Life, physical, and social science occupations · SOC 19-3039 · Tennessee

Psychologists, all other in Tennessee

Psychologists, all other in Tennessee earned a median of $138,070 a year in May 2025, above the $110,840 national median for the occupation. Tennessee employs 200 of them, 0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the state. Most people entering the occupation nationally do so with a master's degree.

Data snapshot: August 21, 2026

Median annual pay in Tennessee

$138,070

Above the $110,840 national median for this occupation

Median hourly pay in Tennessee

$66.38

Published separately by BLS, not calculated from the annual figure.

Middle half earn between

$115,940 – $154,560

The 25th to 75th percentile of everyone in the occupation in this state

Employed in Tennessee

200

0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the state

Concentration vs national

0.51×

less concentrated here than nationally

Pay rank

#7 of 42

Among the states and DC that released an estimate for this occupation

Typical entry education (U.S.)

Master's degree

What psychologists, all other actually earn in Tennessee

The full published wage distribution, not one averaged figure. Pay inside a single occupation varies more by experience, employer and setting than most salary pages admit.

10th percentile
$78,920
25th percentile
$115,940
Median
$138,070
75th percentile
$154,560
90th percentile
$163,180

How Tennessee compares

  • Against the rest of the country. $138,070 in Tennessee against $110,840 nationally for the same occupation, which puts Tennessee 7th of the 42 jurisdictions that released an estimate. Neither figure is adjusted for cost of living, so a higher median does not by itself mean more money left over.
  • Against other work in Tennessee. $138,070 against $47,380, the median across every occupation in the state — 191% above it.
  • How much of this work is here. The occupation is less concentrated here than nationally (0.51× the national share of employment), 36th of 44 for concentration. Concentration describes where the work is, not how easy it is to be hired.

Where psychologists, all other are paid most

The highest published medians for this occupation. Before reading it as a place to move, note that these are not cost-of-living adjusted and that the states paying most are often the ones where everything costs most.

California$157,540Kentucky$149,990
Nevada$146,850
Oklahoma$141,290
Virginia$140,640
Iowa$138,420
Arizona$137,510
South Carolina$136,990

How people get into this work

What the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports as typical for entry nationally. Typical is a measurement of the people already doing the work, not a rule: some enter with less and some with more.

Typical entry education

Master's degree

Work experience needed

None

On-the-job training

Internship/residency

Tennessee licensing is not in these figures.

Many occupations, including most of health care, teaching, law, accountancy and the skilled trades, require a state licence, certification or registration before you can work. Tennessee sets its own, and none of it is part of the federal dataset above, so CampusPin cannot tell you whether this occupation is licensed here. Check the Tennessee licensing board before committing to a route, because where an occupation is licensed that requirement, not the typical credential, is the real gate.

What people study to get here, and where in Tennessee

Fields the federal CIP-to-SOC crosswalk associates with this occupation, ordered by how many credentials U.S. colleges conferred in each — a measure of how many people take a route, never of how good it is. Studying any of these does not lead only here, and this occupation is entered from other fields too.

Psychology145,761 credentials conferred nationally, mostly bachelor's degrees

32 colleges in Tennessee reported awarding credentials in this field in 2023-24see which ones, and what they cost.

Criminology10,305 credentials conferred nationally, mostly bachelor's degrees

3 colleges in Tennessee reported awarding credentials in this field in 2023-24.

Forensic Psychology2,550 credentials conferred nationally, mostly graduate degrees

1 college in Tennessee reported awarding credentials in this field in 2023-24.

This lists colleges that reported conferring credentials in this field to the federal IPEDS completions collection, in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. It does not confirm that any of them is currently admitting students to the program, and a college can appear here after deciding to close it. Confirm with the institution before it affects where you apply.

Colleges in Tennessee

Pay is one half of the decision. What it costs to get qualified is the other, and it is the half that varies most between two colleges in the same state.

Source & methodology

State wage and employment figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release. National median pay, projections and typical entry education are from the BLS Employment Projections programme (2024 wages). Both are public domain; credit BLS.

Wages are May 2025 estimates from the federal Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which asks employers what they pay everyone currently working in the occupation — experienced and new alike. They are not starting salaries, not the earnings of recent graduates, and not adjusted for cost of living, which matters when comparing one state against another. Self-employed workers are not surveyed.

Suggested citation

CampusPin. (2026). Psychologists, all other in Tennessee, pay and employment. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/careers/psychologists-all-other/in/tennessee

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