Psychotherapists employed in the United States generally report earning salaries in the range from $35,552 to $169,428 a year including bonuses according to the salary information provided by Payscale.
Self-employed psychotherapists typically earn an annual pay in the range from $48,000 to $81,389 according to Payscale’s salary data. Psychotherapists specializing in counseling generally make between $33,698 and $70,971 a year, and those specializing in clinical psychology earn a yearly income in the range from $34,693 to $75,848.
Salary range
The salary range for psychotherapists employed in the U.S. can vary depending on a wide range of factors, including work experience.
Psychotherapists with 1 to 4 years of experience typically earn salaries in the range from $30,284 to $59,282 a year. Those with 5 to 9 years of professional experience are usually paid between $35,566 and $64,749 annually.
Psychotherapists with 10 to 19 years of experience typically make between $35,548 and $75,760 a year, and professionals with 20 or more years of work experience report earning an annual pay in the range from $40,722 to $118,359 according to the salary data reported by Payscale. Women report earning an annual pay in the range from $33,322 to $74,664, and men generally make between $36,623 and $106,654 annually based on Payscale’s data.
Professional certification is one of the major factors that can affect a psychotherapist’s annual earnings. Professionals with the certification of Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) generally earn between $39,453 and $74,145 a year, those with the qualification of Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) are usually paid between $31,562 and $78,808 annually, and psychotherapists with the certification of Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) typically report earning an annual pay in the range from $34,702 to $61,823 according to Payscale.
Psychotherapists with the qualification of Licensed Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT) generally earn an annual salary in the range from $40,211 to $77,469, those with the certification of Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) are usually paid between $29,087 and $57,086 annually, and professionals with the certification of Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) generally report earning salaries in the range from $34,765 to $127,233 a year according to Payscale’s data.
Psychotherapists’ annual salary can also vary depending on academic degree. Professionals with the degree of Master of Social Work (MSW) in Clinical Social Work (CSW) typically earn between $30,913 and $115,624 a year, those with a Master of Social Work (MSW) in Social Work (SW) make between $32,056 and $63,861 annually, and psychotherapists with a Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling Psychology report earning salaries in the range from $27,203 to $78,867 a year.
Psychotherapists with a Master of Science (MS) in Psychology typically make between $33,866 and $69,043 a year, those with a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology are generally paid an income in the range from $37,426 to $48,834 annually, and professionals with a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology typically earn an annual pay in the range from $54,045 to $76,302.
Psychotherapists with a Master of Arts in Counseling earn between $35,440 and $71,216 a year, and those with an MA in Psychology generally report earning an annual income in the range from $41,000 to $58,983 according to the salary figures reported by Payscale.
Psychotherapists’ annual pay also varies from industry to industry. Professionals employed at community mental health centers typically report earning an income in the range from $32,774 to $61,264 a year.
Those working at psychotherapists’ offices are generally paid between $33,415 and $118,664 annually, and psychotherapists employed in counseling services earn salaries in the range from $26,577 to $79,463 a year.
Psychotherapists working in the health care sector are generally paid an income in the range from $37,069 to $74,899 a year, and those working in social services typically make between $45,379 and $61,042 annually. Professionals employed at psychiatrists’ offices earn salaries in the range from $29,400 to $54,000 a year, and those working at residential treatment facilities earn an annual income in the range between $38,300 and $60,000 according to the salary figures reported by Payscale.
Average salary
The average salary for psychotherapists working in the United States is $54,724 a year according to Payscale’s salary figures and $57,000 a year according to the salary data reported by Indeed.
Salary by state
Psychotherapists’ annual salary depends on geographical location and can vary significantly from one state to the next. Psychotherapists employed in Texas typically make between $35,415 and $61,543 a year, those based in California earn salaries in the range from $36,329 to $76,596 annually, and professionals based in New York are generally paid an income in the range from $38,500 to $125,714 a year.
Psychotherapists working in Wisconsin earn between $24,240 and $72,129 annually, and those employed in Colorado are generally paid between $28,200 and $72,414 a year. Professionals employed in Illinois earn salaries in the range from $32,438 and $75,947 a year, and those working in Pennsylvania are usually paid between $23,285 and $51,169 a year according to Payscale’s salary data.
Salary by city
Psychotherapists’ annual pay also tends to vary from city to city. Professionals based in Denver generally earn an income in the range from $30,201 to $69,531 a year, and those working in Milwaukee are paid between $27,500 and $59,000 annually.
Psychotherapists employed in New York make between $50,868 and $117,916 a year, and those based in Los Angeles generally report earning an annual pay in the range from $53,454 to $64,807. Professionals working in Chicago typically make between $36,397 and $49,089 a year, and psychotherapists employed in Houston are paid between $44,219 and $61,042 annually according to Payscale’s salary data.
Hourly rate
Psychotherapists’ hourly salary depends on a variety of factors, including work experience. Psychotherapists with 1 to 4 years of experience generally earn between $15.55 and $96.96 per hour and those with 5 to 9 years of experience are paid between $24.75 and $101 per hour. Professionals with 10 to 19 years of experience typically make between $25.13 and $120 per hour and those with 20 or more years of professional experience earn an hourly pay in the range from $24.34 to $157.70 based on Payscale’ s salary statistics.
Self-employed psychotherapists report earning an hourly wage in the range from $58.96 to $117.92.
