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Earning an online psychology degree in Georgia prepares you to get a license and offer mental health services in the state. Explore how to become a psychologist in Georgia, salary potential, and licensing requirements.
Popular Online Doctoral Psychology Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Psychologist Salaries in Georgia
Psychologists in Georgia earn salaries below the national average. However, psychologists can increase their earnings through experience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), clinical and counseling psychologists earned $41,710- $136,680 in 2023.
| Job Title | Lowest 10% | Median Annual Salary | Highest 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical and counseling psychologists | $41,710 | $79,410 | $136,680 |
| School psychologists | $62,310 | $89,920 | $118,980 |
| Psychologists, all other | $52,310 | $121,330 | $154,340 |
Psychologist Licensing in Georgia
Georgia's secretary of state oversees the licensing process for psychologists. Before applying to the secretary of state, applicants must meet the state's educational and postdoctoral requirements.
Prospective psychologists in Georgia must complete a doctoral degree approved by the American Psychological Association (APA). Qualified candidates must also have:
- Eight hundred hours of direct client contact during their graduate program
- A one-year APA-accredited internship that is at least 2,000 hours
- 1,500 hours of post-doctoral supervised work
Candidates can apply for licensure in one of three ways: examination, exam waiver, or endorsement. Graduates may also apply for a provisional permit while they complete their postdoctoral supervised work. Georgia only offers temporary permits to applicants applying for licensure by endorsement while they apply for permanent licensure.
Licenses expire every two years and can be renewed online. Psychologists need 40 continuing education hours to renew their license.
Georgia offers licensure by endorsement. The state also participates in the PSYPACT: a multi-state agreement that allows Georgia psychologists to provide teletherapy and practice temporarily in other PSYPACT states, like Florida.
License Requirements
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1
Earn a doctoral degree in psychology from an APA-accredited program. -
2
Gain 1,500 hours of postdoctoral supervised experience. -
3
Complete an Application Initiation Form with the state and pay the applicable fee. -
4
Register with the board and complete your application through the Psychology Licensure Universal System (PLUS) program. -
5
Pay the $100 application fee. -
6
Pass both parts of the computer-based Examination for Professional Practice -
7
in Psychology (EPPP). -
8
Pass Georgia's multiple-choice jurisprudence exam. -
9
Complete an oral exam administered by the board or their representatives.
Demand for Psychology in Georgia
Psychologists are in demand in Georgia. The state needs more psychologists to serve its more than 11 million residents.
Georgia ranks 27th in mental health professional shortage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The state needs 217 more mental health professionals to meet the recommended population-to-provider ratio of at least 30,000-to-1, reports KFF. The concentration of psychologists in the state is also lower than the national average, according to the BLS.
This increased demand makes sense, considering Georgia's population grew by 116,077 in 2023, reaching a new population high.
Page last reviewed on April 17, 2024