Pay for Clinical Psychologists Keeps Increasing
Psychology has been the dominant new medical science of the past two centuries and of the current one. People are more aware than ever of the different states of mind which they go through on a daily basis, and we are more sensitive than ever to concepts like stress, mental illness, and depression, and thus clinical psychology jobs have become more and more necessary. A clinical psychologist salary varies greatly along lines of experience, qualification, where you are employed, and what your field is.
While becoming a clinical psychologist can be difficult and stressful as you spend a large portion of your day hearing other people’s problems and traumas, in most cases, the clinical psychologist salary is pretty comfortable, averaging at a bit over seventy five thousand dollars per year ($75,000). Also, it can be extremely fulfilling and gratifying to see that you have genuinely helped another person, which is not really a clinical psychologist salary type reward, but it is definitely a reward in and of itself.
Why Do People Earn a Clinical Psychologist Salary?
- Highly Educated – No one can become a psychological professional without at least a masters degree, and you can’t be a clinical psychologist without earning a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhdD) in Psychology or a Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) degree, which both take many years of intensive study. This is meant to ensure that the people we trust as psychologists are well versed in all the theory and practice of psychology so they can help people. This level of education often leads to a great psychologist salary.
- Qualified – To earn the designation of psychologist in different states, just having a degree isn’t all it takes. While all mental health fields have their own set of qualifications to earn, each with different requirements and tests for certification, the psychologist designation is difficult and is a check on making sure psychologists are qualified. These requirements and tests change from state to state but generally test for a knowledge of psycho therapy principals, theory, and ethics. Reputation and experience are important factors also in being allowed to practice in a given state.
- Committed – Many psychologists have to keep more than normal office hours in order to be there for their patients who can potentially be unstable and dependant on someone who they know will listen to them and take their calls. A psychologist has to keep a wall of separation between his or herself and the client so as not to get overly involved in the client’s problems and life. The psychologist is legally bound never to reveal anything a client shares in a therapy session as protected by doctor-patient confidentiality agreements, although if a client threatens violence against themselves or others, the psychologist is legally bound to share this information with appropriate authorities.
- Belief in therapy – While there has been some change in recent years allowing psychologists to legally prescribe some medications, which was previously only the power of their M.D. counterparts, psychiatrists, this is not true in most cases. This means that psychologists are committed to a belief that therapy can truly help people, and is not just a side effort to go with mental health medications, which people have often accused psychiatrists of doing. It is true that psychologists do believe in the use of such medicines, but they mostly find freedom in their ability to be psychologists and not just med managers.
The Increase in Salary Reflects a Difficult Job
The clinical psychologist salary is deserved because of how hard clinical psychologists work for their patients. Often times, clinical psychologists end up suffering from depression of their own jobs where you constantly are immersed in the problems of others can be trying to the psyche and over time will take their toll on psychologists despite their best efforts. If psychology is your passion, and you are ready for these challenges and more, the best path to a clinical psychologist salary is to rigorously pursue higher education.
As of 2017, many interested students are pursuing an online psychology degree. The main reason for this is these programs are now widely available, and at an affordable tuition. A wide variety of specialty degrees are available online, such as a degree with a specialty in child psychology.
