Clinical and Counseling Psychologist Salary in Texas: $94,281 (2026)

Quick Answer:Across Texas's 109 metropolitan areas, the average median clinical and counseling psychologist pay sits at $94,281/year heading into 2026 — a figure projected from 2025 BLS OEWS wage data for SOC 19-3033. Because Texas sits at BEA RPP 96.0 (4% below the U.S. baseline), that statewide median translates to roughly $98,209 in nationally-comparable purchasing power. Highest-paying metros: Dallas ($106,480), Fort Worth ($105,786), Arlington ($104,329).

Clinical and Counseling Psychologist Salary in Texas - 2025 BLS Data Infographic — Texas clinical and counseling psychologist salary overview (2026)

$94,281

Avg Median Salary

$45.33

Avg Hourly Rate

4,420

Metro Employed

109

Cities

In Texas, clinical and counseling psychologists earn an average median salary of $94,281 in 2026, which is approximately 10.8% lower than the national median of $105,689. The salary disparities across the state are significant, with Dallas offering the highest pay at $111,889, while Corpus Christi sees the lowest at $65,643. This difference can be attributed to the cost of living, demand for psychological services, and the concentration of healthcare facilities in urban areas versus more rural settings. Texas has specific licensing requirements for psychologists, including the completion of a doctoral degree and supervised practice, along with ongoing continuing education. As mental health awareness grows, the demand for psychological services is projected to drive job growth in this field, with an anticipated annual growth rate of 5.08%. The larger metropolitan areas, such as Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Killeen, and Temple, are expected to remain key employment centers, offering salaries above the state average. Overall, the job market for clinical and counseling psychologists in Texas presents solid opportunities, particularly in urban regions where the demand aligns with higher compensation levels.

Texas Clinical and Counseling Psychologist Salary Range

Entry Level (10th %ile)

$56,057

avg across 109 cities

Median

$94,281

state average

Top Earners (90th %ile)

$140,029

avg across 109 cities

Overall salary range in Texas: $42,305 (lowest entry-level) to $179,834 (highest top earner)

Texas vs National Average

Texas

$94,281

National Median

$105,689

Texas clinical and counseling psychologists earn 10.79% less than the national median ($-11,408/year difference).

Texas Clinical and Counseling Psychologist Salary Distribution (2026)

Clinical and Counseling Psychologist salaries in Texas range from $56,057 (entry-level, 10th percentile) to $140,029 (top earners, 90th percentile), with a median of $94,281. The Texas median is $11,408 below the US national median of $105,689. The average hourly rate is $45.33/hr. Approximately 4,420 clinical and counseling psychologists are employed across 109 cities.

2021 BLS Actual

$76,482

2025 BLS Actual

$89,723

2026 Current Est.

$94,281

2021–2027 Growth

+29.5%

Salary Trajectory for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in Texas (2021–2027)

2021–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 5.08% projection.

BLS Actual Estimated Projected

Year	Annual Salary	Status
2021	$76,482	Actual
2022	$81,436	Actual
2023	$72,026	Actual
2024	$70,093	Actual
2025	$89,723	Actual
2026(current)	$94,281	Estimated
2027	$99,071	Projected

Based on 5 years of BLS OEWS data for the Texas metropolitan area, the median clinical and counseling psychologist salary grew 17.3% from $76,482 (2021) to $89,723 (2025). At a 5.08% compound annual growth rate, salaries are projected to reach $99,071 by 2027 — a total increase of $22,589 (29.54%) from 2021.

Note: Historical values (2021–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the Texas metropolitan area, sourced from annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. 2026–2026 figures are current estimates, and 2027 values are projections, calculated using a 5.08% CAGR derived from 5-year BLS historical data. Actual salaries may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.

Top 5 Highest Paying Cities in Texas

Dallas

950 employed · $53.79/hr

$111,889

+18.68% vs avg

Fort Worth

219 employed · $53.44/hr

$111,160

+17.90% vs avg

Arlington

83 employed · $52.71/hr

$109,629

+16.28% vs avg

Killeen

80 employed · $50.13/hr

$104,281

+10.61% vs avg

Temple

14 employed · $49.72/hr

$103,426

+9.70% vs avg

Lowest Paying Cities in Texas

City	Median Salary	vs State Avg	Hourly
Corpus Christi	$65,643	-30.38%	$31.56
Tomball	$74,579	-20.90%	$35.85
Abilene	$74,649	-20.82%	$35.90
Murphy	$75,179	-20.26%	$36.15
Horizon City	$75,687	-19.72%	$36.39

Best Value Cities for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists in Texas

When adjusted for local cost of living, these Texas cities offer the most purchasing power for clinical and counseling psychologists.

