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Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton

SOC 19-3033 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · BLS OEWS May 2025

Median Annual Salary
$121,264
$58.30/hr
20.6% higher than the US national median ($100,589)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Clinical and Counseling Psychologists salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$60K
P25$86K
P50$121K
P75$164K
P90$234K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
🔥
Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- professional & business services job openings are running at 5.5% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $121,264 to $164,154 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Clinical and Counseling Psychologists pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 5.0% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Professional & Business Services is running a 5.5% job-openings rate with quits at 2.2% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.2% down to 5.5%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 3.3 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.5% per year. Nationally, wages rose 3.2% while CPI hit 3.5%, so real wages turned negative.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in Boston-Cambridge-Newton is $121,264 per year ($58.30/hr). This is 20.6% higher than the national median of $100,589.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Help individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory. Provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment. May design behavior modification programs and consult with medical personnel regarding the best treatment for patients.

Wage Percentiles: Boston-Cambridge-Newton

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salaryvs National
P10Entry level$28.89$60,091+8.9%
P25$41.57$86,466+18.1%
P50MEDIAN$58.30$121,264+20.6%
P75$78.92$164,154+21.4%
P90Top earners$112.45$233,896+29.3%
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
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Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+11.2%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
5K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
76K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
18% from new growth82% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Internship/residency

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
33K$98,820
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
8K$108,210
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median clinical and counseling psychologists salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?

The median (P50) annual salary for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in Boston-Cambridge-Newton is approximately $121,264, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 20.6% higher than the national median of $100,589. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.

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About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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