School Psychologists: Job Description
Diagnose and implement individual or schoolwide interventions or strategies to address educational, behavioral, or developmental issues that adversely impact educational functioning in a school. May address student learning and behavioral problems and counsel students or families. May design and implement performance plans, and evaluate performance. May consult with other school-based personnel.
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What Do School Psychologists Do?
The core tasks performed by school psychologists span:
- Compile and interpret students' test results, along with information from teachers and parents, to diagnose conditions and to help assess eligibility for special services.
- Maintain student records, including special education reports, confidential records, records of services provided, and behavioral data.
- Report any pertinent information to the proper authorities in cases of child endangerment, neglect, or abuse.
- Select, administer, and score psychological tests.
- Interpret test results and prepare psychological reports for teachers, administrators, and parents.
- Assess an individual child's needs, limitations, and potential, using observation, review of school records, and consultation with parents and school personnel.
- Develop individualized educational plans in collaboration with teachers and other staff members.
- Counsel children and families to help solve conflicts and problems in learning and adjustment.
What School Psychologists Need to Know
Successful school psychologists rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Area School Psychologist
- Assessment Specialist
- Autism Consultant
- Behavior Specialist
- Behavioral Analyst
- Behavioral Specialist
- Bilingual School Psychologist
- Certified School Psychologist
How Many School Psychologists Are There?
There are roughly 170,241 school psychologists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +12.0% over the projection horizon.
Salary for School Psychologists
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $108,275 |
| Hourly median | $52.06 |
| 10th percentile | $60,459 |
| 25th percentile | $84,367 |
| 75th percentile | $132,184 |
| 90th percentile | $156,092 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do School Psychologists Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $118,310 |
| Oregon | $113,180 |
| Colorado | $111,060 |
| Maryland | $108,710 |
| Washington | $106,440 |
| District of Columbia | $100,720 |
| New Mexico | $100,100 |
| New York | $99,310 |
| Massachusetts | $98,150 |
| Connecticut | $98,080 |
| Georgia | $96,810 |
| Puerto Rico | $93,040 |
| Alaska | $92,140 |
| New Jersey | $90,900 |
| Wyoming | $88,120 |
| Rhode Island | $87,890 |
| Ohio | $86,930 |
| Pennsylvania | $86,050 |
| Nevada | $84,850 |
| New Hampshire | $84,110 |
| Florida | $82,710 |
| Minnesota | $82,540 |
| Arizona | $82,250 |
| Virginia | $81,030 |
| Delaware | $80,290 |
| Illinois | $80,220 |
| Wisconsin | $79,740 |
| Nebraska | $79,690 |
| Vermont | $78,260 |
| Texas | $78,150 |
| South Dakota | $76,990 |
| Michigan | $76,980 |
| Maine | $76,450 |
| Montana | $76,350 |
| Utah | $75,870 |
| South Carolina | $75,280 |
| Indiana | $74,760 |
| Alabama | $71,660 |
| Iowa | $70,300 |
| North Carolina | $70,090 |
| West Virginia | $69,870 |
| North Dakota | $69,410 |
| Kentucky | $69,130 |
| Tennessee | $68,530 |
| Kansas | $68,020 |
| Louisiana | $65,290 |
| Idaho | $61,600 |
| Arkansas | $61,440 |
| Oklahoma | $61,420 |
| Missouri | $60,270 |
| Mississippi | $60,200 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for school psychologists vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $115,572 | 18.2% | 1.16 |
| Middle Atlantic | $96,908 | 21.9% | 1.56 |
| New England | $95,493 | 7.1% | 1.63 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $93,040 | 1.3% | 2.17 |
| Rocky Mountains | $92,543 | 4.1% | 1.06 |
| Great Lakes | $80,714 | 14.1% | 1.07 |
| Southwest | $79,277 | 11.2% | 0.92 |
| Southeast | $77,092 | 16.9% | 0.75 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro, CA | CA | $140,350 | 70 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $127,940 | 280 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $127,730 | 940 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $127,030 | 130 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $126,730 | 110 |
| Visalia, CA | CA | $125,680 | 150 |
| Merced, CA | CA | $125,660 | 80 |
| Fresno, CA | CA | $125,450 | 470 |
Top Industries Employing School Psychologists
The largest employers of school psychologists work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 59,190 | $86,530 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,930 | $94,480 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,410 | $102,440 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 250 | $75,100 |
School Psychologists work in the following industries:
Software School Psychologists Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Video conferencing software: Zoom (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for school psychologists is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become School Psychologists
The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary (Supplemental)
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (Primary-Short)
- Neuropsychologists (Primary-Long)
- Clinical Neuropsychologists (Primary-Long)
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (Primary-Short)
- Marriage and Family Therapists (Primary-Short)
- Mental Health Counselors (Primary-Long)
- Rehabilitation Counselors (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future school psychologists often complete programs in:
Psychology
2 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-3034.00 (School Psychologists).
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