Psychologist Salary in South Carolina (2026)
The average Psychologist in South Carolina earns around $115,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $84,707/year ($7,059/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $84,707 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $7,059 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $3,258 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $41/hr |
Federal Tax | $16,470 |
State Tax | $5,026 |
FICA Taxes | $8,798 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 26.34% |
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Psychologist Salary Ranges in South Carolina
Not all Psychologists earn the same — not even close
South Carolina's psychologist market is anchored by MUSC Charleston Psychiatry + Psychology (the only OR academic medical center psychiatry department with substantial clinical + research mix), Patrick B. Harris Psychiatric Hospital Anderson (largest SC state psychiatric hospital), Three Rivers Behavioral Health West Columbia + Charter Healthcare SC sites, Springbrook Behavioral Health Travelers Rest, Prisma Health Behavioral Health, MUSC Charleston Center for Drug + Alcohol Programs, plus substantial Charleston + Greenville + Columbia private practice and U of South Carolina + Clemson + College of Charleston psychology programs.
Senior Clinical Psychologist (Academic)
$115,000–$185,000
MUSC Psychiatry · academic + clinical research mix · publication track
Senior Clinical Psychologist (Health System)
$105,000–$155,000
Prisma Health · Roper · MUSC · integrated medical psychology
Senior Neuropsychologist
$118,000–$185,000
MUSC + Prisma + Roper · neuropsych testing + post-stroke + dementia + TBI evaluation
Senior Inpatient Psychologist
$108,000–$165,000
Patrick B. Harris Psychiatric · Three Rivers · Charter · inpatient acute psychiatric care
Senior Pediatric Psychologist
$105,000–$155,000
Children's of MUSC · Prisma Children's · pediatric developmental specialty
Senior Addiction Psychologist
$108,000–$165,000
MUSC Center for Drug + Alcohol · Springbrook Travelers Rest · Charter SC · MAT + IOP specialty
Senior Forensic Psychologist
$115,000–$185,000
Patrick B. Harris Psychiatric · SC Department of Mental Health · court evaluations
Senior Psychologist (Private Practice)
$115,000–$195,000
Charleston + Greenville + Columbia private practice + group practice · PsyPact multi-state
Mid-Career Licensed Psychologist (3-7 yrs)
$78,000–$115,000
Functional licensed psychologist · transitioning to senior band · post-licensure 2+ yrs
Post-Doctoral Fellow / Pre-Licensure
$48,000–$62,000
Pre-licensure post-doc · MUSC + Prisma + USC post-doctoral fellowships
Worth knowing: MUSC Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs Charleston is one of the country's most established academic addiction treatment programs and a feature most national psychology-career surveys understate for SC. MUSC CDAP (founded 1972 as one of the country's earlier academic addiction medicine programs, now part of MUSC's National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center + the Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs + the Addiction Sciences Division of MUSC Psychiatry) operates substantial addiction research + clinical treatment supporting senior addiction psychologists at $108-165K TC. MUSC Psychiatry is the only OR academic medical center psychiatry department in SC with substantial research + clinical mix — MUSC Psychiatry's research portfolio includes substantial NIH-funded PTSD + substance use disorder + mood disorder research. Patrick B. Harris Psychiatric Hospital Anderson (~150-bed state-run psychiatric facility) anchors SC inpatient psychiatric care + forensic psychology practice. SC joined PsyPact in 2019 — supporting SC psychologists across compact-state lines via telepsychology, important specialty for the Hilton Head + Myrtle Beach retiree market with snowbird patient caseloads. SC's 6.5% top bracket catches senior clinical + private-practice psychology comp at $200K+ TC but is substantially lower than OR/MN's 9.85-9.9% tops. SC has NO state estate tax + RTW + lower cost of living supports senior psychology private practice retention.
Sources & Methodology
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction
- →IRS Notice 2025-67 — 2026 retirement-plan contribution limits
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19 — 2026 HSA contribution limits
- →Social Security Administration — 2026 Social Security wage base
- →Individual income tax rates and filing information (SC Department of Revenue)
- →BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — Psychologist wage data for South Carolina
Salary figures are market estimates for Psychologists in South Carolina and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and South Carolina 2026 state rates. Local taxes, insurance premiums, and pre-tax contributions will move your number — run the calculator for your own situation.
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More on South Carolina
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for South Carolina in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for South Carolina in 2026.
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