City	Nominal Salary	CoL Index	Adjusted Salary
Fort Worth	$111,160	96	$115,792
Killeen	$104,281	91.132	$114,429
Arlington	$109,629	96	$114,197
Dallas	$111,889	103.09	$108,535
Temple	$103,426	96	$107,735

Adjusted salary = nominal salary × (100 / CoL index). CoL index: 100 = national average. Lower index = lower cost of living.

Salary by Experience Level in Texas

Experience Level	Estimated Annual	Est. Hourly	Description
Entry Level (0-2 years)	$56,057	$26.95	10th percentile, new graduates
Mid Career (3-7 years)	$94,281	$45.33	50th percentile, median salary
Experienced (7+ years)	$140,029	$67.32	90th percentile, top earners

Estimates based on BLS percentile data averaged across Texas metro areas. Individual pay varies by employer, certifications, and specialization.

All 109 Cities in Texas

#	City	Median Salary	Hourly	Entry (P10)	Top (P90)	Employed
1	Dallas	$111,889	$53.79	$63,037	$151,294	950
2	Fort Worth	$111,160	$53.44	$64,473	$172,298	219
3	Arlington	$109,629	$52.71	$63,585	$169,925	83
4	Killeen	$104,281	$50.13	$83,076	$179,834	80
5	Temple	$103,426	$49.72	$59,987	$160,310	14
6	Houston	$103,178	$49.61	$58,992	$144,306	560
7	The Woodlands	$101,944	$49.01	$59,127	$158,014	21
8	Pasadena	$101,829	$48.96	$59,060	$157,834	32
9	College Station	$96,096	$46.19	$42,305	$115,998	40
10	San Marcos	$94,552	$45.46	$54,840	$146,556	13
11	Round Rock	$93,044	$44.73	$53,966	$144,218	26
12	Austin	$92,397	$44.42	$58,666	$135,995	230
13	New Braunfels	$86,214	$41.45	$50,004	$133,631	15
14	San Antonio	$85,472	$41.10	$53,980	$146,418	500
15	Irving	$85,231	$40.98	$49,434	$132,109	51
16	Plano	$84,951	$40.84	$49,272	$131,674	57
17	Garland	$84,508	$40.62	$49,015	$130,989	43
18	Frisco	$84,207	$40.49	$48,840	$130,521	38
19	Amarillo	$84,180	$40.47	$48,824	$130,479	52
20	Beaumont	$84,050	$40.41	$48,749	$130,278	18
21	Wichita Falls	$83,386	$40.09	$48,364	$129,248	20
22	Conroe	$82,483	$39.66	$47,840	$127,848	15
23	Laredo	$82,445	$39.64	$47,818	$127,789	48
24	Port Arthur	$82,353	$39.59	$47,765	$127,648	12
25	Richardson	$82,328	$39.58	$47,750	$127,608	24
26	Carrollton	$82,315	$39.57	$47,743	$127,589	20
27	Grand Prairie	$82,178	$39.51	$47,663	$127,376	43
28	Tyler	$82,059	$39.45	$47,594	$127,192	15
29	Harlingen	$81,941	$39.39	$47,526	$127,009	14
30	Galveston	$81,574	$39.22	$47,312	$126,440	10
31	DeSoto	$81,516	$39.19	$47,280	$126,349	9
32	Missouri City	$81,433	$39.15	$47,231	$126,221	12
33	Waco	$81,321	$39.10	$62,512	$118,068	40
34	Brownsville	$81,304	$39.09	$47,156	$126,020	34
35	Midland	$81,166	$39.03	$47,076	$125,807	27
36	Sugar Land	$81,087	$38.98	$47,031	$125,685	21
37	Allen	$81,080	$38.98	$47,026	$125,674	19
38	League City	$81,007	$38.94	$46,984	$125,561	22
39	Cedar Park	$80,971	$38.93	$46,963	$125,505	12
40	Longview	$80,962	$38.92	$46,958	$125,491	14
41	Georgetown	$80,943	$38.91	$46,947	$125,462	12
42	Baytown	$80,911	$38.90	$46,928	$125,411	16
43	Denton	$80,863	$38.88	$46,900	$125,338	33
44	Wylie	$80,853	$38.87	$46,895	$125,322	10
45	Cleburne	$80,841	$38.87	$46,888	$125,304	7
46	Mesquite	$80,831	$38.86	$46,881	$125,288	21
