Psychologists, All Other Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $158K, rent takes 27.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new psychologists, all others typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,709/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 91% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Local pay is 42% above the national median — $158K here vs. $111K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.

California pays $158K median vs. the U.S. average of $111K — that’s +42%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $148K — still ahead of the national median.

The median is $157,540 a year, that works out to about $76 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,150, and experienced psychologists, all others can clear $198,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,970/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 27.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (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 psychologists, all other salary is worth about $148,427 in national-average purchasing power.

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.