How to become a psychologist in the United States

Checked on 16 October 2026 against the regulator's own pages and other official sources; every statement links the page it comes from. Rules and fees change; if a link says something different today, the link is right and this page is out of date.

The short version

1. A bachelor's degree, then a doctorate in psychology (PhD or PsyD), usually from a programme accredited by the APA, including a doctoral internship. APA
2. Supervised experience as your state sets it: for example 3,000 hours in California, two years full time in New York, 4,000 hours in Florida. California New York Florida
3. Pass the EPPP, the national licensing exam, and any state exam on law and ethics. ASPPB
4. Apply for a licence from the state board where you will practise; each of the 66 US and Canadian boards sets its own requirements. ASPPB

1. The degree

The APA's Commission on Accreditation accredits programmes, not people. It accredits doctoral programmes in clinical, counseling and school psychology, the doctoral internships that are a required part of that training, and postdoctoral residencies; the main doctoral degrees are the PhD and the PsyD. APA The APA began accrediting master's programmes in 2018, but the state boards below license psychologists only at doctoral level. APA

Master's-level counselling and therapy licences exist, but they are not "psychologist". In California, for example, the Board of Behavioral Sciences licenses Marriage and Family Therapists (a qualifying master's degree and 3,000 supervised hours over at least 104 weeks) and Professional Clinical Counselors (also 3,000 hours). LMFT LPCC In New York, practising psychology or calling yourself a psychologist needs a psychologist licence. New York

2. Licensing, state by state

The national exam is the EPPP, run by ASPPB. Part 1 (knowledge) is required everywhere; Part 2 (skills) only in some jurisdictions. ASPPB Three state examples, from the boards' own pages:

• California: a qualifying doctorate from a regionally accredited institution; 3,000 supervised hours, at least 1,500 of them after the doctorate; the EPPP, then the California Psychology Law and Ethics Exam. California Board fees include a $236 application and a $231 initial licence. California fees
• New York: a doctorate from a licence-qualifying or APA-accredited programme, or one judged substantially equivalent; two years of full-time supervised experience (1,750 hours a year), at most one year of it from the internship; EPPP Part 1 with a score of at least 75. The licence fee is $294. New York
• Florida: a doctorate from an APA-accredited programme; 4,000 supervised hours, with the internship counting for the first 2,000; the EPPP and a Florida laws and rules exam; $305 in board fees. Florida

PSYPACT lets a psychologist licensed in one member state offer telepsychology, and up to 30 days a year of in-person work, in other member states. Both need a licence based on a doctoral degree. PSYPACT fact sheet

3. Continuing education

Each state sets its own. California asks for 36 hours of continuing professional development every two years, including at least 4 on laws and ethics. California New York asks for 36 hours in each three-year registration period, from approved providers. New York

4. If you trained in Pakistan or elsewhere abroad

Every board we read requires a doctorate for the psychologist licence. A Pakistani BS, MS or MPhil on its own does not meet that, although it may count towards a master's-level counselling licence assessed by a different board. Boards decide case by case whether a doctorate from abroad is equivalent:

• California: a doctorate from outside the US and Canada may qualify if a NACES member or the National Register evaluates it, verifies it with the university, and finds it equivalent; the transcript must be in English or translated. California
• New York: the programme must be accredited or recognised by the civil authorities where the school is, with at least three years of full-time study and a year of supervised practicum or internship. New York
• Florida: a credentials evaluation proving a doctorate in psychology from a government-recognised institution, and a letter from a director of an APA-accredited doctoral programme stating that your programme is equivalent, plus 2,000 post-doctoral supervised hours. Florida

The National Register of Health Service Psychologists reviews doctorates from outside the US and Canada one by one against its guidelines, which include at least three years of full-time graduate study and a year in residence at the degree-granting university. National Register

5. Pay

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics gives a median annual wage for psychologists of $99,110 in May 2025, and projects employment to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035. BLS

What we could not confirm

• The EPPP exam fees: ASPPB's fee page lists the fees but showed no amounts when we checked; see it for the current figures. ASPPB fees
• Texas requirements: the board's website could not be reached.
• The current list of PSYPACT member states, and whether the fees on the fact sheet are current.
• Any English test requirement for foreign-trained applicants in California, New York or Florida.
• Florida's continuing education hours.
• Whether any board has a published position on Pakistani degrees; none we read mentions them.

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