47	Pharr	$80,769	$38.83	$46,846	$125,191	18
48	McKinney	$80,758	$38.83	$46,839	$125,175	44
49	Pearland	$80,594	$38.74	$46,745	$124,921	19
50	Burleson	$80,539	$38.72	$46,712	$124,835	11
51	Odessa	$80,436	$38.67	$46,652	$124,675	17
52	Pflugerville	$80,435	$38.67	$46,652	$124,673	16
53	Cedar Hill	$80,400	$38.66	$46,632	$124,620	8
54	Flower Mound	$80,202	$38.55	$47,005	$124,314	12
55	Kyle	$80,151	$38.53	$46,893	$124,234	13
56	Del Rio	$80,058	$38.49	$46,434	$124,090	9
57	Coppell	$79,869	$38.40	$46,325	$123,797	8
58	Forney	$79,743	$38.33	$46,251	$123,601	6
59	Rowlett	$79,661	$38.30	$46,204	$123,475	15
60	The Colony	$79,541	$38.24	$46,134	$123,289	9
61	Anna	$79,510	$38.23	$46,115	$123,240	4
62	Huntsville	$79,422	$38.19	$46,065	$123,103	11
63	Texarkana	$79,314	$38.13	$46,002	$122,937	9
64	Mission	$79,238	$38.09	$45,958	$122,819	22
65	Mansfield	$79,171	$38.06	$45,920	$122,716	18
66	Weatherford	$79,157	$38.06	$45,911	$122,694	9
67	Euless	$79,120	$38.04	$45,889	$122,636	14
68	Weslaco	$79,067	$38.02	$45,859	$122,555	9
69	Hurst	$79,030	$38.00	$45,837	$122,496	9
70	Victoria	$78,978	$37.97	$45,808	$122,416	14
71	Grapevine	$78,933	$37.94	$45,781	$122,346	12
72	Leander	$78,914	$37.94	$45,770	$122,316	11
73	Little Elm	$78,910	$37.93	$45,768	$122,310	12
74	Lancaster	$78,840	$37.90	$45,728	$122,203	8
75	North Richland Hills	$78,786	$37.88	$45,696	$122,118	17
76	Duncanville	$78,771	$37.87	$45,688	$122,096	8
77	Copperas Cove	$78,620	$37.80	$47,566	$121,860	7
78	Friendswood	$78,607	$37.79	$47,205	$121,841	8
79	El Paso	$78,537	$37.76	$48,494	$97,861	50
80	McAllen	$78,537	$37.76	$52,572	$108,674	50
81	Seguin	$78,279	$37.63	$46,719	$121,333	7
82	Rockwall	$78,172	$37.59	$46,562	$121,167	12
83	Corinth	$78,090	$37.55	$45,413	$121,040	6
84	Schertz	$78,021	$37.51	$45,252	$120,932	6
85	Corsicana	$77,956	$37.48	$45,214	$120,831	6
86	San Juan	$77,900	$37.45	$45,958	$120,745	9
87	Kingsville	$77,894	$37.45	$45,944	$120,735	5
88	Prosper	$77,875	$37.44	$45,902	$120,706	7
89	Sachse	$77,679	$37.35	$45,469	$120,403	5
90	Bastrop	$77,668	$37.35	$45,048	$120,385	6
91	San Angelo	$77,570	$37.29	$68,943	$112,078	30
92	Socorro	$77,534	$37.27	$45,067	$120,178	5
93	Eagle Pass	$77,389	$37.21	$44,886	$119,953	5
94	Keller	$77,276	$37.16	$44,820	$119,778	7
95	Sherman	$77,270	$37.15	$44,817	$119,768	9
96	Lufkin	$77,188	$37.11	$44,768	$119,641	8
97	Haltom City	$77,181	$37.10	$44,765	$119,631	11
98	Nacogdoches	$77,181	$37.10	$44,765	$119,631	7
99	Benbrook	$77,118	$37.07	$44,728	$119,534	6
100	University Park	$77,045	$37.04	$44,686	$119,419	5
101	Lubbock	$76,898	$36.97	$56,081	$101,034	60
102	Edinburg	$76,649	$36.85	$44,456	$118,806	22
103	Fredericksburg	$76,561	$36.81	$46,058	$118,670	5
104	Stephenville	$76,017	$36.55	$47,168	$117,826	6
105	Horizon City	$75,687	$36.39	$46,325	$117,314	6
106	Murphy	$75,179	$36.15	$45,246	$116,528	5
107	Abilene	$74,649	$35.90	$58,782	$102,138	30
108	Tomball	$74,579	$35.85	$43,890	$115,599	5
109	Corpus Christi	$65,643	$31.56	$52,015	$132,842	40

More Texas Salary Data

Hourly Rates

Explore clinical and counseling psychologist hourly pay in Texas cities.

