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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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. School Psychologists is licensed or registered in 49 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 3 professional certifications to School Psychologists. 1 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Advanced" group, for example: Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. On average, workers stand or walk about 2.0 hours and sit about 5.5 hours per day. The typical heaviest weight lifted or carried is about 5.0 pounds. For 63.1% of workers the job requires sedentary strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (over 99.5%), have a consistently fast work pace (29.8%), cannot pause their work (30.9%), and are exposed to the outdoors (18.4%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round school psychologists ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $91,400 with a bachelor's degree and $86,300 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of school psychologists work in Educational Services (95%) and Health Care and Social Assistance (4%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most school psychologists are Elementary and Secondary Schools (87% of the jobs counted, median pay $94,120), Educational Support Services (4% of the jobs counted, median pay $104,680), Offices of Other Health Practitioners (3% of the jobs counted, median pay $82,190), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (2% of the jobs counted, median pay $84,450) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Educational Support Services ($104,680), Elementary and Secondary Schools ($94,120), Offices of Other Health Practitioners ($82,190). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
What workers studied. Among school psychologists with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Psychology (53%), Educational Psychology (9%), Elementary Education (4%) and General Education (2%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For school psychologists, employers reported 63.1 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 7 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Life, physical, and social science", which includes this career, 10.7% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,736 for union members and $1,533 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to school psychologists.
Wages employers offered H-1B workers. For school psychologists, employers filed 36 certified Labor Condition Applications for H-1B workers covering 51 worker positions in FY2025, with a median lower-bound wage offered of $75,900 (the middle half ran from $69,400 to $100,800) (U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification). These are wages named in employers' applications to hire temporary foreign workers, usually in jobs that need at least a bachelor's degree. They are not what every worker in the occupation earns. The Department of Labor has not endorsed this presentation.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Professional and related", which includes this career, 86% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 85% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 92% had paid sick leave, 73% paid vacation and 78% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to school psychologists, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $74.42 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Professional and related" in June 2026 ($50.37 in wages and salaries and $24.06 in benefits, 32.3% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for school psychologists are: telephone conversations (100%), e-mail (100%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (100%), work with or contribute to a work group or team (100%), freedom to make decisions (100%), contact with others (96%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (42% of 26 respondents) was "over 1 year, up to and including 2 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (31% of 26 respondents) was "none"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (50% of 26 respondents) was "over 6 months, up to and including 1 year". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to school psychologists in the work done and the skills used: Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Special Education Teachers, Secondary School, Child, Family, and School Social Workers, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, Neuropsychologists, Mental Health Counselors (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what school psychologists earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: School Psychologists salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare school psychologists with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
School Psychology
CIP 42.2805
Educational Psychology
CIP 42.2806