Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Salary

The median clinical and counseling psychologists salary in the United States is $100,580 per year ($48.36/hour). Salaries range from $55,170 at the entry level to $180,960+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 75,990 clinical and counseling psychologists jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 11.2% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asPsychologistClinical PsychologistCounseling Psychologist
Median Salary
$100,580
per year
Hourly Rate
$48.36
per hour
Employment
75,990
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$55,170
25th percentile
$73,210
Median
$100,580
75th percentile
$135,200
90th percentile
$180,960

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+11.2%
Faster than average

Annual Openings

4,800
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Doctoral or professional degree

Training Needed

Internship/residency

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for clinical and counseling psychologistss.

Clinical + Counseling Psychologists provide psychotherapy, psychological testing, and diagnosis of mental health conditions. Career splits: private practice (cash-pay or insurance panels), hospital + academic medical centers, community mental health (PSLF eligible), forensic psychology (evaluations for courts), industrial/organizational (I/O consulting), neuropsychology (advanced testing specialty). Path: bachelor's + doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD, 5-7 years) + 1-year internship + 1-2 year postdoc + licensure. Median compensation: entry $75-105k; established private practice $100-180k; specialty (forensic, neuropsych, I/O) $130-260k+; senior + management $150-280k+.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Assessment + diagnosis (DSM-5)
Clinical interview + testing + diagnosis. Differential diagnosis + risk assessment.
Psychotherapy (CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic)
Multiple modalities. Match approach to patient + condition.
Psychological testing (IQ, personality, neuropsych)
WAIS, MMPI-3, Rorschach, neuropsychological batteries. Interpretation + report writing.
Crisis assessment + management
Suicide + violence risk. Safety planning + hospitalization decisions.
Documentation + report writing
Clinical notes + testing reports + court reports (forensic). Detailed + defensible.
Multi-cultural competence
Working across cultures, gender, age, and identity. Ethics + boundaries.
Practice management (private practice)
Billing + scheduling + panel management + tax + business ownership.

How to Become a Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

  1. 1
    Bachelor's in Psychology or related
    Strong GPA + research experience for competitive programs.
  2. 2
    Doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD, 5-7 years)
    PhD = research + clinical. PsyD = clinical-focused. Applied programs (PsyD) 4-5 years. Research programs (PhD) 5-7 years.
  3. 3
    Internship (1 year β€” APA-accredited)
    Competitive match through APPIC. Full-time clinical training.
  4. 4
    Postdoc (1-2 years for licensure)
    Required in most states. Supervised clinical practice.
  5. 5
    State licensure (EPPP exam + state jurisprudence)
    National + state-specific exams. $600-1,200 exam + $200-500 state application.
  6. 6
    Optional: Board certification (ABPP)
    Sub-specialty certification (Clinical, Neuropsych, Forensic, etc.).
  7. 7
    First practice: hospital, community, private
    Private practice + insurance panels most common.

Career Progression

Doctoral Student / Intern / Postdoc
0-7 yrs$25-60k stipend
  • β€’Training + supervised practice
  • β€’Dissertation (PhD)
Next: Licensed Psychologist.
Licensed Psychologist (New)
0-5 yrs$75-115k Β· HCOL cities $95-135k
  • β€’Independent clinical practice
  • β€’Building patient panel
Next: Senior Psychologist / Specialty.
Senior Psychologist / Specialty (Forensic, Neuropsych)
5-15 yrs$110-175k Β· Forensic $150-260k+ Β· Neuropsych $130-220k
  • β€’Established practice
  • β€’Specialty depth
  • β€’Complex evaluations
Next: Practice Owner / Director.
Practice Owner / Director
10-20+ yrs$150-280k+ private practice Β· Director $180-260k
  • β€’Business ownership
  • β€’Multi-provider practice
  • β€’Teaching + supervision

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 9 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through a clinical case you managed.case
STAR. Real case (de-identified). Assessment + treatment + outcome. Screens for real experience.
Q2. How do you handle a suicidal patient?situational
Concrete: Assess + safety planning + hospitalization if needed + follow-up. Never dismiss risk.
Q3. Tell me about a difficult clinical interaction.behavioral
STAR. Real case. Screens for real skills.
Q4. Why our practice / setting?culture
Research-driven concrete citation.
Q5. How do you handle countertransference?situational
Awareness + supervision + personal therapy if patterns emerge. Screens for reflective practice.

Resume Template β€” Licensed Psychologist (2-5 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Licensed Psychologist (2-5 yrs)
  • β–ΈLicensed Psychologist, [Practice]. PhD in Clinical Psychology + APA-accredited internship + postdoc.
  • β–ΈPanel of 45 active outpatient clients + 4 group therapy programs.
  • β–ΈABPP-certified in Clinical Psychology. Working toward Neuropsychology certification.
  • β–ΈZero substantiated ethics complaints during my licensed practice.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Poor documentation habits.
  • βœ—Weak clinical judgment on risk assessment.
  • βœ—Bad-mouthing prior patients or supervisors.
  • βœ—Weak boundaries or ethics awareness.
  • βœ—Missing continuing education or license lapse.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Base + productivity (private practice).
  • βœ“Sign-on bonus $2-15k.
  • βœ“PSLF eligibility (community mental health).
  • βœ“Continuing education budget + supervision.
  • βœ“Sub-specialty certification (ABPP).
  • βœ“PTO + benefits.
  • βœ“Practice building support.

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  • βœ“ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
  • βœ“ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Career Kit β€” $19

  • βœ“ All 9 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 10 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 7 top employers
  • βœ“ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
  • βœ“ Downloadable PDF for offline access
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Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$64K
$134Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

Oregon
$134K
+34%
New Jersey
$127K
+26%
New Mexico
$125K
+24%
Alaska
$124K
+24%
Arizona
$119K
+18%
Hawaii
$118K
+17%
North Dakota
$116K
+15%
California
$116K
+15%
Washington
$115K
+15%
Massachusetts
$115K
+15%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
Oregon$134,350+33.6%
New Jersey$127,090+26.4%
New Mexico$124,800+24.1%
Alaska$124,270+23.6%
Arizona$119,010+18.3%
Hawaii$117,860+17.2%
North Dakota$116,130+15.5%
California$116,000+15.3%
Washington$115,240+14.6%
Massachusetts$115,180+14.5%
1–10 of 48

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$166,400+65.4%
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$155,960+55.1%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$153,050+52.2%
Hanford-Corcoran, CA$147,210+46.4%
Salem, OR$143,980+43.1%
Vallejo, CA$143,600+42.8%
Santa Fe, NM$131,470+30.7%
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI$130,870+30.1%
Green Bay, WI$130,360+29.6%
Stockton-Lodi, CA$129,860+29.1%
1–10 of 211
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A clinical and counseling psychologists earning $100,580/year would need 593 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 636 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how clinical and counseling psychologists salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Clinical and Counseling Psychologists salary trend (2011–2024) β†’