Clinical psychologist vs psychology associate

The differences between clinical psychologists and psychology associates 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 psychology associate. Additionally, a clinical psychologist has an average salary of $97,659, which is higher than the $73,152 average annual salary of a psychology associate.

The top three skills for a clinical psychologist include patients, rehabilitation and clinical psychology. The most important skills for a psychology associate are social work, group therapy, and patients.

Clinical psychologist vs psychology associate overview

	Clinical Psychologist	Psychology Associate
Yearly salary	$97,659	$73,152
Hourly rate	$46.95	$35.17
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	69,762	6,332
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
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 psychology associate do?

Provosts have a hefty set of educational requirements, including a master's degree in an educational field, tenure as a college or university academic professor, and, in some cases, the prerequisite of a doctorate: all necessary for the $151K yearly salary. Those who choose this career path will be called upon as the university's chief academic officer under the president to create and implement academic priorities as well as allocate resources that will support those priorities.

Clinical psychologist vs psychology associate salary

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Psychology Associate
Average salary	$97,659	$73,152
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $132,000	Between $49,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Kaiser Permanente	Commonwealth
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between clinical psychologist and psychology associate education

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Psychology Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Clinical Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Clinical psychologist vs psychology associate demographics

Here are the differences between clinical psychologists' and psychology associates' demographics:

	Clinical Psychologist	Psychology Associate
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%	Male, 27.7% Female, 72.3%
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 psychology associate 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.

Psychology associate example responsibilities.

Provide comprehensive clinical psychological services in the form of provision of evidence based psychotherapy for mental health patients.
Provide psychological services at the largest AF clinic in the busiest DoD community in the command.
Administer psychological testing including ADHD, cognitive functioning, and psychoeducational batteries.
Connect with community service boards in reviewing rehabilitation reports for developmentally challenge individuals.
Develop person-centered, collaborative treatment plans with patients and document specific and measurable progress.
Work with a diverse array of clients including severely mentally ill, physically/learning disable, mentally impaired/handicap, and prisoner rehabilitation populations

Clinical psychologist vs psychology associate skills

Common clinical psychologist skills

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

Common psychology associate skills

Social Work, 16%
Group Therapy, 13%
Patients, 12%
Crisis Intervention, 11%
Mental Illness, 8%
Mental Health, 7%

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Clinical Psychologist vs Psychology Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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