Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Salary
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA make a median of $112,860 a year, or about $54.26 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $179K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $102,693 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 60.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $113K get you in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Cruz-Watsonville’s Regional Price Parity (109.9). 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Santa Cruz-Watsonville sits well above the national pay line for clinical and counseling psychologists, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $101K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 62.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.9), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for clinical and counseling psychologists in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $99K | $87K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $72K | $64K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $166K | $144K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $93K | $87K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Entry-level clinical and counseling psychologists (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $113K. Top earners bring in $179K or more, a $115K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Cruz-Watsonville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a clinical and counseling psychologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $113K, rent takes 62.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $4,214/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for clinical and counseling psychologists in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new clinical and counseling psychologists typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,787/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 111% 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $113K here vs. $101K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for clinical and counseling psychologists?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $113K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $103K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do clinical and counseling psychologists make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $112,860 a year, that works out to about $54 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,120, and experienced clinical and counseling psychologists can clear $178,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $113K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,763/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 62.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a clinical and counseling psychologists salary go in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a Regional Price Parity of 109.9 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median clinical and counseling psychologists salary is worth about $102,693 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.