Clinical psychiatrist vs clinical psychologist

The differences between clinical psychiatrists and clinical psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a clinical psychiatrist, becoming a clinical psychologist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical psychiatrist has an average salary of $236,940, which is higher than the $97,659 average annual salary of a clinical psychologist.

The top three skills for a clinical psychiatrist include outpatient clinic, mental illness and practice nurses. The most important skills for a clinical psychologist are patients, rehabilitation, and clinical psychology.

Clinical psychiatrist vs clinical psychologist overview

	Clinical Psychiatrist	Clinical Psychologist
Yearly salary	$236,940	$97,659
Hourly rate	$113.91	$46.95
Growth rate	7%	14%
Number of jobs	57,742	69,762
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	48	43
Years of experience	6	2

Clinical psychiatrist vs clinical psychologist salary

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

	Clinical Psychiatrist	Clinical Psychologist
Average salary	$236,940	$97,659
Salary range	Between $139,000 And $403,000	Between $72,000 And $132,000
Highest paying City	Tacoma, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	North Dakota	California
Best paying company	Carilion Clinic	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between clinical psychiatrist and clinical psychologist education

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

	Clinical Psychiatrist	Clinical Psychologist
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Nursing	Clinical Psychology
Most common college	Columbia University in the City of New York	Northwestern University

Clinical psychiatrist vs clinical psychologist demographics

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

	Clinical Psychiatrist	Clinical Psychologist
Average age	48	43
Gender ratio	Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9%	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 2.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 19.4% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	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	10%	12%

Differences between clinical psychiatrist and clinical psychologist duties and responsibilities

Clinical psychiatrist example responsibilities.

Implement individualized care plans, using a variety of treatments to stabilize patients during their hospitalization.
Conduct full neurological evaluation, including lab, MRI & /or EEG.

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.

Clinical psychiatrist vs clinical psychologist skills

Common clinical psychiatrist skills

Outpatient Clinic, 56%
Mental Illness, 40%
Practice Nurses, 4%

Common clinical psychologist skills

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

Clinical Psychiatrist vs. similar jobs

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Clinical Psychiatrist
Clinical Psychiatrist vs Clinical Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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