Clinical Psychologist Salary Guide

Clinical psychologists are expert healthcare professionals who care for patients experiencing a wide range of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. They prevent, diagnose, and treat these conditions and make a profound difference in the well-being and lives of the patients they encounter. 

Salary is a crucial element in any career decision. Knowing the average salary, what affects salary, and how to maximize your salary goes a long way in boosting your income as a clinical psychologist!  

Want to learn more? Jump over to our Clinical Psychologist Career Guide for more info on this rewarding career path. Now, let’s talk clinical psychologist salary. Heads up - this well-paying field earns a significantly higher salary than the national average! 

How Much Does a Licensed Clinical Psychologist Make?

According to BLS, the average clinical psychologist salary is $106,600 per year. This calculates out to an average hourly rate of $51.25.

  • The highest 10% of clinical psychologists earn $168,870 or more annually. This amounts to a clinical psychologist hourly rate of $81.19 or more.
  • The lowest 10% of clinical psychologists earn approximately $48,820 annually, which is an hourly rate of $23.27. 

You must be licensed to work as a clinical psychologist in the United States. Each state has different licensing requirements.

What Field of Clinical Psychology Makes the Most Money?

Clinical psychologists enjoy working in a wide range of settings and environments. What is a clinical psychologist's salary in each of these work settings? Pay can vary greatly depending on what area you work in, so pay attention! We’ll start with the highest-earning psychologist specialties, by average annual salary: 

  • Scientific research psychologist: $131,050
  • Specialty hospital psychologist: $117,940
  • Health practitioner office psychologist: $114,900
  • Physician office psychologist: $113,970
  • Outpatient care center psychologist: $107,500
  • General hospital psychologist: $101,450

What are the Top-Paying States for Clinical Psychologists?

Top-paying states for clinical psychologists clock in at well over six figures a year! The top-paying states, by average yearly salary, are:

  • New Jersey: $148,370
  • California: $132,410
  • Oregon: $129,470
  • Rhode Island: $120,720
  • Maine: $117,710

Remember, pay can vary between cities within a state. Let’s use New York as an example. The average salary for a clinical psychologist in New York State is $113,230 per year. In contrast, a clinical psychologist in New York City can expect to earn a higher average salary of $123,900. 

Salary Range Considerations

Location, experience, additional certifications, training, and education all impact your pay as a clinical psychologist. Areas with high costs of living will generally pay higher than average salaries to account for this. Areas with lower costs of living tend to pay lower salaries. 

Your licensed clinical psychologist salary will increase as you gain years of experience in the field. It will also increase as you pursue additional training or certification in a specialty area. A few specialties include neuropsychology, child, adult, geriatric, substance abuse, and behavioral health psychology. 

Education Level

A doctoral degree in clinical psychology is the minimum level of education required to be a psychologist. 

  • Doctor of Psychology (PsyD): A doctoral degree in psychology focused more on clinical and hands-on training. 
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): A doctoral degree in psychology focused more on clinical research and academia. 
  • Master’s degree: Some states allow those with a master’s degree to practice a psychology associate under a licensed psychologist. 

PsyD and PhD psychologists have similar salary projections, and each has the ability to earn six figures or more. Doctoral-prepared psychologists earn more than masters-prepared psychology associates. 

Are Clinical Psychologists in High Demand?

Clinical psychologists are highly educated health professionals whose knowledge and skills are needed in a wide range of clinical areas. They enjoy high demand and are needed in small communities, large cities, and all fifty states!

Travel clinical psychologists help meet this demand and ensure that healthcare needs are met despite regional or temporary staffing shortages. Travel pay is dynamic and rises when demand is high. We’ll talk more about travel psychologist pay in a moment, but remember that becoming a traveling psychologist is a great way to boost your income and travel the country. 

What is the Job Outlook like for a Clinical Psychologist?

The clinical psychologists enjoy a faster-than-average growth rate of six percent, according to the BLS. This is double the expected average growth rate for all professions! Approximately 12,800 job openings are anticipated for clinical psychologists each year, from now until 2032.

The psychology and mental health fields are growing as more people see the benefits of professional mental health care. Mental health affects all aspects of one’s life, and clinical psychologists can make a positive and meaningful difference in the lives of those they encounter.  

Travel Clinical Psychologist Salary

Taking your skills on the road as a travel clinical psychologist is an amazing way to increase your income, expand your skills, and have the experience of a lifetime. All while working in an incredibly rewarding field! Travel clinical psychologists work short-term contracts to ease local staffing shortages. They also can enjoy substantial tax, housing, and other benefits. 

  • Travel clinical psychologist pay currently ranges from $1,800 to $3,900 per week!
  • If you were to work 50 weeks per year at this rate, you would earn $90,000 to $195,000 annually, significantly higher than the current national average clinical psychologist salary of $106,000 per year.  

Why is travel psychologist salary often substantially higher than staff psychologist salary? Travel pay is heavily influenced by supply and demand, and all psychology travelers are experienced healthcare professionals who can hit the ground running with little to no training or supervision. Travel healthcare professionals are highly valued members of the healthcare team.

Find a Clinical Psychologist Job with Trusted Health

You have the ability to elevate your clinical psychology career and expand your earning potential by traveling! Plus, traveling is a great way to see the country, create extraordinary memories, and make new friends. 

Travel experience is an amazing asset to your clinical psychology career, and Trusted Health is here to help you at each step of your journey. We proudly offer our travel healthcare professionals the treatment they deserve with top-tier pay, exceptional benefits, and unmatched clinical support.  

Take the first step by browsing our current travel clinical psychologist jobs today!

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