Clinical psychologist vs licensed psychologist

The differences between clinical psychologists and licensed 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 clinical psychologist and a licensed psychologist. Additionally, a licensed psychologist has an average salary of $97,852, which is higher than the $97,659 average annual salary of a clinical psychologist.

The top three skills for a clinical psychologist include patients, rehabilitation and clinical psychology. The most important skills for a licensed psychologist are patients, crisis intervention, and psychological services.

Clinical psychologist vs licensed psychologist overview

	Clinical Psychologist	Licensed Psychologist
Yearly salary	$97,659	$97,852
Hourly rate	$46.95	$47.04
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	69,762	24,645
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

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 licensed psychologist do?

A licensed psychologist specializes in diagnosing and treating psychological and behavioral issues. They may work in medical facilities with in-patient or out-patient services, collaborating with other medical experts as needed. Their responsibilities include studying a patient's medical history, conducting initial assessments and examinations, facilitating interviews and therapy sessions, developing care and intervention procedures, and monitoring patients' progress. Furthermore, as a licensed psychologist, it is essential to coordinate with families and guardians, helping them understand and deal with the effects of mental illness in a family.

Clinical psychologist vs licensed psychologist salary

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Licensed Psychologist
Average salary	$97,659	$97,852
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $132,000	Between $69,000 And $137,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Kaiser Permanente	Acadia Healthcare
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between clinical psychologist and licensed psychologist education

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Licensed Psychologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Clinical Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Clinical psychologist vs licensed psychologist demographics

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Licensed Psychologist
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%	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 clinical psychologist and licensed psychologist 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.

Licensed psychologist example responsibilities.

Provide crisis intervention, cognitive-behavioral base individual and group therapy to patients.
Assist staff in restructuring APA accredit internship program.
Practice according to ethical guidelines and codes establish by APA.
Conduct individual, couple, family, and DBT group psychotherapy.
Engage in multidisciplinary team to assist in IEP development and review.
Assist in teaching staff members basic DBT and implementing DBT on unit.

Clinical psychologist vs licensed psychologist skills

Common clinical psychologist skills

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

Common licensed psychologist skills

Patients, 15%
Crisis Intervention, 12%
Psychological Services, 9%
Family Therapy, 7%
Individual Therapy, 6%
Developmental Disabilities, 6%

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Clinical Psychologist vs Licensed Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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