If you’ve ever wondered what the best states for psychologists are, look no further than this list.
Psychologists are interesting people to me. I know psychology majors in college are pretty annoying, at least in my experiences, but, actually, the worst kinds of people are the ones who take one psychology class and then try to psychoanalyze everyone they know. I took a psychology class my first year at college, and while it was interesting, it was mostly pretty boring and stressful. I hated the exams because they were so meticulous and I had to buy scantrons and that was always my least favorite thing to do. Going to the bookstore just to buy a scantron and nothing else always took forever because the lines in college bookstores wrap so far around, so you have to make sure you plan ahead or you’ll be late for your exam. I passed the class, though, no worries.
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Psychologists help people who are experiencing mental health disorders to learn coping mechanisms and try to overcome them. They can also work for universities to do research and teach others how to become psychologists, which is a common job path for many in this field. Psychologists are extremely important individuals in the health community, though, because they help us understand mental illnesses that are often ignored, misdiagnosed, or stigmatized. Seeing a psychologist now is fortunately a lot more commonplace than it was in previous years. Along these same lines, we also took a look at the best states for psychiatrists, who also have extensive psychologist experience.
In order to create this list of best states for psychologists, it’s important that we looked at the following factors: cost of living index, average annual salary/average hourly wage, and the number of psychologists already employed in each state. The two most important things to look at are the cost of living and the average annual salary. We took the average of those, which were taken from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, respectively, to create our rankings. The states with the best combination of low cost of living and high salary are the ones at the top of the list. It’s crucial to note that just because your salary can be high in a certain state if the cost of living is too high, it may not be worth it to live there.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best states for psychologists.
25. Illinois
Cost of living index: 95.5
Average annual salary: $68,010
Average hourly wage: $32.69
Number of employees: 4,110
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24. Kentucky
Cost of living index: 90.8
Average annual salary: $65,000
Average hourly wage: $31.25
Number of employees: 1,030
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23. Florida
Cost of living index: 99
Average annual salary: $71,810
Average hourly wage: $34.52
Number of employees: 2,700
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22. Arkansas
Cost of living index: 88.5
Average annual salary: $64,300
Average hourly wage: $30.91
Number of employees: 530
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21. Minnesota
Cost of living index: 101.1
Average annual salary: $73,610
Average hourly wage: $35.38
Number of employees: 3,110
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20. Colorado
Cost of living index: 102.1
Average annual salary: $75,860
Average hourly wage: $36.47
Number of employees: 2,600
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19. Missouri
Cost of living index: 90.8
Average annual salary: $67,570
Average hourly wage: $32.48
Number of employees: 1,370
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18. Indiana
Cost of living index: 87.9
Average annual salary: $65,520
Average hourly wage: $31.5
Number of employees: 1,220
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17. New Jersey
Cost of living index: 121
Average annual salary: $90,520
Average hourly wage: $43.51
Number of employees: 3,670
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16. Nebraska
Cost of living index: 91.3
Average annual salary: $69,160
Average hourly wage: $33.25
Number of employees: 540
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15. Delaware
Cost of living index: 102.6
Average annual salary: $78,680
Average hourly wage: $37.82
Number of employees: 310
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14. Maine
Cost of living index: 112
Average annual salary: $96,170
Average hourly wage: $41.42
Number of employees: 240
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13. Virginia
Cost of living index: 100.2
Average annual salary: $77,570
Average hourly wage: $37.29
Number of employees: 2,460
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12. Ohio
Cost of living index: 93
Average annual salary: $72,670
Average hourly wage: $34.93
Number of employees: 3,230
We’re halfway through our list of best states for psychologists, and now, let’ see the other half.
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11. Wyoming
Cost of living index: 91.7
Average annual salary: $72,160
Average hourly wage: $34.69
Number of employees: 250
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10. Idaho
Cost of living index: 89.6
Average annual salary: $70,910
Average hourly wage: $34.09
Number of employees: 520
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9. Wisconsin
Cost of living index: 96.9
Average annual salary: $77,380
Average hourly wage: $37.20
Number of employees: 1,980
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8. North Dakota
Cost of living index: 98.9
Average annual salary: $79,910
Average hourly wage: $38.41
Number of employees: 200
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7. Iowa
Cost of living index: 91.7
Average annual salary: $75,400
Average hourly wage: $36.25
Number of employees: 670
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6. Louisiana
Cost of living index: 94.4
Average annual salary: $78,090
Average hourly wage: $37.54
Number of employees: 380
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5. Tennessee
Cost of living index: 89.8
Average annual wage: $74,660
Average hourly wage: $35.89
Number of employees: 1,690
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4. Georgia
Cost of living index: 91.4
Average annual salary: $76,240
Average hourly wage: $36.65
Number of employees: 2,080
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3. Michigan
Cost of living index: 88.2
Average annual salary: $73,810
Average hourly wage: $35.48
Number of employees: 2,760
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2. South Dakota
Cost of living index: 102.8
Average annual salary: $86,100
Average hourly wage: $41.39
Number of employees: 270
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1. Alabama
Cost of living index: 91.2
Average annual salary: $77,980
Average hourly wage: $37.49
Number of employees: 640
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That concludes our list of the best states for psychologists. Whether you’re looking to see a psychologist or you are one and you’re looking for a new place to live and work, let this list guide you to your new home.
