Last updated: May 10, 2026

Clinical Psychologist Salary in New York

Clinical psychologists in New York earn a median salary of $107,220 per year. Manhattan and Westchester lead the state with median pay above $125,000. Explore detailed New York salary data by metro and employer.

Taylor Rupe

Founder & Editor

B.A. in Psychology, University of Washington — Seattle

Key Takeaways

  • New York pays clinical psychologists a median of $107,220 per year (BLS, 2023).
  • New York employs 12,340 clinical and counseling psychologists, second nationally only to California.
  • New York City–Newark–Jersey City and Nassau–Suffolk lead state metros with median pay above $115,000, while Buffalo and Rochester sit near $88,000.
  • New York is a PSYPACT member state, allowing licensed psychologists to provide telehealth across 40+ states.
  • Top employers include Mount Sinai, NYC Health + Hospitals, NYU Langone, Northwell Health, the VA Healthcare System, and Manhattan-based private practices.

New York employs roughly 12,340 clinical and counseling psychologists statewide, the second-largest workforce in the country behind California. The state median salary of $107,220 sits 12% above the national median, but the metro distribution is among the most lopsided in the U.S. — the New York City metro absorbs nearly two-thirds of the workforce and pays substantially more than upstate markets.

Licensure is administered by the New York State Office of the Professions (a division of the NYS Education Department, not a Board of Psychology). New York requires a doctoral degree, 1,750 hours of supervised experience plus an additional 1,750 hours pre/post-doctoral, and the EPPP. New York joined PSYPACT in 2023, opening the state to interjurisdictional telehealth.

How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, clinical and counseling psychologists in New York earn a median annual wage of $107,220. The lowest 10% earn approximately $54,800, while the highest 10% earn over $182,000.

Manhattan-based cash-pay private practices represent the upper end of New York earnings — established psychologists routinely charge $250–$500 per session and many bill insurance out-of-network for additional revenue. The Mount Sinai, NYU Langone, Northwell, and Columbia academic medical center systems anchor staff psychologist employment in NYC, while upstate markets (Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester) sit closer to the national median.

10th Percentile

$54,800

Median

$107,220

90th Percentile

$182,000

Clinical Psychologist Salary by State

State Median Salary Employment
New Jersey $120,500 3,870
California $117,890 16,420
Oregon $112,210 2,150
New York $107,220 12,340
Washington $106,370 3,680
Massachusetts $103,050 4,920
Connecticut $98,160 2,110
Pennsylvania $90,180 4,310

Clinical Psychologist Salary by Experience Level

Experience Level Salary
Postdoctoral Fellow $50,000–$68,000
Entry Level (0–2 years post-licensure) $72,000–$88,000
Early Career (3–5 years) $92,000–$112,000
Mid-Career (6–12 years) $115,000–$145,000
Senior (13+ years) $145,000–$220,000+

Clinical Psychologist Salary by Metro Area

Metro Area Salary
New York–Newark–Jersey City (NY portion) $118,400
Nassau–Suffolk (Long Island) $115,200
Westchester County (lower Hudson Valley) $112,800
Albany–Schenectady–Troy $95,400
Rochester $88,700
Buffalo–Cheektowaga $87,300
Syracuse $86,500
Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown $93,200

Clinical Psychologist Salary by Employer Type

Employer Type Salary
Manhattan Cash-Pay Private Practice $160,000–$280,000+
Mount Sinai / NYU Langone / Columbia / Northwell $118,000–$160,000
NYC Health + Hospitals $112,000–$148,000
VA Healthcare System (NY locality pay) $120,000–$162,000
NYC Department of Education (school psychology) $70,000–$118,000
Group Practice (insurance + cash mix) $95,000–$140,000
Community Mental Health (FQHCs, nonprofits) $72,000–$95,000

Clinical Psychologist Salary by Education Level

Education Level Salary
Master's Level (LMHC, LCSW — not psychologist) $58,000–$82,000
PsyD (Doctor of Psychology) $98,000–$125,000
PhD in Clinical Psychology $108,000–$140,000
PhD/PsyD + ABPP Board Certification $130,000–$200,000+

How to Increase Your Clinical Psychologist Salary

New York offers some of the strongest cash-pay private practice economics in the country, but the metro premium is concentrated in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and select Long Island/Westchester markets. Strategic moves to maximize NY earnings center on practice model, subspecialty positioning, and leveraging the dense academic medical center network.

