Educational Psychologist Salary
Educational psychologists earn a national median of $110,840 under the BLS "Psychologists, All Other" category. See the full educational psychologist salary picture by state, setting, and experience, and why job-site numbers disagree.
Key Takeaways
- Educational psychologists fall under the BLS "Psychologists, All Other" category, which pays a median of $110,840 a year, with the top 10% clearing $168,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- There is no BLS occupation code named "educational psychologist." O*NET confirms the title lands in the 19-3039 catch-all, which is why job-site numbers for it swing from about $75,000 to $140,000.
- California pays educational psychologists the most among large-sample states, a median of $157,540 across 1,600 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- Psychologist employment is projected to grow 6% from 2024 to 2034, with about 12,900 openings a year across all specialties (BLS OOH).
- Many educational psychology jobs hire at the master's level, and California even licenses master's-trained practitioners as Licensed Educational Psychologists.
An educational psychologist salary depends far more on where you work and what degree you hold than on the job title itself. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median at $110,840 a year for the "Psychologists, All Other" category these roles fall under. Most job-site numbers run lower, and there's a specific reason why.
That $110,840 sits well above the $95,990 median for K-12 school psychologists, the closest related role. But the spread is wide. A master's-trained assessment specialist and a PhD research director both get counted here, and they earn very different money.
Why Salary Numbers for This Job Vary So Wildly
Start with the real problem: there's no BLS occupation code named "educational psychologist." O*NET confirms the title has no dedicated code and folds into the 19-3039 catch-all, the same bucket that holds forensic, criminal, sports, health, and developmental psychologists. It's a broad, mixed group.
That's why every website shows a different number. Payscale reports $75,089, PsychologyJobs.com $82,180, ZipRecruiter $92,813, Glassdoor $116,355, and Salary.com $139,828 for the same job title. Each one scrapes a different self-reported sample of people who happened to write "educational psychologist" on a profile, so none of them agree.
So this page anchors on the BLS OEWS 19-3039 data and treats those job-site numbers as a range around it, not five competing truths. One more caveat before the state table: 19-3039 state samples are small and noisy, so a few states look like top payers on very thin data. The employment column shows you which numbers to trust.
This page anchors on the fresher May 2025 BLS median of $110,840 for the 19-3039 code, the same figure our psychologist salary overview now uses.
How Much Do Educational Psychologists Make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychologists in the "All Other" category earn a median of $110,840 a year, or about $53.29 an hour. The lowest 10% earn around $54,990, while the top 10% clear $168,520. The middle half runs from $68,850 to $147,240. Roughly 18,820 people work under this code nationwide.
Those percentiles matter more here than usual. Because the code mixes so many specialties, the low end often reflects master's-level assessment jobs and the high end reflects PhD research directors at test publishers and ed-tech firms. Where you land inside that $54,990 to $168,520 spread comes down to your degree and your setting.
The setting hierarchy is the clearest way to read that spread. Government and university base pay anchors the middle, school-district research offices sit a step above on administrator scales, and private test publishers and ed-tech firms occupy the top. Your degree then moves you up or down within whichever lane you pick.
10th Percentile
$54,990
Median
$110,840
90th Percentile
$168,520
Educational Psychologist Salary by State
| State | Median Salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $157,540 | 1,600 |
| Kentucky | $149,990 | 300 |
| Nevada | $146,850 | 100 |
| Oklahoma | $141,290 | 90 |
| Virginia | $140,640 | 510 |
| Iowa | $138,420 | 60 |
| Hawaii | $135,680 | 160 |
| Utah | $135,200 | 110 |
| Florida | $134,690 | 910 |
| New Jersey | $132,220 | 370 |
| New York | $128,320 | 680 |
| North Carolina | $126,440 | 570 |
| Michigan | $88,510 | 410 |
| Oregon | $86,680 | 840 |
| Wisconsin | $81,860 | 1,080 |
| Vermont | $81,080 | 80 |
| Illinois | $69,810 | 1,120 |
| West Virginia | $46,350 | 230 |
Educational Psychologist Salary by Experience Level
| Experience Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level (0-2 years) | $52,000-$70,000 |
| Early Career (3-5 years) | $68,000-$92,000 |
| Mid-Career (6-12 years) | $92,000-$128,000 |
| Senior (13+ years) | $128,000-$168,000+ |
| Lead Researcher / Director | $155,000-$210,000+ |
Educational Psychologist Salary by Employer Type
| Employer Type | Salary |
|---|---|
| Ed-Tech & Learning Analytics | $115,000-$185,000+ |
| Test Publishers (Assessment Development) | $110,000-$175,000+ |
| School District Research & Assessment | $90,000-$130,000 |
| State DOE & Government | $75,000-$115,000 |
| University Research & Faculty | $70,000-$120,000 |
Educational Psychologist Salary by Education Level
| Education Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's in Educational Psychology | $52,000-$78,000 |
| EdS / Educational Specialist | $65,000-$95,000 |
| PhD in Educational Psychology | $85,000-$140,000 |
| PhD + Senior Research or Leadership Role | $130,000-$185,000+ |
How to Increase Your Educational Psychologist Salary
Raising an educational psychologist salary is mostly about moving toward research and assessment roles in the private sector, where the money sits. Academic and district jobs offer stability and good benefits, but test publishers and ed-tech firms pay the top of the range. The APA Division 15 community is where a lot of that networking happens.
- Aim for test-publisher or ed-tech research roles, which pay $115,000 to $185,000, well above university and district scales.
- Finish the PhD if you want research-director or faculty pay. Master's-level jobs top out far lower.
- In California, add the Licensed Educational Psychologist credential so you can bill for private assessment work. The CASP LEP FAQ walks through the requirements.
- Specialize in psychometrics, test development, or learning analytics. Qualified people are scarce and the pay reflects it.
- Target school-district research and assessment offices, which pay on administrator scales above classroom school psychologist salaries.
- Publish measurement and assessment research to move into senior scientist and lead-researcher roles.
Related Pages
How to Become an Educational Psychologist
The research and PhD path into learning science, and how it differs from school psychology.
How to Become a School Psychologist
The adjacent K-12 role, with the training path and licensure steps.
Child Psychologist Salary
Another specialty in the broader psychologist wage picture.
School Psychology Degree Programs
Accredited programs for the closest licensed practitioner path.
Best Online Master's in Psychology
Master's options that open assessment and research roles.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Psychologists, All Other (SOC 19-3039), May 2025
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Psychologists
- O*NET OnLine: Psychologists, All Other (19-3039.00)
- APA Division 15 (Educational Psychology)
- California Board of Behavioral Sciences: Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP)
- California Association of School Psychologists: Licensed Educational Psychologists FAQ
- NASP: What Is a School Psychologist
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