Developmental Psychologist Salary
A developmental psychologist salary runs a national median of $110,840 under the BLS "Psychologists, All Other" category, but that number blends several specialties. This page breaks down the real spread by state, career track, and experience, and why almost every salary site uses the wrong BLS code for this job.
Key Takeaways
- A developmental psychologist salary sits at a national median of $110,840, with the top 10% clearing $168,520, under the BLS "Psychologists, All Other" category (BLS, May 2025).
- The BLS has no separate code for developmental psychologists. They're grouped with forensic, sports, and health psychologists in SOC 19-3039, so read that $110,840 median as a proxy, not a precise figure (BLS OEWS).
- Career track drives pay more than location. A postdoc might earn $50,000 to $65,000 while a tenured full professor can clear $150,000 with grants and summer salary (APA Division 7).
- California pays the most and holds the largest, most trustworthy sample: a median of $157,540 across roughly 1,600 psychologists (BLS, May 2025).
- Jobs in this BLS group are projected to grow about 3% to 4% from 2024 to 2034, roughly 3,900 openings a year (O*NET), slower than the 6% projected for all psychologists (BLS OOH).
Developmental psychologists study how people grow and change from infancy through old age. Most work in research or academia, and a smaller share do applied work like test design and program evaluation. That mix is exactly why a developmental psychologist salary is hard to pin down with one number.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't track developmental psychologists on their own. It counts them under "Psychologists, All Other" (SOC 19-3039), a residual bucket that also holds forensic, sports, and health psychologists. The national median there is $110,840, and your career track moves pay more than your job title ever will.
If you plan to do hands-on clinical work with kids, the child psychologist salary page carries the closer number for that specific job.
How Much Do Developmental Psychologists Make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychologists in the "All Other" group, which includes developmental psychologists, earn a median of $110,840 a year, or about $53.29 an hour. The lowest 10% earn around $54,990, and the top 10% clear $168,520.
That's a wide spread, and it's real. This group holds only about 18,820 psychologists nationwide, so the sample is small and mixes several specialties together. Read the median as a solid ballpark for a developmental psychologist salary, not a precise figure for the job on its own.
Watch out for salary sites that quote one tidy number for this role. Most pull the wrong BLS category, usually the clinical and counseling code, or an uncited crowdsourced average with no source at all. The honest answer is that no BLS code covers developmental psychologists alone, and the closest match, SOC 19-3039, folds this specialty in with a few others.
The state numbers below come from the same source, but the per-state samples are tiny, so treat them as rough signals. California is the one figure worth leaning on here, because it has the largest sample by far. States with fewer than a few hundred people in the group can swing thousands of dollars from one year to the next.
10th Percentile
$54,990
Median
$110,840
90th Percentile
$168,520
Developmental Psychologist Salary by State
| State | Median Salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $157,540 | 1,600 |
| Virginia | $140,640 | 510 |
| Florida | $134,690 | 910 |
| Massachusetts | $129,410 | 500 |
| New York | $128,320 | 680 |
| Washington | $128,230 | 370 |
| North Carolina | $126,440 | 570 |
| Maryland | $109,970 | 840 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,650 | 780 |
| Oregon | $86,680 | 840 |
| Wisconsin | $81,860 | 1,080 |
| Illinois | $69,810 | 1,120 |
Developmental Psychologist Salary by Experience Level
| Experience Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| Doctoral Student / Research Assistant | $25,000 to $40,000 |
| Postdoctoral Researcher | $50,000 to $65,000 |
| Early Career (0-3 years) | $60,000 to $85,000 |
| Mid-Career (4-10 years) | $85,000 to $120,000 |
| Senior / Tenured Faculty (10+ years) | $120,000 to $168,000+ |
| Full Professor with Grant Funding | $150,000 to $200,000+ |
Developmental Psychologist Salary by Employer Type
| Employer Type | Salary |
|---|---|
| University Faculty (Tenure Track) | $70,000 to $180,000+ |
| Postdoctoral Research (Soft Money) | $50,000 to $65,000 |
| Government & Nonprofit Research | $80,000 to $130,000 |
| Industry & UX Research (Ed-Tech, Test Publishers) | $95,000 to $150,000 |
| Applied / Licensed Practice with Children | $90,000 to $130,000 |
| Assessment & Test Development | $85,000 to $135,000 |
Developmental Psychologist Salary by Education Level
| Education Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's in Developmental Psychology | $45,000 to $65,000 |
| PhD Candidate / ABD (Assistantship) | $25,000 to $40,000 |
| PhD in Developmental Psychology | $80,000 to $130,000 |
| PhD + Licensure (Applied or Clinical Work) | $100,000 to $150,000+ |
How to Increase Your Developmental Psychologist Salary
Most developmental psychologists raise their pay by choosing a track deliberately, not by waiting for annual raises. The Society for Developmental Psychology points to research funding, applied skills, and industry demand as the levers that separate a $65,000 postdoc from a $150,000 senior scientist.
The single biggest driver is which track you commit to. Academic roles reward you slowly but offer tenure and freedom. Research-scientist roles in government, ed-tech, and assessment pay faster and scale with seniority. Applied practice with a license pushes you toward clinical pay. Pick the track that fits your money timeline, then optimize inside it.
- Chase grant funding early. Faculty who bring in federal research money often add summer salary worth 20% to 30% of their base pay.
- Consider industry research at ed-tech companies or test publishers building developmental screeners, which frequently out-pay academia at the same experience level.
- Add licensure if you do applied or clinical work with children, since that crosses you into clinical psychologist pay territory of $100,000 and up.
- Choose hard-money faculty lines (university-funded) over soft-money grant positions to trade a slightly lower ceiling for real income stability.
- Build a scarce methods specialty like psychometrics or longitudinal analysis, which research teams pay a premium to hire.
- Weigh government and nonprofit research centers, which pair mid-range pay with strong benefits and public-service loan forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility that salary tables never show.
Related Pages
How to Become a Developmental Psychologist
The PhD-focused research path into studying how people change across the lifespan.
Child Psychologist Salary
The closer number if you plan to do hands-on clinical work with children.
Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist Salary
How psychology pay compares to the medical route into mental health.
Child & Developmental Psychology Programs
Compare degree programs that lead into developmental psychology research and practice.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Psychologists, All Other (May 2025)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Psychologists
- O*NET OnLine: Psychologists, All Other (19-3039.00)
- APA Division 7: Society for Developmental Psychology
- Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
- American Board of Professional Psychology: Specialty Boards
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