Child psychologist vs clinical psychologist

The differences between child psychologists and clinical 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 clinical psychologist. Additionally, a clinical psychologist has an average salary of $97,659, 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 clinical psychologist are patients, rehabilitation, and clinical psychology.

Child psychologist vs clinical psychologist overview

	Child Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Yearly salary	$78,743	$97,659
Hourly rate	$37.86	$46.95
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	22,815	69,762
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a child psychologist do?

Child Psychologists evaluate and treat adolescents and children. They help children to cope with stresses such as school or family transitions, deaths, and divorces. Their clients may include children with different developmental issues, from learning disabilities to severe mental illness. A partial list of problems they treat has autism, obsessive-compulsive order, attention deficit disorder, adjustment disorder, and phobias. Their job is to endorse the best diagnosis to a complex set of symptoms presented. Moreover, a Clinical Child Psychologist is considered a health service provider.

What does a clinical psychologist do?

A clinical psychologist is a healthcare professional who treats patients with various mental disorders through one-on-one or group settings. Clinical psychologists assist their patients in identifying their psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues so that a plan of action is created to help patients achieve personal and social development. To create a patient treatment plan, clinical psychologists must interview their patients who have different mental problems. They also collaborate with professionals such as social workers, nurses, and occupational therapists to provide the right treatment to their patients.

Child psychologist vs clinical psychologist salary

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

	Child Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Average salary	$78,743	$97,659
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $114,000	Between $72,000 And $132,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between child psychologist and clinical psychologist education

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

	Child Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Psychology	Clinical Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Child psychologist vs clinical psychologist demographics

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

	Child Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5%	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%
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 clinical 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.

Clinical psychologist example responsibilities.

Manage high-utilizing patients with chronic health and behavioral health concerns to reduce inappropriate medical utilization and to promote better functional outcomes.
Supervise by Amanda Quayle, PsyD.
Utilize CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing techniques.
Provide CBT, DBT and psychodynamic-orient psychotherapy to adolescent and adult clients.
Intern with Dr. Ann-Marie Tripp-Pendelton, PsyD, in a therapeutic capacity.
Collaborate with a team of social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists to develop individualize treatment plans for war veterans.

Child psychologist vs clinical psychologist skills

Common child psychologist skills

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

Common clinical psychologist skills

Patients, 16%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Clinical Psychology, 6%
Group Therapy, 5%
Veterans, 5%
Patient Care, 5%

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Child Psychologist vs Clinical Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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