The hourly rate can vary considerably from state to state. Psychotherapists in New York typically make between $18.55 and $159.98 per hour, those based in California are paid between $28.60 and $157.81 per hour, and professionals working in Pennsylvania earn an hourly salary in the range from $20.27 to $88.77.
Psychotherapists employed in Texas are generally paid between $9.14 and $197.27 per hour and those based in Washington earn an hourly pay in the range from $17.11 to $148.99. Professionals working in New Jersey make between $24.25 and $120 per hour, and those based in Massachusetts earn an hourly wage in the range from $24.84 to $117.92 according to Payscale.
Psychotherapists’ hourly wage can also vary from city to city. For example, psychotherapists employed in New York make between $25.43 and $64 per hour, those working in Seattle are paid between $58.96 and $111.91 per hour, and professionals based in Houston report earning an hourly salary in the range from $29 to $132.50 based on Payscale’s data.
The hourly salary also depends on professional certification. Professionals with the certification of Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) earn between $20.83 and $150 per hour, those with the qualification of Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) are paid between $18.45 and $117.45 per hour, and psychotherapists with the certification of Licensed Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT) typically make between $27.35 and $123.65 per hour.
Psychotherapists with the certification of Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) make between $24.01 and $103.04 per hour and those with the qualification of Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) earn an hourly salary in the range from $17.49 to $135. Professionals with the certification of Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) are generally paid between $29.59 and $162.19 per hour and those with the qualification of Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) typically earn an hourly pay in the range between $20.35 and $35.29 based on Payscale’s salary figures.
In terms of industry, psychotherapists working at community mental health centers earn between $18 and $85 per hour and those employed at psychotherapists’ offices are generally paid between $21.25 and $147.68 per hour. Professionals working in counseling services earn an hourly wage in the range from $17.52 and $123.44 and those employed in the health care industry make between $20.13 and $124.16 per hour according to the salary information reported by Payscale.
In terms of employer type, professionals employed by private practices and firms generally make between $19.57 and $84.43 per hour, those working at hospitals earn between $17.74 and $32.56 per hour, and psychotherapists working for non-profit organizations are paid between $17.21 and $35.12 per hour.
Professionals who are self-employed report earning an hourly wage in the range from $50.51 to $152.97, those working as contractors earn between $20.63 and $47.50 per hour, and psychotherapists employed by companies typically make between $16.34 and $83.33 per hour according to Payscale.
Psychotherapists specializing in clinical psychology generally earn between $18.38 and $146.81 per hour and those specializing in counseling typically earn an hourly pay in the range from $19.82 to $122.55.
Women typically earn an hourly salary in the range from $19.99 to $145.53 and men are generally paid between $17.11 and $79.46 per hour according to Payscale’s salary data.
In terms of academic degree, psychotherapists with a PhD generally make between $34 and $64 per hour, those with a Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology earn between $25.43 and $58.96 per hour, and professionals with an MA in Clinical Psychology are paid between $39 and $110 per hour.
Psychotherapists with an MA in Counseling Psychology earn an hourly pay in the range from $34.50 to $98.26 and those with a Master of Social Work (MSW) in Social Work (SW) are generally paid between $19.92 and $163.06 per hour according to the salary figures provided by Payscale.
Benefits
Along with their basic annual salary and yearly bonuses, psychotherapists usually get a variety of perks and benefits, and these can sometimes reflect their annual income.
Psychotherapists who have paid holidays and vacations generally earn an annual pay in the range from $36,090 to $74,048, and those who have paid sick leave report earning salaries in the range from $33,421 to $70,031 a year. Professionals who have 401(k) plans as part of their benefits package are generally paid between $34,708 and $65,468 annually, and those with 403(b) plans earn an income in the range from $33,975 to $73,856 a year.
Psychotherapists who have life and disability insurance as part of their benefits package report earning salaries in the range from $41,102 to $74,988 a year, those who get malpractice and liability insurance are usually paid an income in the range from $37,000 to $78,038 a year, and professionals who are allowed to dress casually at work report earning a yearly wage in the range from $32,215 to $75,490 according to the salary figures reported by Payscale.
The most popular benefits and perks among psychotherapists are paid vacations and holidays, 401(k) plans, paid sick leave, life and disability insurance, 403(b) plans, malpractice and liability insurance, and casual dress and atmosphere at work.
Other income factors
Psychotherapists’ annual pay also varies depending on the type of employer. Professionals working at hospitals generally report earning salaries in the range from $34,677 to $74,048 a year, those employed by private practices and firms are paid between $32,178 and $82,045 a year, and psychotherapists working for non-profit organizations earn between $32,099 and $59,633 annually.
Psychotherapists employed by companies typically make between $30,968 and $68,100 a year and those working for other organizations are usually paid between $39,204 and $50,868 annually. Professionals working for the state or local government generally report earning an income in the range from $43,848 to $50,421 a year, and those who are self-employed typically earn between $35,101 and $122,804 a year based on Payscale’s salary data.
In terms of hospital setting, psychotherapists working at private practices and physicians’ offices generally earn between $30,410 and $88,769 a year, those working in community and home health are paid an income in the range from $31,200 to $61,000 a year, and professionals working at general hospitals typically make between $34,919 and $64,608 a year. Psychotherapists working in travelling or agencies generally earn an annual pay in the range from $34,971 to $50,400 and those employed in other settings report earning salaries in the range between $37,080 and $75,695 a year according to Payscale’s salary data.