The average American psychologist earns $75,000 annually, and the average American is earning $91,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In 2017, the median American psychologist earned $70,000 and the median worker in the U.S. was making $80,000.
In 2018, the average psychologist in Oklahoma made $71,000 while the median U.K. psychologist made $76,000 — the highest in the country.
The average American who earns a living as a psychologist is an occupational therapist, a psychologist who works with people with mental health problems.
Psychologists can also work as clinical social workers, clinical social-worker assistants, family and social workers or social workers in psychiatric hospitals.
Psychologists work with people who have a range of mental illnesses and disabilities.
They treat those who have been diagnosed with mental disorders and other psychological conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Some professions have specialty areas in mental health, such in mental wellness and substance abuse treatment.
A full range of career options for psychologists include teaching, training and clinical practice.
A psychologist’s job is not restricted to just teaching students and therapists.
Many psychologists are also part-time or contract workers who work in the community.
Many American psychologists are employed by schools and other schools for students, but many also work for private, for-profit institutions.
Psychologist salaries vary depending on the specialty area and training that a psychologist receives.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that a full-time, three-year associate professor of psychology in the United States earns $84,000 a year, while a full time, two-year professor of psychiatry, mental health or social work earns $79,000 per year.
Some schools have a lower minimum wage that’s $13.60 an hour, while some schools have higher minimum wages.