Dallas →Fort Worth →Arlington →

Entry Level

Starting salaries for new clinical and counseling psychologists.

Dallas →Fort Worth →Arlington →

Senior / Experienced

Top earner salaries for experienced clinical and counseling psychologists.

Dallas →Fort Worth →Arlington →

Compare Cities in Texas

Dallas, TXvsHouston, TX Dallas, TXvsSan Antonio, TX Dallas, TXvsAustin, TX Dallas, TXvsFort Worth, TX Houston, TXvsSan Antonio, TX Dallas, TXvsArlington, TX

View all comparisons →

Explore More Clinical and Counseling Psychologist Salary Data

National OverviewMedian salary & full US data Entry-Level SalariesStarting pay & new grad earnings Hourly Pay RatesPer-hour rates & part-time income Highest Paying StatesTop states ranked by salary

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do clinical and counseling psychologists make in Texas in 2026?

The average median clinical and counseling psychologist salary in Texas is $94,281/year across 109 metro areas, based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). Salaries range from $65,643 in Corpus Christi to $111,889 in Dallas. This makes Texas 10.79% below the national median of $105,689. The state employs approximately 4,420 clinical and counseling psychologists.

What is the highest paying city for clinical and counseling psychologists in Texas?

Dallas offers the highest clinical and counseling psychologist salary in Texas at $111,889/year ($53.79/hr), based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). The top 3 highest-paying cities are Dallas ($111,889), Fort Worth ($111,160), Arlington ($109,629). Higher pay in these metros is typically driven by cost of living, demand for psychology services, and competition among employers for licensed clinical and counseling psychologists.

How does Texas clinical and counseling psychologist pay compare to the national average?

Texas's average clinical and counseling psychologist salary of $94,281 is 10.79% below the national median of $105,689 in 2026. The state employs approximately 4,420 clinical and counseling psychologists across 109 metropolitan areas. When comparing salaries, consider cost-of-living differences — a lower nominal salary in an affordable area may provide better purchasing power than a higher salary in an expensive metro.

What is the entry-level clinical and counseling psychologist salary in Texas?

Entry-level clinical and counseling psychologists (10th percentile) in Texas earn approximately $56,057/year on average, based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). Starting salaries range from $42,305 in lower-paying areas to $83,076 in the highest-paying metros. New graduates should expect salaries at the lower end and can typically reach the area median within 3–5 years of clinical experience.

How many clinical and counseling psychologists are employed in Texas?

Texas employs approximately 4,420 clinical and counseling psychologists across 109 metropolitan areas, based on the latest BLS data. Job availability varies by metro area, with larger cities offering more opportunities. Demand continues to grow as the psychology field expands and the population ages.

Which Texas city offers the best value for clinical and counseling psychologists?

When adjusted for cost of living, Fort Worth offers the highest purchasing power for clinical and counseling psychologists in Texas, with an adjusted salary of $115,792 (nominal: $111,160, CoL index: 96). This means your dollar goes 4% further compared to the national average, making it an attractive option for maximizing real income.

Written by Maria Gonzalez, PhD, LPC

Career Analyst

Maria has 10 years of experience in clinical psychology. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy. Maria works at a mental health clinic in Chicago.

Clinically reviewed by James Wu, PsyD, LCSWData verified by Fatima Khan, PhD, LCPC

Methodology & Data Source

Statewide salary figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. A 5.08% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), derived from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to each metro area's reported salary to estimate current 2026 clinical and counseling psychologist compensation across Texas. State averages are employment-weighted across 109 metro areas — larger metro areas with more clinical and counseling psychologistscontribute proportionally more to the average, producing figures that better reflect typical compensation. Individual pay varies by city, employer, certifications, and experience.

Data Sources & Methodology

Source: BLS, OEWS, 5-year dataset (2021–2025). Per-city data from annual BLS metropolitan area surveys.

2026 figures are projected from 2025 BLS data using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.08%, derived from historical BLS wage trends for clinical and counseling psychologists (SOC 19-3033).

Compiled and verified by Maria Gonzalez, PhD, LPC, a licensed clinical and counseling psychologist with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov

Last verified: June 10, 2026

Share:Facebook X LinkedIn Email