Geropsychologist Salary
Geropsychologists earn a national median of $100,580 under the BLS Clinical and Counseling Psychologists category. See the full geropsychologist salary picture by state, percentile, employer type, and ABPP board certification.
Key Takeaways
- Geropsychology falls under the BLS Clinical and Counseling Psychologists category, with a national median of $100,580 and the top 10% clearing $180,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). No separate federal code exists for the specialty.
- The highest geropsychologist salary figures show up in Oregon ($134,350), New Jersey ($127,090), and Arizona ($119,010), per BLS state wage data. Alaska posts a higher $124,270 median, but on only 40 psychologists, a sample too small to rank on.
- ABPP board certification in geropsychology requires two or more years of post-licensure practice, so the geropsychology pay premium arrives after licensure, not before.
- Only about 1% of doctoral psychologists specialize in aging, against a projected 71% rise in demand for psychologists serving adults 75 and older from 2015 to 2030 (national workforce survey).
- Psychologist employment is projected to grow 6% through 2034, with about 12,900 annual openings (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
A geropsychologist salary tracks the same federal data as clinical psychology, because geropsychology is a specialty inside clinical psychology, not a separate job code. If you want to know how much geropsychologists make, the honest answer starts with a national median of $100,580 and a wide spread from $55,170 to $180,960.
There's no standalone Bureau of Labor Statistics code for geropsychology. The BLS folds it into Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (SOC 19-3033). So the geropsychologist salary you'll actually earn depends on your setting, your state, and whether you hold ABPP board certification in geropsychology.
How Much Do Geropsychologists Make?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median of $100,580 for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, the category that holds geropsychology. That works out to about $48.36 an hour. The bottom 10% earn around $55,170, and the top 10% clear $180,960. This group employs roughly 75,990 psychologists nationwide.
Those numbers blend generalists and specialists, so an entry-level geropsychologist salary looks a lot like general clinical psychology pay. The geropsychology premium shows up later, once you add long-term-care experience and board certification through the American Board of Professional Psychology.
State and setting move a geropsychologist salary more than the job title does. A staff psychologist in a rural nursing facility earns nothing like a board-certified geropsychologist running a Medicare Part B consulting caseload across several long-term-care sites. Retiree-heavy markets like Florida and Arizona keep that consulting demand steady, which the tables below break down.
10th Percentile
$55,170
Median
$100,580
90th Percentile
$180,960
Geropsychologist Salary by State
| State | Median Salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $134,350 | 540 |
| New Jersey | $127,090 | 2,700 |
| Alaska | $124,270 | 40 |
| Arizona | $119,010 | 730 |
| Hawaii | $117,860 | 250 |
| North Dakota | $116,130 | 170 |
| California | $116,000 | 12,840 |
| Washington | $115,240 | 1,270 |
| Massachusetts | $115,180 | 2,860 |
| New York | $114,400 | 8,420 |
| Wisconsin | $113,360 | 1,150 |
| Minnesota | $107,030 | 1,290 |
| Ohio | $101,190 | 2,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $91,870 | 3,140 |
| Florida | $85,610 | 3,040 |
| Illinois | $83,750 | 5,810 |
| Texas | $83,660 | 3,640 |
| Tennessee | $76,820 | 1,180 |
Geropsychologist Salary by Experience Level
| Experience Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| Postdoctoral Fellow / Resident | $48,000-$62,000 |
| Entry Level (0-2 years, general clinical track) | $55,000-$73,000 |
| Early Career (3-5 years) | $73,000-$100,000 |
| Mid-Career (6-12 years) | $100,000-$135,000 |
| Senior (13+ years) | $135,000-$181,000+ |
| Senior + ABPP-GERO + LTC Consulting | $150,000-$200,000+ |
Geropsychologist Salary by Employer Type
| Employer Type | Salary |
|---|---|
| VA Staff Geropsychologist (GS-13) | $115,000-$145,000+ |
| LTC / Nursing Facility Consulting (Medicare Part B) | $110,000-$180,000+ |
| Private Practice (older-adult therapy) | $90,000-$150,000 |
| Hospital & Health System | $95,000-$130,000 |
| Academic Medical Center / Memory Clinic | $85,000-$115,000 |
| Community Mental Health & Aging Services | $70,000-$100,000 |
Geropsychologist Salary by Education Level
| Education Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree (aging-services roles only) | $50,000-$70,000 |
| PsyD in Clinical Psychology | $85,000-$120,000 |
| PhD in Clinical Psychology | $95,000-$135,000 |
| PhD/PsyD + ABPP-GERO Board Certification | $120,000-$180,000+ |
How to Increase Your Geropsychologist Salary
Geropsychologists raise their pay by specializing after licensure, not before. Demand is on their side: only about 1% of doctoral psychologists focus on aging, while the need for psychologists serving adults 75 and older is projected to climb 71% from 2015 to 2030. Board certification and long-term-care experience turn that shortage into leverage.
- Earn ABPP-GERO board certification, which asks for two or more years of post-licensure practice with at least one year devoted to older-adult services.
- Target VA geropsychology roles, which are usually GS-13 and pair a solid base with locality pay, strong benefits, and loan repayment.
- Build a Medicare Part B consulting caseload in nursing facilities and long-term-care settings, where high session volume can out-earn a salaried hospital role.
- Move to or get licensed in a higher-paying state. BLS state data puts Oregon, New Jersey, and Arizona well above the national median.
- Specialize in dementia assessment, memory-clinic work, and decision-making capacity evaluations, where qualified geropsychologists are scarce.
- Serve retiree-heavy markets like Florida and Arizona, where an aging population keeps demand for older-adult mental health services climbing.
Related Pages
How to Become a Geropsychologist
The doctoral pathway into geropsychology, from degree to ABPP-GERO board certification.
Best Geropsychology Graduate Certificates
Aging-focused graduate certificates that add a geropsychology specialization to a psychology degree.
Clinical Psychologist Salary in California
California employs 12,840 psychologists in this category, more than any other state.
Clinical Psychologist Salary in Florida
How Florida's retiree population drives geriatric and neuropsychology demand.
Neuropsychologist Salary
Compare geropsychology pay with the dementia and cognitive-testing specialty.
Sources
- BLS Wages API: Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (SOC 19-3033, May 2025)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Psychologists
- BLS OEWS: Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (occupation page)
- ABPP: Geropsychology Specialty-Specific Requirements
- PMC, Building the Geropsychology Workforce: A National Survey and Virtual Conference
- American Board of Professional Psychology
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