Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Median salary

$100,580

Average salary

$112,750

Employment

75,990

Projected growth

11.2% growth

Annual openings

4,800

Typical entry education

Doctoral or professional degree

What Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Do

Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Help individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory. Provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment. May design behavior modification programs and consult with medical personnel regarding the best treatment for patients.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Internship/residency
Self-employed: 2.4%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 5 of 5

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Experience: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.
Education: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job training: Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Psychologyimportance 5.0/5
Therapy and Counselingimportance 5.0/5
English Languageimportance 4.1/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.9/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.7/5
Sociology and Anthropologyimportance 3.6/5
Law and Governmentimportance 2.8/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.8/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
Spend Time Sitting4.8/5
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.7/5
E-Mail4.6/5
Freedom to Make Decisions4.6/5
Contact With Others4.5/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors99% skill match
School Psychologists98% skill match
Genetic Counselors98% skill match
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping98% skill match
Human Resources Specialists98% skill match
Credit Counselors98% skill match
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term97% skill match
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Social Perceptivenessimportance 4.4/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.8/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.8/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.8/5
Coordinationimportance 3.5/5
Persuasionimportance 3.5/5
Instructingimportance 3.3/5
Time Managementimportance 3.3/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

In-Demand Technologies

Google Meet

Other Software Used

Addison Health Systems WritePad EHR
Anasazi Software Client Data System
Athena Software Penelope Case Management
B Sharp Technologies B Care
BRB Software HorizonMIS
BlackHawk Canyon Publishers PracticianWorks
Blueberry Harbor Software Clinical Record Keeper
Bluewater Management Systems BMCASE

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Empathy
Sincerity
Integrity
Attention to Detail
Cooperation
Self-Control
Dependability

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

SocialHigh
InvestigativeHigh
ConventionalMedium
ArtisticMedium
EnterprisingLow
RealisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where clinical and counseling psychologists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1Charleston, WV3.63× national avg
2Boulder, CO3.26× national avg
3Amherst Town-Northampton, MA2.94× national avg
4Beckley, WV2.60× national avg
5Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH2.57× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

School PsychologistsLateral Move
Genetic CounselorsCareer Change
DermatologistsCareer Change
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and AdvisorsCareer Change

See the full career path from Clinical and Counseling Psychologists →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.