oklahoma | $67,970 |
| Missouri | $67,830 |
| Alabama | $67,230 |
| Louisiana | $66,850 |
| Arkansas | $60,630 |
Eight states offer average salaries over $100,000. The range between the highest and lowest average salary is $51,090. The states with the top-five highest average salaries are Colorado, California, New Mexico, New York, and Washington.
Job Demand for PhD in Educational Psychology
Between 2023 and 2033 the number of school psychologist jobs nationwide is forecast to increase by 0.7%. But plenty of states have rates far higher. 10 stats have projected growth rates in the double digits. 30 states have growth rates that are higher than the general national average for jobs of 4%.
Projected growth rate of educational psychologist jobs by state, 2022-2032
| Utah | 17.3% |
| Tennessee | 16.5% |
| Colorado | 15.9% |
| Texas | 14.1% |
| Florida | 13.5% |
| Massachusetts | 12.1% |
| Wyoming | 11.1% |
| Maryland | 11% |
| Ohio | 10.4% |
| North Dakota | 10% |
| North Carolina | 9.7% |
| South Carolina | 9.3% |
| Georgia | 9.2% |
| New Mexico | 7.4% |
| Delaware | 7.3% |
| Iowa | 7.1% |
| Vermont | 6.7% |
| District of Columbia | 6.5% |
| Oregon | 6.5% |
| California | 6.2% |
| Oklahoma | 5.8% |
| Montana | 5.3% |
| Connecticut | 5.2% |
| Nebraska | 5.2% |
| Wisconsin | 5% |
| Kansas | 4.7% |
| Arizona | 4.6% |
| New Jersey | 4.4% |
| Arkansas | 4.2% |
| Indiana | 4.2% |
| Nevada | 3.8% |
| Virginia | 3.8% |
| New Hampshire | 3.7% |
| Minnesota | 3.5% |
| Alabama | 3.2% |
| Louisiana | 2.9% |
| West Virginia | 2.8% |
| Illinois | 2.3% |
| Kentucky | 2% |
| Michigan | 0.9% |
| Alaska | 0% |
| Maine | 0% |
| Mississippi | 0% |
| Pennsylvania | 0% |
| Rhode Island | 0% |
| South Dakota | 0% |
Employment for these professionals will grow because of enhanced demand for psychological services in hospitals, mental health centers, schools, and social service agencies. Demand for counseling and clinical psychologists will rise as people are more often turning to psychologists to help them with their mental health issues.
Psychologists also will be needed to offer services to a population that is getting older, and to help them to handle the physical and mental changes of aging. Psychological services also will be required for veterans that suffered from war trauma.
Job demand for post-secondary education administrators will grow by 2.9% from 2023 to 2033. Growth is expected due to higher student enrollment in universities and colleges.
People will seek post-secondary education to gain better skills in the modern employment market; the significant advances in technology mean that more workers must have greater levels of skill to earn a good living in America. As more students go to college, there will be more postsecondary educators needed to serve the needs of students.
May 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics salary for School Psychologists. National labor market information and state labor market information also sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor. Information based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed February 2025.
Summary
Educational psychologists are employed in critical work today, with many in the field focusing on the educational development of children, adults, and adolescents. Others focus on people with learning challenges, such as ADHD or dyslexia. Whatever your specialty or population focus, this work is vital to ensure that people are given the learning tools they need to succeed.
Earning a Ph.D. in educational psychology offers the student a high potential salary in psychological research, or an institution of higher learning. The career potential with this advanced degree makes it worth exploring if you have a passion for educational psychology.