Where is it easiest to open: Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 19-3033” (soc) for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 6,940 | 7.4 | $42,869 | licence | Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP; Licensed Psychologist |
| FL | 3,736 | 5.1 | $40,810 | exam | Psychologist; School Psychologist |
| NY | 2,838 | 6.5 | $48,667 | exam | Licensed Psychoanalyst; Psychologist |
| TX | 2,817 | 4.5 | $44,104 | licence | PSYCHOLOGIST |
| IL | 2,487 | 4.6 | $52,017 | exam | CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST |
| CO | 1,907 | 3.8 | $49,601 | exam | Clinical Psychologist; Registered Pyschotherapist |
| GA | 1,374 | 5.6 | $41,938 | exam | Provisional Psychologist; Psychologist |
| PA | 1,367 | 8.3 | $46,268 | exam | Psychologist |
| WA | 1,334 | 4.0 | $48,951 | exam | Psychologist |
| NC | 1,328 | 5.9 | $51,063 | exam | Detection of Deception Examiner; Licensed Psychologist |
| VA | 1,308 | 5.9 | $45,032 | not matched | — |
| MI | 1,222 | 5.9 | $43,865 | exam | Psychologist; Psychologist, Masters Degree Limited |
| NJ | 1,059 | 7.6 | $44,080 | exam | PSYCHOLOGIST; SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST |
| OR | 1,038 | 3.8 | $56,333 | licence | Psychologist; Psychologist Associate |
| AZ | 1,024 | 6.4 | $50,992 | not matched | — |
| MN | 943 | 5.2 | $52,304 | licence | Licensed Psychologist (LP) |
| MD | 847 | 8.0 | $49,414 | licence | PSYCHOLOGIST |
| OH | 843 | 8.4 | $43,750 | licence | Psychologists |
| UT | 829 | 5.6 | $35,596 | licence | PSYCHOLOGIST |
| MA | 821 | 9.0 | $46,692 | exam | EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST; PSYCHOLOGIST |
| IN | 815 | 10.2 | $43,683 | exam | Limited Scope Psychologist; Psychologist |
| MO | 545 | 5.4 | $43,642 | exam | Behavior Analyst; Psychologist |
| WI | 541 | 12.0 | $38,050 | exam | PSYCHOLOGIST; SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST |
| NE | 498 | 3.4 | $43,293 | licence | Psychologist |
| LA | 446 | 6.3 | $33,032 | exam | Art Therapist, School; Music Therapist, Working in Schools |
| CT | 444 | 6.9 | $43,620 | exam | Psychologist |
| NV | 442 | 3.7 | $45,164 | not matched | — |
| AR | 436 | 2.9 | $41,048 | exam | Private Investigator; Psychological Examiner |
| OK | 419 | 3.7 | $39,714 | licence | Licensed Psychologist |
| KY | 398 | 5.2 | $41,797 | exam | Certified Psychologist; Certified Psychologist with Autonomous |
| IA | 386 | 4.8 | $49,713 | exam | Health Service Provider in Psychology; Psychologist |
| MT | 367 | 2.1 | $41,249 | exam | Psychologist - Assistant Behavioral An; Psychologist - Post Doctorate Supervis |
| TN | 362 | 9.5 | $48,236 | exam | PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINERS; PSYCHOLOGIST |
| KS | 354 | 4.1 | $43,482 | exam | Private Investigator; Psychologist |
| SC | 339 | 4.0 | $41,026 | licence | Psychologist; Temporary Permit |
| ID | 306 | 4.9 | $36,299 | exam | Psychologists |
| AL | 263 | 4.8 | $38,753 | licence | Licensed Psychological Technician |
| NM | 224 | 5.8 | $39,864 | exam | Prescribing Psychologist; Psychologist |
| ME | 217 | 3.7 | $46,413 | exam | Psychologist Examiner (including Condi; Psychologist (including Conditional an |
| HI | 210 | 3.8 | $42,666 | exam | Psychologist |
| RI | 182 | 5.1 | $47,011 | exam | Psychologist, Private Practice; School Psychologist |
| MS | 162 | 4.3 | $49,646 | exam | Clinical and Counseling Psychologists |
| DC | 138 | 3.3 | $62,560 | exam | PSYCHOLOGIST |
| ND | 128 | 3.5 | $67,435 | exam | Licensed Professional Clinical Counsel; Psychologists |
| DE | 127 | 9.7 | $52,534 | exam | Psychologist, Licensed; Psychologist, Licensed by Reciprocity |
| AK | 121 | 2.6 | $64,837 | licence | Psychological Associate; Psychologist |
| WY | 111 | 3.7 | $46,267 | exam | PSYCHOLOGICAL PRACTITIONER; PSYCHOLOGIST |
| NH | 109 | 9.8 | $47,705 | exam | Psychologist; School Psychologist |
| VT | 105 | 3.3 | $44,156 | exam | Psychoanalyst; Psychologist - Doctorate |
| WV | 103 | 10.2 | $38,774 | not matched | — |
| SD | 90 | 3.5 | $52,532 | licence | Psychological Examiner; Psychologist |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.