Being a Psychologist in Colorado Springs, Omaha, Raleigh, and Atlanta: A Comparative Analysis
Colorado Springs leads at about $120,975 at U.S. prices, on just 100 jobs. Raleigh, at $98,373, Omaha, at $97,594, and Atlanta, at $97,034, are effectively tied. That tie is the useful part: three metros with different licensing and very different sizes land within about $1,340 of each other.
| City | BLS metro area | Psychologist jobs | Median pay | Price level | Median at U.S. prices | HRSA shortage area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 100 | $121,830 | 100.7 | $120,975 | County-wide |
| Omaha | Omaha, NE-IA | 450 | $89,700 | 91.9 | $97,594 | None listed |
| Raleigh | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 520 | $96,560 | 98.2 | $98,373 | Partial |
| Atlanta | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 770 | $97,090 | 100.1 | $97,034 | Partial |
The three tied cities differ in other ways. Raleigh has the most jobs, 520, and a narrow range from $74,700 to $122,440. Atlanta’s range is far wider. Omaha’s county shows no listed HRSA shortage designation, and Colorado Springs’s county shows a county-wide one. Ask whether that matters for any job you’re considering.
Licensing
| State | Supervised experience in total | After the doctorate | Rule read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Internship, plus 1,500 postdoctoral | 1,500 | Ga. Rule 510-2-.01 |
| North Carolina | 3,000 | At least 1,500 | 21 NCAC 54 .2009 |
| Nebraska | 1,500-hour internship, then a postdoctoral year | At least 1,500, with 1,000 direct service | 172 NAC 155-004 |
| Colorado | 1,500-hour internship, then postdoctoral experience | At least 1,500 | 3 CCR 721-1 |
Colorado’s rule covers a 1,500-hour internship and at least 1,500 postdoctoral hours. Nebraska’s covers a 1,500-hour internship and a postdoctoral year of at least 1,500 hours, 1,000 of them direct service. North Carolina’s sets 3,000, at least 1,500 after the doctorate. Georgia’s sets 1,500 postdoctoral hours after internship, and renewal takes 40 credits every two years, 6 in ethics. Rules read: Georgia: Ga. Rule 510-2-.01; North Carolina: 21 NCAC 54 .2009; Nebraska: 172 NAC 155-004; Colorado: 3 CCR 721-1.
On a quick reading, these four look similar. So the details decide: how direct-service hours are counted, whether your internship is accepted, and how long you’ve got to finish. Ask each board.
Breaking the tie
With pay even, choose on what the table can’t see: who’s hiring in your specialty, the cost of housing near work, and your family’s situation. The Omaha metro crosses into Iowa, so check your license if a job’s across the river. In Colorado Springs, a small market with a high median needs the same question as anywhere else: who employs psychologists, and is there a backup employer?
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025; employees only. Prices: BEA, 2024. Shortage: HRSA, November 2026; “Partial” means part of a county or a population group.