Clinical Psychologist Salary in Kentucky: What Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Earn
Clinical and counseling psychologists in Kentucky had a median annual wage of $99,140 in May 2025, 1% below the national median of $100,580.
The gap is not spread evenly: the 75th percentile is $400 short of its national counterpart, while the 10th percentile sits 11% below.
Kentucky ranks 22nd of 48 jurisdictions by median and 26th of 46 by employment, with an estimated 710 psychologists in the occupation.
Clinical & counseling psychologists · SOC 19-3033
$99,140/yr
−1% vs. national $100,580
$47.66/hr median
Which psychologists this covers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state and national estimates — Kentucky, SOCs 19-3033.
Retrieved 2026-09-24 from the BLS Public Data API.
How to read these figures
Kentucky vs. the national figure
Each occupation is compared with its own national median from the same May 2025 release, and the national clinical psychologist salary page gives the national distribution.
Ranks count only the jurisdictions (states plus DC) where BLS publishes that occupation’s figure.
Differences are whole percentages of the national figure, rounded half away from zero, computed from the figures shown.
By estimated employment, Kentucky ranks 26th of 46 for clinical and counseling psychologists.
A median $1,440 below national
The Kentucky median of $99,140 is $1,440 below the national median of $100,580 for clinical and counseling psychologists, a 1% gap.
The hourly median tells the same story at $47.66 against $48.36 nationally.
Among the 48 jurisdictions where BLS publishes a median for this occupation, Kentucky ranks 22nd.
An estimated 710 clinical and counseling psychologists work in the state, 26th of the 46 jurisdictions where BLS publishes both a median and an employment estimate.
The Kentucky figure is a full-distribution estimate from a workforce of that size, and its median sits 1% below the national middle.
The shortfall concentrates at the bottom of the distribution
At the 10th percentile, Kentucky is $5,950 below the national figure, $49,220 against $55,170, an 11% gap.
The 25th percentile of $66,720 is 9% below the national $73,210.
From there the gap narrows: the median is 1% below national, and the 75th percentile of $134,800 is $400 short of the national $135,200, the closest any Kentucky percentile comes to its national counterpart.
The 90th percentile of $174,820 is 3% below the national $180,960, a $6,140 gap.
The middle half of Kentucky psychologists spans $68,080, against a national band of $61,990, and the full span from 10th to 90th percentile is $125,600 against $125,790 nationally.
What this figure covers: Clinical and counseling psychologists only.
School psychologists and "psychologists, all other" (SOC 19-3039) are separate occupations and are not in this figure.
OEWS counts wage and salary workers, so psychologists in their own private practice are not counted.
Reading an offer against these figures
Compare an offer with the Kentucky row first, then the national one.
An offer at $99,140 is the Kentucky median but $1,440 below the national median.
Near the floor, an offer at $66,720 sits at the Kentucky 25th percentile, 9% below the national 25th.
At the top, $134,800 marks the Kentucky 75th percentile and sits just $400 below the national 75th percentile of $135,200, the point where the Kentucky figures come closest to the national ones.
The Kentucky 90th percentile is $174,820, $6,140 below the national $180,960.
A percentile is a position in the state distribution, not a pay step or a measure of time in the field.
What this figure does and does not describe
This row is the BLS occupation for clinical and counseling psychologists, not a figure for one Kentucky licence.
It does not split licensed psychologists, the doctoral-level licence, from master's-level licensees: the licensed psychological associate (LPA) licence and the licensed psychological practitioner (LPP) licence are separate Kentucky credentials, and the row does not isolate either.
It also does not separate psychologists who hold the state's health service provider designation from those who do not.
Nor is it a count of licence holders: OEWS classifies workers by job duties, not by the credential they hold.
Check which licence a posting asks for before comparing its pay with this row.
What each licence requires in Kentucky is summarized in psychologist licensure in Kentucky.
Before you weigh an offer, check what licence or certification the posting requires — browse clinical psychologist jobs in Kentucky.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do clinical psychologists make in Kentucky?
BLS reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $99,140 for clinical and counseling psychologists in Kentucky, or $47.66 an hour.
That is 1% below the national median of $100,580.
The middle half of Kentucky psychologists earned between $66,720 and $134,800, and the top tenth earned more than $174,820.
Is psychologist pay in Kentucky below the national figure everywhere in the distribution?
No. The Kentucky median of $99,140 is only 1% below the national median, and the 75th percentile of $134,800 is $400 short of its national counterpart.
The shortfall is wider at the bottom: the 10th percentile is 11% below national, $49,220 against $55,170, and the 25th is 9% below.
The 90th percentile is 3% below national.
How many clinical and counseling psychologists work in Kentucky?
BLS estimates 710 clinical and counseling psychologists employed in Kentucky in May 2025, which ranks 26th of the 46 jurisdictions where BLS publishes both a median and an employment estimate for the occupation.
That is a count of people in jobs during the survey period, not of open positions, and it covers only this one occupation.
More Kentucky Clinical Psychologist Resources
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — Kentucky, SOC 19-3033 (BLS Public Data API) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 national estimates — SOC 19-3033 (BLS Public Data API) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
Wage figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 state and national estimates, SOCs 19-3033, retrieved 2026-09-24.
Page last updated 2026-09-29.