Child psychologist vs behavioral psychologist

The differences between child psychologists and behavioral psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a child psychologist and a behavioral psychologist. Additionally, a behavioral psychologist has an average salary of $79,767, which is higher than the $78,743 average annual salary of a child psychologist.

The top three skills for a child psychologist include autism, mental health and family therapy. The most important skills for a behavioral psychologist are behavioral health, crisis intervention, and mental illness.

Child psychologist vs behavioral psychologist overview

	Child Psychologist	Behavioral Psychologist
Yearly salary	$78,743	$79,767
Hourly rate	$37.86	$38.35
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	22,815	15,955
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Master's Degree, 47%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Child psychologist vs behavioral psychologist salary

Child psychologists and behavioral psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Psychologist	Behavioral Psychologist
Average salary	$78,743	$79,767
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $114,000	Between $54,000 And $116,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between child psychologist and behavioral psychologist education

There are a few differences between a child psychologist and a behavioral psychologist in terms of educational background:

	Child Psychologist	Behavioral Psychologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Master's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	California State University - Long Beach

Child psychologist vs behavioral psychologist demographics

Here are the differences between child psychologists' and behavioral psychologists' demographics:

	Child Psychologist	Behavioral Psychologist
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5%	Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between child psychologist and behavioral psychologist duties and responsibilities

Child psychologist example responsibilities.

Provide psychological therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder, deficit/hyperactive disorder, specific learning disorder and others mental diagnosis.
Provide consultation regarding appropriate placement/treatment of juveniles in the DJJ system.

Behavioral psychologist example responsibilities.

Provide psychological therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder, deficit/hyperactive disorder, specific learning disorder and others mental diagnosis.
Provide consultation regarding appropriate placement/treatment of juveniles in the DJJ system.

Child psychologist vs behavioral psychologist skills

Common child psychologist skills

Autism, 30%
Mental Health, 11%
Family Therapy, 9%
Substance Abuse, 8%
Psychological Tests, 8%
Group Therapy, 7%

Common behavioral psychologist skills

Behavioral Health, 37%
Crisis Intervention, 14%
Mental Illness, 14%
Psychological Services, 8%
Psychological Evaluations, 6%
Psychological Assessments, 5%

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Child Psychologist vs Behavioral Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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