25 Best States For Psychologists

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.

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

 

24. Kentucky

Cost of living index: 90.8

Average annual salary: $65,000

Average hourly wage: $31.25

Number of employees: 1,030

 

23. Florida

Cost of living index: 99

Average annual salary: $71,810

Average hourly wage: $34.52

Number of employees: 2,700

 

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

 

20. Colorado

Cost of living index: 102.1

Average annual salary: $75,860

Average hourly wage: $36.47

Number of employees: 2,600

 

19. Missouri

Cost of living index: 90.8

Average annual salary: $67,570

Average hourly wage: $32.48

Number of employees: 1,370

 

18. Indiana

Cost of living index: 87.9

Average annual salary: $65,520

Average hourly wage: $31.5

Number of employees: 1,220

 

17. New Jersey

Cost of living index: 121

Average annual salary: $90,520

Average hourly wage: $43.51

Number of employees: 3,670

 

16. Nebraska

Cost of living index: 91.3

Average annual salary: $69,160

Average hourly wage: $33.25

Number of employees: 540

 

15. Delaware

Cost of living index: 102.6

Average annual salary: $78,680

Average hourly wage: $37.82

Number of employees: 310

 

14. Maine

Cost of living index: 112

Average annual salary: $96,170

Average hourly wage: $41.42

Number of employees: 240

 

13. Virginia

Cost of living index: 100.2

Average annual salary: $77,570

Average hourly wage: $37.29

Number of employees: 2,460

 

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.

 

11. Wyoming

Cost of living index: 91.7

Average annual salary: $72,160

Average hourly wage: $34.69

Number of employees: 250

 

10. Idaho

Cost of living index: 89.6

Average annual salary: $70,910

Average hourly wage: $34.09

Number of employees: 520

 

9. Wisconsin

Cost of living index: 96.9

Average annual salary: $77,380

Average hourly wage: $37.20

Number of employees: 1,980

 

8. North Dakota

Cost of living index: 98.9

Average annual salary: $79,910

Average hourly wage: $38.41

Number of employees: 200

 

7. Iowa

Cost of living index: 91.7

Average annual salary: $75,400

Average hourly wage: $36.25

Number of employees: 670

 

6. Louisiana

Cost of living index: 94.4

Average annual salary: $78,090

Average hourly wage: $37.54

Number of employees: 380

 

5. Tennessee

Cost of living index: 89.8

Average annual wage: $74,660

Average hourly wage: $35.89

Number of employees: 1,690

 

4. Georgia

Cost of living index: 91.4

Average annual salary: $76,240

Average hourly wage: $36.65

Number of employees: 2,080

 

3. Michigan

Cost of living index: 88.2

Average annual salary: $73,810

Average hourly wage: $35.48

Number of employees: 2,760

 

2. South Dakota

Cost of living index: 102.8

Average annual salary: $86,100

Average hourly wage: $41.39

Number of employees: 270

 

1. Alabama

Cost of living index: 91.2

Average annual salary: $77,980

Average hourly wage: $37.49

Number of employees: 640

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.