The Salary of a Child Clinical Psychologist

A child clinical psychologist help children deal with anxiety.

A clinical psychologist aims to improve the psychological well-being of clients. A child, or pediatric, clinical psychologist does so for children and adolescents. He uses psychological methodology and counseling techniques to help children with issues such as depression, schizophrenia, challenging behaviors, eating disorders, learning disabilities, family problems, physical disability or illness. He liaises with other health practitioners and relevant parties -- parents, education staff -- to advise on treatment, and may undertake research in pediatric clinical psychology.

Average Salary

In 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics gathered salary information from 98,330 clinical and counseling psychologists, including those who worked with children, in clinics and in schools. It concluded that the mean annual salary for psychologists was $72,310, or $34.77 an hour. The median salary was reported to be $66,040, while the top bracket of earners -- the highest 10 percent -- gained an average of $109,470. Their counterparts in the bottom bracket received wages averaging $39,270. GuideToOnlineSchools.com specifically states that child psychologists make, on average, between $64,600 and $85,200 annually..

Salary by Industry

Salaries for pediatric clinical psychologists are not uniform across the industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' data shows that psychologists that work in the offices of other health practitioners receive an average wage of $87,270, while those in the offices of physicians achieve $83,950 on average. Individual and family services pay considerably less -- $70,490 -- although slightly more than a clinical psychologist working in an outpatient care center -- $69,620.

Salary by Location

A survey by SalaryExpert.com of pediatric psychologist salaries found considerable differences between cities across the country. It lists the average pay for a child psychologist in Chicago, Illinois, as $116,447, followed by New York, NY at $115,369. Orlando, Florida, is listed at $103,956 while Atlanta, Georgia, offers average salaries of $101,989. Dallas, Texas, is listed as offering lower salaries -- $90,980 -- as is Charlotte, North Carolina -- $89,693.

Job Outlook

Salary levels for pediatric clinical psychologists should remain competitive, at least in the short term, given that the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment growth for all psychologists to be around 12 percent through 2018. However, it also advises that individuals who only have a bachelor's degree will find limited opportunities; a master's degree is increasingly necessary to gain the best pay levels.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages - Clinical, Counseling and School Psychologists
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Psychologists
• State University: Psychologist Job Description
• Guide to Online Schools: Child Psychology Degree Program
• Salary Expert: Pediatric Psychologist Salary Survey