Clinical & Counseling Psychology
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Types of Degrees Clinical & Counseling Psychology Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many clinical, counseling and applied psychology graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 20,384 |
Doctor’s Degree | 3,949 |
Graduate Certificate | 2,291 |
What Clinical & Counseling Psychology Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, clinical psychology majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Clinical Psychology Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in clinical psychology should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Skills for Clinical Psychology Majors
When studying clinical psychology, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Abilities for Clinical Psychology Majors
Clinical Psychology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
What Can You Do With a Clinical & Counseling Psychology Major?
People with a clinical psychology degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Clinical Psychologists | 14.2% | $76,990 |
Compliance Managers | 8.0% | $107,480 |
Counseling Psychologists | 14.2% | $76,990 |
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | 5.9% | $97,260 |
Investment Fund Managers | 8.0% | $107,480 |
Loss Prevention Managers | 8.0% | $107,480 |
Neuropsychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists | 10.3% | $100,770 |
Psychology Professors | 15.1% | $76,710 |
Regulatory Affairs Managers | 8.0% | $107,480 |
School Psychologists | 14.2% | $76,990 |
Security Managers | 8.0% | $107,480 |
Supply Chain Managers | 8.0% | $107,480 |
Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Clinical & Counseling Psychology?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of clinical psychology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 849 |
Black or African American | 2,409 |
Hispanic or Latino | 3,014 |
White | 11,075 |
International Students | 601 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 2,436 |
Geographic Diversity
Clinical Psychology appeals to people across the globe. About 2.9% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- Canada
- South Korea
- India
- Saudi Arabia
How Much Do Clinical & Counseling Psychology Majors Make?
Master’s Degree Starting Salary
The median early-career salary of clinical, counseling and applied psychology students with a master’s degree is $42,900 a year according to 2017-2018 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $38,500 (25th percentile) and $46,200 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to clinical psychology.
Salaries According to BLS
Clinical Psychology majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $88,490 to $109,030 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Clinical & Counseling Psychology
Some degrees associated with clinical psychology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to clinical psychology have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 1.9% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 1.7% |
Some College Courses | 0.8% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 3.0% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 29.8% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 1.1% |
Master’s Degree | 22.4% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 4.4% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 1.2% |
Doctoral Degree | 16.4% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 17.2% |
Online Clinical & Counseling Psychology Programs
In the 2018-2019 academic year, 749 schools offered some type of clinical, counseling and applied psychology program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 27 | 4 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 7 | 4 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 1 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 13 | 5 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 131 | 40 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 27 | 4 |
Master’s Degree | 934 | 130 |
Post-Master’s | 209 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 375 | 26 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 94 | 1 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 4 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Clinical & Counseling Psychology Worth It?
The median salary for a clinical psychology grad is $95,610 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 140% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,114,200 after 20 years!

Top Ranking Lists for Clinical & Counseling Psychology
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Majors Related to Clinical & Counseling Psychology
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to clinical psychology.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
General Psychology | 8,087 |
Other Psychology | 2,312 |
Child Development & Psychology | 1,840 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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