Clinical psychologist vs staff psychologist

The differences between clinical psychologists and staff 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 staff psychologist. Additionally, a clinical psychologist has an average salary of $97,659, which is higher than the $77,671 average annual salary of a staff psychologist.

The top three skills for a clinical psychologist include patients, rehabilitation and clinical psychology. The most important skills for a staff psychologist are patients, group therapy, and crisis intervention.

Clinical psychologist vs staff psychologist overview

	Clinical Psychologist	Staff Psychologist
Yearly salary	$97,659	$77,671
Hourly rate	$46.95	$37.34
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	69,762	85,221
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 staff psychologist do?

A staff psychologist is responsible for monitoring patients with mental health conditions and conducting counseling services to observe their behaviors and diagnose their developmental disorders. Staff psychologists develop treatment plans and administer medications for the patients and may also facilitate referrals to other institutions and medical professionals for further examinations. They utilize necessary resources, especially therapy programs, to manage the patients' conditions and document their progress during each session. A staff psychologist seeks advice from other mental health experts to identify case management concepts and assessments.

Clinical psychologist vs staff psychologist salary

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Staff Psychologist
Average salary	$97,659	$77,671
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $132,000	Between $54,000 And $110,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Kaiser Permanente	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between clinical psychologist and staff psychologist education

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Staff Psychologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Clinical Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Clinical psychologist vs staff psychologist demographics

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

	Clinical Psychologist	Staff Psychologist
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%	Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%
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 staff 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.

Staff 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 vs staff psychologist skills

Common clinical psychologist skills

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

Common staff psychologist skills

Patients, 14%
Group Therapy, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Veterans, 6%
Treatment Planning, 5%
Social Work, 5%

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Clinical Psychologist
Clinical Psychologist vs Staff Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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