National Salary Info » Psychologists

Highest Paying Industries for Psychologists

The top 86 highest paying industries for psychologists (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $95,800, federal executive branch (oes designation) is the highest paying industry for psychologists. It is followed by federal government, including usps industry (average annual salary $95,790). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of psychologists in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 86 Highest Paying Industries for Psychologists

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$95,800	$44,760	7,230
2	Federal government, including USPS	$95,790	$45,060	7,250
3	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$94,810	$65,580	40
4	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$94,210	$53,000	140
5	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$88,340	$43,510	420
6	Manufacturing	$86,340	$51,240	80
7	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$85,400	$45,680	16,170
8	Federal, State, and Local Government	$85,400	$45,680	16,170
9	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$85,010	$46,790	710
10	Scientific Research and Development Services	$84,830	$43,540	710
11	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$84,040	$45,090	560
12	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$83,250	$50,290	2,480
13	Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists	$83,100	$50,830	520
14	Hospitals - State government owned	$82,150	$49,900	2,830
15	Machinery Manufacturing	$82,000	$50,240	n/a
16	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$81,990	$44,070	4,120
17	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$80,870	$45,050	5,590
18	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$80,580	$52,050	1,250
19	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$80,420	$44,900	9,740
20	Hospitals - Local government owned	$79,700	$51,220	1,320
21	Hospitals - Privately owned	$79,560	$42,250	5,580
22	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$79,450	$43,570	290
23	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$78,780	$44,070	3,440
24	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$77,570	$42,670	1,280
25	Employment Services	$76,930	$39,890	480
26	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$76,880	$46,260	5,030
27	Administrative and Support Services	$75,630	$38,460	560
28	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$75,630	$38,460	560
29	Educational Support Services - Privately owned	$75,480	$36,750	1,430
30	Business schools and computer and management training - Privately owned	$75,340	$63,900	80
31	Business Schools and Computer and Management Training	$74,870	$63,290	80
32	Temporary Help Services	$74,320	$38,540	320
33	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$73,200	$45,120	64,280
34	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$72,290	$40,090	500
35	State government, including schools and hospitals	$72,140	$42,960	10,780
36	Offices of All Other Health Practitioners	$72,110	$31,640	290
37	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$71,530	$44,980	3,910
38	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$70,850	$45,820	46,250
39	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$70,610	$46,010	39,840
40	Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$70,480	$34,620	15,590
41	Educational Services - Local government owned	$70,440	$45,820	41,020
42	Educational Support Services	$70,230	$39,370	2,440
43	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$70,200	$45,110	44,040
44	Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)	$69,940	$34,410	14,780
45	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$69,690	$37,580	420
46	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$69,440	$43,440	220
47	Educational Services	$69,330	$43,670	50,760
48	Offices of Physicians	$69,160	$39,730	4,270
49	Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	$68,400	$32,770	150
50	Facilities Support Services	$68,310	$33,060	70
51	Health Care and Social Assistance	$67,770	$35,660	47,400
52	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$67,560	$34,780	26,090
53	Educational Services - Privately owned	$67,340	$37,870	6,830
54	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Privately owned	$66,770	$38,750	3,730
55	Finance and Insurance	$65,650	$41,160	790
56	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$65,410	$41,070	780
57	Educational Support Services - Local government owned	$65,040	$42,720	1,010
58	Insurance Carriers	$64,060	$40,560	710
59	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$63,180	$35,320	910
60	Social Advocacy Organizations	$62,370	$42,270	230
61	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$62,130	$37,400	1,480
62	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$61,880	$39,590	630
63	Outpatient Care Centers	$61,340	$32,910	5,810
64	Child Day Care Services	$60,940	$39,770	350
65	Elementary and Secondary Schools - State government owned	$59,460	$43,720	470
66	Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	$59,430	$32,080	4,880
67	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$59,350	$34,790	3,850
68	Junior colleges - Local government owned	$59,310	$40,030	150
69	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$59,140	$35,800	320
70	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$59,140	$35,800	320
71	Individual and Family Services	$58,610	$34,920	7,020
72	Home Health Care Services	$58,490	$41,690	390
73	Social Assistance	$58,380	$34,830	7,830
74	Vocational Rehabilitation Services	$57,970	$38,580	240
75	Educational Services - State government owned	$57,690	$35,530	2,920
76	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$57,590	$33,100	2,360
77	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities	$57,450	$24,730	830
78	Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities	$56,250	$34,050	1,860
79	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	$54,160	$32,340	2,570
80	Nursing and Residential Care Facilities	$54,150	$32,760	3,750
81	Other Residential Care Facilities	$52,430	$33,790	1,010
82	Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	$52,140	$33,680	1,740
83	Junior Colleges (including private, state, and local government schools)	$51,790	$40,160	240
84	Junior colleges - State government owned	$47,460	$40,100	80
85	Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services	$46,060	$28,450	220
86	Civic and Social Organizations	$43,380	$28,300	30