Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Salary
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $93,420 a year, or about $44.91 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $225K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $95,747 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,711/month, or 28.4% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $93K actually covers in Durham-Chapel Hill, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About clinical and counseling psychologists
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Clinical and counseling psychologists pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $93K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $1,711/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for clinical and counseling psychologists in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $117K | $120K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $97K | $98K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $81K | $87K |
| Winston-Salem | $80K | $86K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level clinical and counseling psychologists (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $93K. Top earners bring in $225K or more, a $185K spread from bottom to top.
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Clinical and Counseling Psychologists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $134K | +34% | 540 |
| New Jersey | $127K | +26% | 2,700 |
| New Mexico | $125K | +24% | N/A |
| Alaska | $124K | +24% | 40 |
| Arizona | $119K | +18% | 730 |
| Hawaii | $118K | +17% | 250 |
| North Dakota | $116K | +15% | 170 |
| California | $116K | +15% | 12,840 |
| Washington | $115K | +15% | 1,270 |
| Massachusetts | $115K | +15% | 2,860 |
| New York | $114K | +14% | 8,420 |
| Wisconsin | $113K | +13% | 1,150 |
| Colorado | $113K | +13% | 1,170 |
| Delaware | $113K | +12% | 280 |
| Rhode Island | $107K | +7% | 420 |
| Minnesota | $107K | +6% | 1,290 |
| District of Columbia | $107K | +6% | 220 |
| Nevada | $103K | +2% | 680 |
| Ohio | $101K | +1% | 2,080 |
| Missouri | $99K | -1% | 840 |
| Utah | $99K | -1% | 1,020 |
| Kentucky | $99K | -1% | 710 |
| Idaho | $98K | -3% | 300 |
| Georgia | $96K | -4% | 1,120 |
| Nebraska | $95K | -6% | 770 |
| South Carolina | $93K | -8% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $92K | -8% | 2,770 |
| Pennsylvania | $92K | -9% | 3,140 |
| Iowa | $92K | -9% | 440 |
| Alabama | $91K | -10% | 260 |
| Wyoming | $90K | -11% | 50 |
| Virginia | $87K | -14% | 2,140 |
| Florida | $86K | -15% | 3,040 |
| Indiana | $85K | -16% | 1,850 |
| Michigan | $85K | -16% | 2,170 |
| Illinois | $84K | -17% | 5,810 |
| Texas | $84K | -17% | 3,640 |
| Vermont | $83K | -17% | 190 |
| South Dakota | $80K | -20% | 120 |
| Oklahoma | $80K | -21% | 950 |
| Arkansas | $78K | -23% | 370 |
| West Virginia | $77K | -23% | 920 |
| Tennessee | $77K | -24% | 1,180 |
| Kansas | $77K | -24% | 400 |
| Mississippi | $76K | -24% | 210 |
| Louisiana | $71K | -29% | 320 |
| Montana | $68K | -32% | 150 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | -36% | 330 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track clinical and counseling psychologists salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a clinical and counseling psychologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Yes — at the median salary of $93K, rent takes 29.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for clinical and counseling psychologists in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new clinical and counseling psychologists typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,698/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is clinical and counseling psychologist a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $93K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for clinical and counseling psychologists?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $93K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $96K — below the national median.
How much do clinical and counseling psychologists make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $93,420 a year, that works out to about $45 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,990, and experienced clinical and counseling psychologists can clear $224,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $93K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,825/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 29.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a clinical and counseling psychologists salary go in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median clinical and counseling psychologists salary is worth about $95,747 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do clinical and counseling psychologists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.