Clinical Psychologist Salary in Washington, DC: What Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Earn
Clinical and counseling psychologists in Washington, DC had a median annual wage of $107,000 in May 2025, 6% above the national median of $100,580.
The median ranks 17th of the 48 jurisdictions that publish one, and the hourly median of $51.44 also ranks 17th.
The District's employment estimate is small — 220 psychologists, 39th of the 46 jurisdictions that also publish an employment estimate — so this page quotes the median, the hourly median and the ranks, and reads the percentile tails only in the table.
Clinical & counseling psychologists · SOC 19-3033
$107,000/yr
+6% vs. national $100,580
$51.44/hr median
Which psychologists this covers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state and national estimates — Washington, DC, SOCs 19-3033.
Retrieved 2026-09-24 from the BLS Public Data API.
How to read these figures
Washington, DC 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, Washington, DC ranks 39th of 46 for clinical and counseling psychologists.
A median $6,420 above national
The Washington, DC median of $107,000 is $6,420 above the national median of $100,580 for clinical and counseling psychologists, a 6% gap.
The hourly median tells the same story at $51.44 against $48.36 nationally, $3.08 more per hour.
Among the 48 jurisdictions where BLS publishes a median for this occupation, Washington, DC ranks 17th, and the hourly median also ranks 17th.
The District's estimated employment of 220 ranks 39th of the 46 jurisdictions that publish both a median and an employment estimate for the occupation — a small reported workforce, which is why this page reads the distribution at the median only.
Where the Washington, DC median sits in the national distribution
The Washington, DC median of $107,000 is $6,420 above the national median of $100,580 and sits below the national 75th percentile of $135,200, in the upper part of the national middle half.
Nationally, the middle half spans $61,990, from $73,210 to $135,200, and the 90th percentile reaches $180,960.
This page reads the Washington, DC distribution at the median only.
The occupation's employment estimate here is small — 220 — so the District's percentile tails are not analysed; the table under this section shows them, and the section below explains the caveat.
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.
⚠️ BLS's employment estimate for this occupation in Washington, DC is 220 — under 500, so these percentiles rest on a small sample.
Read the median; treat the tails with caution.
Reading an offer against these figures
Compare an offer with the Washington, DC median first: $107,000, the figure this page reads the District by.
An offer at $107,000 is $6,420 above the national median of $100,580 and sits below the national 75th percentile of $135,200, where the national middle half ends.
An offer above $135,200 clears the national middle half outright; this page does not place it in the Washington, DC distribution, because the District's percentile tails are not analysed here.
A percentile is a position in a 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 Washington, DC licence title.
Nor is it a count of licence holders: OEWS classifies workers by job duties, not by the credential they hold.
The District licenses two titles — Psychologist and Psychology Associate, the latter open to master's or doctoral graduates — and the row does not separate them, or any other stage of licensure.
The District's licensure pages linked under this section own the title rules; check which licence a posting asks for before comparing its pay with this row.
What each licence requires in Washington, DC is summarized in psychologist licensure in Washington, DC.
Before you weigh an offer, check what licence or certification the posting requires — browse clinical psychologist jobs.
Why the analysis stops at the median
Washington, DC's row for clinical and counseling psychologists carries a small employment estimate: BLS counts 220 in the occupation, a small reported workforce.
That is why this page quotes the median, the hourly median and the ranks, and stops there.
The percentile table under the distribution section still renders every figure BLS publishes, but with a count this small the page does not analyse the 10th, 25th, 75th or 90th percentiles or build any statement on them.
The median, not the tails, is the figure to carry away from this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do clinical psychologists make in Washington, DC?
BLS reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $107,000 for clinical and counseling psychologists in Washington, DC, or $51.44 an hour.
That is 6% above the national median of $100,580.
The District's employment estimate for the occupation is small — 220 — so the figure to compare an offer with is the median, not the percentile tails.
How many clinical and counseling psychologists work in Washington, DC?
BLS estimates 220 clinical and counseling psychologists employed in Washington, DC in May 2025, which ranks 39th 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 does Washington, DC rank among jurisdictions publishing a psychologist median?
Among the 48 jurisdictions where BLS publishes a median for clinical and counseling psychologists, Washington, DC ranks 17th.
The hourly median of $51.44 also ranks 17th.
A rank compares the published figures only; the rows carry nothing that explains why one place's median differs from another's.
What do the highest-earning psychologists in Washington, DC make?
BLS publishes a 90th percentile for the occupation, and the table under the distribution section shows it, but because the District's reported workforce is small (220), the page quotes no tail figure in its analysis.
For scale, the national 90th percentile is $180,960 — the Washington, DC figure is not one this page interprets.
More Washington, DC Clinical Psychologist Resources
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — District of Columbia, 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.