Psychologist Salary in North Carolina

The psychologist salary in North Carolina is a range, not one number. Half of the clinical and counseling psychologists BLS counted in North Carolina earned more than $92,130 a year in May 2025 and half earned less. Percentiles mark places in the pay distribution; they are not experience levels. Set beside the U.S. figures for the same occupation, the 10th percentile wage in North Carolina is 96 percent of the national $55,170, the median 92 percent of $100,580, and the 90th percentile 118 percent of $180,960.

Within the psychologist salary in North Carolina, the 90th percentile wage is 4 times the 10th, against 3.3 times across the country. The band between the 25th and 75th percentile spans $47,980, 77 percent of the $61,990 national band. The mean annual wage of $106,270 is 115 percent of the median, and the hourly median is $44.29. The 25th percentile wage ranks twentieth of 48 jurisdictions, the 75th percentile wage thirty-first and the mean annual wage twenty-fourth.

The psychologist salary in North Carolina also changes from one metropolitan area to the next. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC has the highest median annual wage among the metropolitan areas BLS publishes for clinical and counseling psychologists (SOC 19-3033) in North Carolina: $117,170 in May 2025, 127 percent of the statewide median.

Wilmington, NC has the lowest, $76,700, 83 percent of the statewide median. Four of the eleven areas sit above the statewide median of $92,130.

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC has the most clinical and counseling psychologists of the areas listed, about 720, with a median of $117,170, 127 percent of the statewide median.

BLS defines a metropolitan area by county, so an area that crosses a state line has one figure for the whole area.

School psychologists (SOC 19-3034) in North Carolina earned a median annual wage of $73,220 in May 2025, 76 percent of the U.S. median of $95,990. That median ranks forty-third of 51 jurisdictions. It is 79 percent of the $92,130 median for clinical and counseling psychologists in North Carolina.

BLS counted about 1,540 school psychologists and about 2,770 clinical and counseling psychologists in North Carolina, 0.6 school psychologists for every one of the others.

The school psychologist 10th percentile wage ranks thirty-eighth of 51 jurisdictions and the 90th percentile wage forty-eighth, and the occupation ranks thirty-second by concentration, 0.31 for every 1,000 jobs.

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC has the highest median annual wage among the areas BLS publishes for school psychologists in North Carolina: $86,510, with about 230 employed. Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has the lowest, $58,910. BLS publishes thirteen such areas in all.

BLS also publishes psychologists, all other (SOC 19-3039) for North Carolina: a median annual wage of $126,440 in May 2025, with about 570 employed, 137 percent of the $92,130 median for clinical and counseling psychologists there. The group holds the psychologists BLS does not list separately, so it is not a wage for any one specialty.

North Carolina has 2 ranked PsyD programs, led by Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC (ranked forty-first of 117), then Appalachian State University in Boone, NC (ranked eightieth of 117). One of the two is APA-accredited in school psychology, alone or combined with clinical or counseling.

North Carolina licenses a new doctoral graduate provisionally through the postdoctoral year, and a program outside APA or CPA accreditation has to keep its students and faculty on a physical campus. The licensing board is the North Carolina Psychology Board, read October 21, 2026. PsyD programs in North Carolina ranks all two with the state’s licensing rules.

BLS puts the licensing rule this way: “In most states, practicing psychology or using the title of ‘psychologist’ requires licensure.” (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, read October 14, 2026). The steps from a doctorate to a license, with North Carolina’s own rules in a table of every state, are in the licensing guide that covers North Carolina.