Psychologist Salary in Virginia

The psychologist salary in Virginia is a range, not one number. Half of the clinical and counseling psychologists BLS counted in Virginia earned more than $86,520 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 Virginia is 76 percent of the national $55,170, the median 86 percent of $100,580, and the 90th percentile 97 percent of $180,960.

Within the psychologist salary in Virginia, the 90th percentile wage is 4.2 times the 10th, against 3.3 times across the country. The band between the 25th and 75th percentile spans $49,860, 80 percent of the $61,990 national band. The mean annual wage of $98,460 is 114 percent of the median, and the hourly median is $41.60. The 25th percentile wage ranks thirty-ninth of 48 jurisdictions, the 75th percentile wage thirty-sixth and the mean annual wage thirty-fourth.

The psychologist salary in Virginia also changes from one metropolitan area to the next. Roanoke, VA has the highest median annual wage among the metropolitan areas BLS publishes for clinical and counseling psychologists (SOC 19-3033) in Virginia: $104,300 in May 2025, 121 percent of the statewide median.

Richmond, VA has the lowest, $72,880, 84 percent of the statewide median. Five of the seven areas sit above the statewide median of $86,520.

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV has the most clinical and counseling psychologists of the areas listed, about 1,550, with a median of $101,670, 118 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 Virginia earned a median annual wage of $85,670 in May 2025, 89 percent of the U.S. median of $95,990. That median ranks twentieth of 51 jurisdictions. It is 99 percent of the $86,520 median for clinical and counseling psychologists in Virginia.

BLS counted about 1,200 school psychologists and about 2,140 clinical and counseling psychologists in Virginia, 0.6 school psychologists for every one of the others.

The school psychologist 10th percentile wage ranks twenty-second of 51 jurisdictions and the 90th percentile wage eleventh, and the occupation ranks thirty-seventh by concentration, 0.29 for every 1,000 jobs.

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV has the highest median annual wage among the areas BLS publishes for school psychologists in Virginia: $106,550, with about 1,590 employed. Roanoke, VA has the lowest, $75,550. BLS publishes five such areas in all.

BLS also publishes psychologists, all other (SOC 19-3039) for Virginia: a median annual wage of $140,640 in May 2025, with about 510 employed, 163 percent of the $86,520 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.

Virginia has 4 ranked PsyD programs, led by James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA (ranked third of 117), then Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA (ranked sixty-seventh of 117) and Divine Mercy University in Sterling, VA (ranked seventy-second of 117). One of the four is APA-accredited in school psychology, alone or combined with clinical or counseling.

Virginia’s accreditation test tightens on June 23, 2028, when a doctorate from an APA-, CPA- or board-accepted accredited program in clinical, counseling or school psychology becomes the standard. The licensing board is the Virginia Board of Psychology, read October 14, 2026. PsyD programs in Virginia ranks all four 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 Virginia’s own rules in a table of every state, are in the licensing guide that covers Virginia.