In Washington, the Department of Health issues professional licensure for psychologists. To become a psychologist in Washington, you must complete a doctoral degree in psychology, obtain supervised experience, submit an application to become licensed, and pass national and state exams. Because this process can be complicated and time-consuming, we’ve prepared a step-by-step guide to help you through it.

Table of Contents

How to Become a Psychologist in Washington

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree and (optionally) a master’s degree in psychology.

The first step to becoming a psychologist in Washington is to complete a bachelor’s degree. Bachelor’s degrees take approximately four years, or 120 credit hours, to complete. You don’t have to major in psychology during your bachelor’s; in fact, many future psychologists study other fields as undergraduates. However, if your undergraduate degree isn’t in psychology, you may need to take prerequisite courses before entering a graduate program.

After completing your bachelor’s, you can pursue a master’s degree in psychology. This is an optional step, as most students earn master’s degrees during their doctoral programs. However, a master’s degree can be helpful if you didn’t major in psychology for your bachelor’s degree or are unsure what your clinical focus should be during a doctoral program. Although requirements vary, you can generally expect a master’s degree in psychology to take about two years (30 to 40 credit hours) of full-time study.

2. Earn a doctoral degree in psychology.

After you complete your bachelor’s degree (and a master’s degree if you decide to), you’ll need to earn a doctoral degree in psychology to qualify for licensure in Washington. Prospective psychologists can pursue either a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology or a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). Review our guide to the key differences between a PhD in Psychology and a PsyD.

Most doctoral programs in psychology take between four and seven years to complete. In Washington, applicants for psychology licensure must attend an accredited doctoral program that meets specific state requirements, including a practicum of at least 300 hours and an internship of at least 1,500 hours.

Visit our Psychology Schools in Washington page for more information about available programs.

3. Complete postdoctoral supervised experience, if necessary.

Prospective psychologists in Washington must complete at least 3,300 hours of supervised experience to be eligible for licensure. At least 300 of these hours must be completed during the doctoral practicum. A further 1,500 hours must be logged during the doctoral internship. The remaining 1,500 hours may be any combination of practicum and postdoctoral experience. Applicants credentialed as substance use disorder professionals for three years within the previous 10 years may reduce the combined practicum and postdoctoral portion from 1,500 hours to 1,020 hours.

In Washington, postdoctoral hours are only required if 3,300 hours are not accrued at the time the doctoral degree is conferred. The rules for obtaining supervised postdoctoral experience can be found on the Washington state legislature website.

4. Submit your application to the Board.

Once you have completed the required supervised experience, you can apply to the Board for permission to take the required licensing exam and receive your license. The application can be completed online or by mail. As part of your application, you’ll have to pay a $231 licensing fee. Every applicant also completes a fingerprint background check. The credentialing team emails instructions after you submit the application.

5. Pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology.

The Board will notify you when you’re approved to take the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards’ (ASPPB) Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), a national exam that assesses skills and knowledge across a variety of domains. The EPPP consists of 225 multiple-choice questions, with a scaled passing score of at least 500.

6. Receive your license from the Board.

After you have passed the EPPP, you’re almost ready to begin practicing independently. At this point, you only need to wait for notification from the Board that your license has been issued.

Washington Licensure by Endorsement

Washington has four main endorsement pathways. They can’t be combined, so you must meet every requirement within a single pathway.

  • Pathway 1: You come from a substantially equivalent state, have been continuously licensed for at least two years immediately before applying and have no disciplinary action, investigation, or charges in that period.
  • Pathway 2: You come from an essentially equivalent state or country, have been licensed for at least two years, and hold a doctoral degree with a primary emphasis on psychology from an accredited school.
  • Pathway 3: You hold current membership and certification with the National Register of Health Service Psychologists (NRHSP), the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), the ASPPB, or the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology (ABPN).
  • Pathway 4: You have held an unrestricted license in any US or Canadian jurisdiction for the last five consecutive years.

You may also apply for a temporary permit. The temporary practice permit is free, is valid for one year from the date of issue, and allows up to 90 days of practice within that year. The days do not have to be consecutive. The permit is not renewable, though you may submit a new application after it expires.

For further information on these pathways and to access the application, visit the Board website.

License Renewal and Continuing Education

Once you are licensed as a psychologist, you must renew your license every year on or before your birthday. You must also complete 60 hours of continuing education (CE) every three years, including:

  • Ethics (four hours)
  • Health equity (two hours)
  • Jurisprudence (one hour)

After initial licensure, you must take and pass the Washington jurisprudence examination within your first CE cycle. After the first cycle the exam is optional, though you may claim one CE hour each cycle for taking and passing it.

Once every six years, psychologists must also complete six hours in suicide prevention from an approved provider. Additional information about CE requirements can be found on the Board website.

Psychological Associate

The Board issues a Psychological Associate license for those who will practice under
supervision at all times. To apply, you must either be enrolled in a qualifying
doctoral program or be completing postdoctoral experience. You must also have
completed 3,300 hours of supervised experience. The application fee is $111.

School Psychologist

In Washington, school psychologists are regulated by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). To become a school psychologist, you need a master’s degree in school psychology from a state-approved program. You must also pass the Praxis exam for school psychologists and submit fingerprints for a background check. When you meet the requirements, you may apply for the first license tier, Educational Staff Associate (ESA).

To upgrade to a Professional ESA certificate, you must meet all the requirements for the first-tier ESA certificate, complete coursework on abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students, and complete approved suicide prevention training. The suicide prevention training must be completed after your most recent ESA certificate was issued, or within the five years before you apply.

Washington Psychologist Jobs and Salary Information

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), psychologists in Washington, excluding teachers, earned an average annual salary of $103,667 as of May 2022.1 This varies by specialty: clinical and counseling psychologists have an average salary of $105,950, psychologists falling into the “all other” category have an average salary of $105,640, and school psychologists make $99,410 on average annually. 1 Postsecondary psychology teachers in Washington earned less than other groups, with an average salary of $72,380 as of May 2022.1

Employment growth for all psychology specialties is expected to be positive, according to Projections Central. The number of psychologist job openings in Washington from 2020 to 2030 is expected to increase by 18.5% for clinical, counseling, and school psychologists, and 15.6% for postsecondary psychology teachers over the same time period.2

OccupationNumber Employed1Average Annual Salary1
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists1,030$105,950
Industrial-Organizational PsychologistsN.Av.N.Av.
Psychologists, All Other380$105,640
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary1,060$72,380
School Psychologists1,420$99,410

Additional Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to become a psychologist in Washington?

Becoming a psychologist in Washington can take eight to 12 years. Prospective psychologists must complete a bachelor’s degree, which usually takes four years, and a doctoral degree, which can take four to seven years. After completing the required education, prospective psychologists must meet additional licensure requirements, including accumulating supervised experience hours and passing scores on an exam. There are additional steps, such as choosing to get a stand-alone master’s degree, which can extend the process.

What degree do I need to be a licensed psychologist in Washington?

To become a licensed psychologist in Washington, you will need to complete either a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology or Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree.

How much do psychologists in Washington make?

On average, clinical and counseling psychologists in Washington, excluding teachers, earned an annual salary of $103,667 as of May 2022.1 However, this varies depending on specialty: the average clinical and counseling psychologist salary was $105,950, the average “all other” psychologist salary was $105,640, and the average postsecondary psychology teacher in Washington earned $72,380 as of May 2022.1

References:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Washington: https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/5300000
2. Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/Projections/LongTerm