  • Establish a Manhattan-based cash-pay private practice in a high-demand niche (eating disorders, OCD, perinatal mental health, executive coaching, trauma) where session rates of $300–$500 are standard.
  • Pursue ABPP board certification in clinical neuropsychology — NYC academic medical centers and forensic neuropsychology practices routinely pay $180,000–$250,000+.
  • Take a staff psychologist role at one of the major NYC academic medical centers (Mount Sinai, NYU Langone, Columbia, Northwell, Weill Cornell). These positions include faculty appointments, research opportunities, and salary scales above community-mental-health pay.
  • Apply to NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest municipal hospital system in the U.S. NYC H+H psychology positions include strong union benefits, CalPERS-equivalent NYCERS pension, and union-negotiated salary scales.
  • Use New York's PSYPACT membership (joined 2023) to build a multi-state telehealth caseload across 40+ states without re-licensing.
  • Take Manhattan-based forensic and expert witness work, which routinely pays $400–$600 per hour for evaluation and testimony in federal and state courts.
  • Negotiate VA positions at the New York Harbor, Bronx, or Northport VA medical centers — federal GS-13/14 psychology roles include New York City locality pay worth roughly 35% above base.

Related Pages

National Clinical Psychologist Salary Guide

National salary breakdown for clinical psychologists across all 50 states.

Psychologist Salary Umbrella

Compare clinical, counseling, neuropsychology, I-O, and forensic psychologist pay.

How to Become a Clinical Psychologist

Education, training, internship, and licensure steps for clinical psychology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Clinical psychologists in New York earn a median annual salary of $107,220 per BLS May 2023 data. The 10th percentile earns about $54,800 while the top 10% earn over $182,000. New York City and Long Island metros lead the state with median pay above $115,000, while upstate metros (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse) sit closer to $87,000.
New York licensure is administered by the NYS Office of the Professions within the State Education Department. Requirements include a doctoral degree from an APA-accredited or NY-registered program, 1,750 supervised hours pre-doctoral and 1,750 supervised hours post-doctoral (3,500 total), passing the EPPP, completing approved coursework in child abuse identification and reporting, and submitting moral character references. The process from doctorate completion to licensure typically takes 1–2 years.
Yes. New York joined the PSYPACT interjurisdictional compact in 2023, allowing New York-licensed psychologists to provide telehealth services across 40+ PSYPACT member states without obtaining additional state licenses. PSYPACT psychologists must complete the IPC (Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate) and E-Passport credentialing through ASPPB before practicing across state lines.
Manhattan-based cash-pay private practices represent the highest earning ceiling, with established psychologists in subspecialty niches earning $200,000–$280,000+ annually. Among salaried positions, the federal VA system in New York (Harbor, Bronx, Northport, Brooklyn) pays $120,000–$162,000 for GS-13/14 roles with NY locality pay. Major academic medical centers (Mount Sinai, NYU Langone, Columbia) generally pay $118,000–$160,000 for staff psychologists with faculty appointments. NYC Health + Hospitals offers strong union benefits and pension at $112,000–$148,000.
Manhattan cash-pay private practice rates in 2026 typically run $250–$500 per 50-minute therapy session, with established psychologists in high-demand niches (eating disorders, OCD, perinatal, executive coaching, trauma) charging $400–$600. Brooklyn and Queens rates run 15–25% lower. Out-of-network psychologists who provide superbills allow clients to claim partial insurance reimbursement, capturing higher rates than in-network practices. Insurance-paneled NY psychologists generally earn $90–$170 per session depending on payer.
Largely yes for Manhattan and Brooklyn. A $130,000 NYC salary translates to roughly $75,000–$80,000 in purchasing power compared to the national average, primarily due to housing costs (Manhattan median rent over $4,500). Outer-borough Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods, plus Hudson Valley, Westchester (north of White Plains), and Long Island Suffolk County offer better salary-to-cost-of-living ratios. Many NYC psychologists optimize by living in Brooklyn, Queens, or New Jersey while billing Manhattan rates.
Strong. New York is projected to add roughly 13% more psychologist positions through 2032, just above the national average. Drivers include expanding integrated behavioral health within Mount Sinai, Northwell, and NYU Langone systems, growing telehealth demand following PSYPACT enactment, and persistent provider shortages in upstate New York. NYC Department of Education school psychology and NYC H+H positions also continue to expand.
New Jersey actually pays clinical psychologists slightly more — median $120,500 vs. New York's $107,220. Many psychologists who live in northern NJ commute into NYC for cash-pay private practice while maintaining NJ residency for lower state taxes and cost of living. Federal VA, academic medical center, and major hospital roles in NJ also tend to match or exceed NYC equivalents at the staff psychologist level. New Jersey also belongs to PSYPACT.

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