School Psychologists Salary
The median pay for a school psychologists in Asheville, NC is $64,020/year ($30.78/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.51), that's roughly $66,335 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,567/month, about 36.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $64K get you in Asheville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Asheville’s Regional Price Parity (96.51). 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 school psychologists
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What this looks like in Asheville
Pay for school psychologists in Asheville runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $96K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,567/month, which is 37.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for school psychologistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for school psychologists in metros near Asheville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greensboro-High Point | $76K | $82K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $81K | $83K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $83K | $85K |
| Wilmington | $66K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Asheville, NC
Entry-level school psychologists (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
School Psychologists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View School Psychologists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $128K | +33% | 8,340 |
| Colorado | $125K | +30% | 1,380 |
| New Mexico | $110K | +15% | 630 |
| Maryland | $110K | +14% | 1,520 |
| Washington | $109K | +13% | 1,420 |
| District of Columbia | $108K | +12% | 250 |
| New York | $107K | +11% | 9,070 |
| Oregon | $106K | +11% | 570 |
| Connecticut | $101K | +5% | 1,140 |
| Georgia | $99K | +3% | 1,650 |
| Massachusetts | $99K | +3% | 3,300 |
| Delaware | $96K | +0% | 280 |
| New Jersey | $95K | -1% | 2,130 |
| Rhode Island | $95K | -1% | 210 |
| Alaska | $94K | -2% | 120 |
| Nevada | $94K | -2% | 290 |
| Arizona | $92K | -4% | 1,100 |
| Ohio | $91K | -5% | 2,050 |
| Nebraska | $89K | -7% | 440 |
| Virginia | $86K | -11% | 1,200 |
| Minnesota | $85K | -11% | 1,060 |
| Florida | $85K | -12% | 2,020 |
| Illinois | $85K | -12% | 3,590 |
| Michigan | $84K | -13% | 1,480 |
| Wyoming | $84K | -13% | 120 |
| Texas | $84K | -13% | 4,250 |
| Wisconsin | $83K | -13% | 1,180 |
| Vermont | $83K | -14% | 180 |
| Pennsylvania | $82K | -14% | 2,600 |
| Hawaii | $82K | -14% | 90 |
| Maine | $82K | -15% | 120 |
| Montana | $80K | -17% | 170 |
| South Dakota | $78K | -18% | 110 |
| Utah | $78K | -19% | 490 |
| Indiana | $78K | -19% | 710 |
| Tennessee | $77K | -20% | 900 |
| South Carolina | $77K | -20% | 720 |
| Kentucky | $75K | -21% | 590 |
| West Virginia | $75K | -22% | 250 |
| Alabama | $75K | -22% | 370 |
| Iowa | $74K | -22% | 400 |
| New Hampshire | $73K | -23% | 360 |
| North Carolina | $73K | -24% | 1,540 |
| Kansas | $73K | -24% | 630 |
| Idaho | $72K | -25% | 310 |
| Missouri | $70K | -27% | 520 |
| Louisiana | $69K | -28% | 670 |
| North Dakota | $69K | -28% | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $65K | -32% | 510 |
| Arkansas | $64K | -33% | 440 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -36% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track school psychologists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Asheville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a school psychologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Asheville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 37.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,567/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for school psychologists in Asheville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new school psychologists typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,709/month. At HUD’s $1,567/month FMR, rent would take 42% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is school psychologist a high-paying job in Asheville?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $64K here vs. $96K nationally.
How does Asheville compare to the national average for school psychologists?
Asheville pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $96K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — below the national median.
How much do school psychologists make in Asheville, NC?
The median is $64,020 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,820, and experienced school psychologists can clear $83,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Asheville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,212/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,567/month, which eats 37.2% 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 school psychologists salary go in Asheville?
Asheville has a Regional Price Parity of 96.51 (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 school psychologists salary is worth about $66,335 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do school 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.