Clinical Psychologist Salary in North Carolina: What Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Earn
Clinical and counseling psychologists in North Carolina had a median annual wage of $92,130 in May 2025, 8% below the national median of $100,580.
The state's distribution does not sit on one side of the national line: below at the 10th percentile, above at the 25th, below through the 75th, then 18% above at the 90th.
North Carolina ranks 27th of 48 jurisdictions by median, and its estimated 2,770 psychologists rank 8th of 46 by employment.
Clinical & counseling psychologists · SOC 19-3033
$92,130/yr
−8% vs. national $100,580
$44.29/hr median
Which psychologists this covers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state and national estimates — North Carolina, SOCs 19-3033.
Retrieved 2026-09-24 from the BLS Public Data API.
How to read these figures
North Carolina 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, North Carolina ranks 8th of 46 for clinical and counseling psychologists.
A median $8,450 below national
The North Carolina median of $92,130 is $8,450 below the national median of $100,580 for clinical and counseling psychologists, an 8% gap.
The hourly median runs the same way at $44.29 against $48.36 nationally, $4.07 less per hour.
Among the 48 jurisdictions where BLS publishes a median for this occupation, North Carolina ranks 27th, and the hourly median also ranks 27th.
That sits alongside a large workforce: an estimated 2,770 psychologists in the occupation, 8th of 46 jurisdictions by employment.
So the North Carolina median is not a small-workforce figure; it rests on a large reported workforce and sits below the national middle.
Three crossings of the national line, widest at the 90th percentile
The North Carolina distribution does not sit on one side of the national one — it crosses the line three times.
At the 10th percentile the state is 4% below national: $52,890 against $55,170.
The 25th percentile of $74,460 moves $1,250 above the national $73,210.
The median of $92,130 is back below the national figure, an 8% gap, and the 75th percentile of $122,440 is $12,760 below the national $135,200, 9%.
The 90th percentile then jumps clear: $213,160, $32,200 above the national $180,960, the state's largest gap at 18%.
The step from the 75th to the 90th percentile is $90,720 in North Carolina, against $45,760 nationally.
The middle half spans $47,980, from $74,460 to $122,440, against a national band of $61,990, and the full span from the 10th to the 90th percentile runs $160,270 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 North Carolina row first, then the national one.
An offer at $92,130 matches the state median and sits $8,450 below the national median.
An offer near $74,460, the North Carolina 25th percentile, sits just above the national 25th percentile of $73,210; near the top, $213,160 marks the North Carolina 90th percentile, $32,200 above the national 90th percentile of $180,960.
The spread from the 10th to the 90th percentile runs 4.0 times, against 3.3 times nationally.
For hourly postings, the state hourly median is $44.29 against $48.36 nationally.
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 North Carolina licence.
It does not split psychologists who hold the licensed psychologist title, issued on a provisional or permanent basis, from master's-level licensed psychological associates (LPA), who hold a separate state licence, and it does not reflect the state's health services provider certification (HSP-P / HSP-PA).
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 North Carolina is summarized in psychologist licensure in North Carolina.
Before you weigh an offer, check what licence or certification the posting requires — browse clinical psychologist jobs in North Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do clinical psychologists make in North Carolina?
BLS reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $92,130 for clinical and counseling psychologists in North Carolina, or $44.29 an hour.
That is 8% below the national median of $100,580.
The middle half of North Carolina psychologists earned between $74,460 and $122,440, and the top tenth earned more than $213,160.
Is psychologist pay in North Carolina above or below the national figure?
It depends on the percentile.
North Carolina is 4% below national at the 10th percentile ($52,890 against $55,170) and 2% above at the 25th ($74,460 against $73,210).
The median is 8% below national, the 75th percentile 9% below ($122,440 against $135,200), and the 90th percentile 18% above ($213,160 against $180,960).
How many clinical and counseling psychologists work in North Carolina?
BLS estimates 2,770 clinical and counseling psychologists employed in North Carolina in May 2025, which ranks 8th 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.
Where is North Carolina's gap to national widest?
At the top of the range.
The North Carolina 90th percentile of $213,160 is $32,200 above the national 90th percentile of $180,960, an 18% gap, while every percentile from the median through the 75th sits 8% to 9% below its national counterpart.
The 25th percentile is the one lower mark that sits above, 2% over.
In the middle the state's band runs $47,980, from $74,460 to $122,440, against a national band of $61,990.
More North Carolina Clinical Psychologist Resources
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — North Carolina, 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.