Washington Clinical Psychologist Salary Outlook
Nationally, about 18% of adults currently have at least one diagnosable mental illness, including depression, bipolar or schizophrenia. In the state of Washington, that number is even higher — 22.8%, the fifth-highest rate in the country.
But despite the relatively high prevalence of mental health issues, few people seek help for their behavioral or emotional problems. In fact, according to the most recent available federal data, only about 14% of adults have received any mental health services in the past year.
Making a difference in the struggle for better mental health are licensed clinical psychologists, who are highly trained in identifying and treating disorders and conditions related to mental, behavioral and emotional health.
SEE ALSO: Clinical Psychology Phd vs PsyD
For clinical psychologists who want to practice their trade in the state of Washington, what is a typical wage they can expect, where in the state are wages the highest, and what types of employers are available?
What’s On This Page
- How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in Washington?
- Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in Washington?
- Which Washington Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in Washington?
Clinical psychologists earn a national median wage in the U.S. of $96,100. But at $110,480, the median wage for the job in Washington surpasses that. In fact, Washington’s median wage for clinical psychologists is the third-best among all Western states.
Median annual clinical psychologist wage, Western states
| Oregon | $126,830 |
| California | $126,450 |
| Washington | $110,480 |
| Nevada | $104,020 |
| Alaska | $103,530 |
| Hawaii | $92,480 |
| Arizona | $89,830 |
| Colorado | $83,100 |
| Utah | $82,350 |
| New Mexico | $81,640 |
| Montana | $67,590 |
| Wyoming | $65,810 |
| Idaho | $65,590 |
Washington’s median annual wage for clinical psychologists is more than $30k higher than the state’s overall median for all jobs.
Median – Top 10% Washington wage for clinical psychologists
| Average | $108,650 |
| Median | $110,480 |
| 75th percentile | $125,360 |
| Top 10th percentile | $142,140 |
Washington’s forecast growth rate for clinical psychologist jobs ranks within the top 15 of all states.
States by projected long-term growth rate for clinical psychologist job openings, top 15
| 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% |
| New Hampshire | 20% |
| Texas | 19.6% |
| Washington | 19% |
| North Carolina | 18.9% |
| Mississippi | 16% |
Note: Long-term 2022-2032; most recent available Washington data is shown for 2020-2030
Which Washington Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
Clinical psychologist salaries vary across the state, with Seattle, Olympia, and Spokane all offering higher salaries than the overall U.S. median.
Washington cities by median annual clinical psychologist wage
| Seattle | $115,730 |
| Olympia | $110,340 |
| Spokane | $102,380 |
In addition to the variety in salaries, job availability varies too.
Washington cities by clinical psychologist employment per 1,000 jobs
| Spokane | 0.38 |
| Seattle | 0.27 |
| Olympia | 0.27 |
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 Washington?
For the highly skilled and educated individuals who seek work as clinical psychologists, the state of Washington offers dozens of different types of employers and workplace settings, from education to the military.
SEE ALSO: 15 Great Places to Work in Clinical Psychology
Here’s a look at some actual examples of employers in Washington who were seeking to hire clinical psychologists in the summer of 2019:
- Seattle Children’s
- Greater Lakes Mental Healthcare
- S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Seneca Family of Agencies
- Concentric Methods
- Advanced Medical
- Columbia River Mental Health
- Washington State University
- Catholic Charities Serving Central Washington
- Willapa Behavioral Health
- Northwest Pediatric Center
- Discovery Behavioral Healthcare
- Frontier Behavioral Health
- Saratoga Medical
- Senior Connections
- Western Washington University
- Seattle Public Schools
- Bluestone Psychological Services
Conclusion
Washington has one of the highest rates of adults who have at least one diagnosable mental illness. An untreated mental illness can negatively impact an individual’s life in virtually every way, from their personal relationships to their jobs and even their physical health. That’s why Washington is in such need of trained, compassionate clinical psychologists.
Additional References
- Information on clinical psychologist job openings in Washington state was gathered from listings posted in August 2019 on Indeed.com and Glassdoor.com
- 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
- Projections Managing Partnership, Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections. (Undated). Accessed from https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
- 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
- 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/