Clinical psychologist vs clinical director

The differences between clinical psychologists and clinical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a clinical psychologist, becoming a clinical director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a clinical psychologist has an average salary of $97,659, which is higher than the $96,497 average annual salary of a clinical director.

The top three skills for a clinical psychologist include patients, rehabilitation and clinical psychology. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Clinical psychologist vs clinical director overview

	Clinical Psychologist	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$97,659	$96,497
Hourly rate	$46.95	$46.39
Growth rate	14%	28%
Number of jobs	69,762	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	43	47
Years of experience	2	6

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.

What does a clinical director do?

A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.

Clinical psychologist vs clinical director salary

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Clinical Director
Average salary	$97,659	$96,497
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $132,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Kaiser Permanente	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between clinical psychologist and clinical director education

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Clinical Psychology	Nursing
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Clinical psychologist vs clinical director demographics

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Clinical Director
Average age	43	47
Gender ratio	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
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, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between clinical psychologist and clinical director duties and responsibilities

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 director example responsibilities.

Develop distinctive ambulatory strategies to achieve and sustain competitive healthcare advantage.
Manage and assist with data collection and input for MDS.
Manage quality of documentation through education and electronic review of clinical processes utilizing HCHB EMR.
Manage front office, marketing, and communication -demonstrated/supervise exercises for patients -Developed instructional packets for home exercise programs
Manage projects and ambulatory system initiatives, and collaborate with system leadership teams to ensure EMR alignment with all regulatory requirements.
Experience in GCP, FDA audits, and regulatory guidance review and implementation.

Clinical psychologist vs clinical director skills

Common clinical psychologist skills

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

Common clinical director skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 11%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Social Work, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

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Clinical Psychologist vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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