Clinical supervisor vs clinical psychologist

The differences between clinical supervisors and clinical psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a clinical supervisor, becoming a clinical psychologist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical psychologist has an average salary of $97,659, which is higher than the $61,615 average annual salary of a clinical supervisor.

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

Clinical supervisor vs clinical psychologist overview

	Clinical Supervisor	Clinical Psychologist
Yearly salary	$61,615	$97,659
Hourly rate	$29.62	$46.95
Growth rate	9%	14%
Number of jobs	71,220	69,762
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	4	2

What does a clinical supervisor do?

A clinical supervisor is responsible for managing a healthcare facility's daily operations, including the medical procedures and treatments of the medical professionals and practitioners. Clinical supervisors work with other healthcare professionals to optimize treatments, assess patients' health conditions, and administer medications. They also enforce strict sanitary and hygienic procedures for strict compliance of the staff. A clinical supervisor must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry to discuss recommendations and evaluate work procedures to provide the patients' highest quality services.

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.

Clinical supervisor vs clinical psychologist salary

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

	Clinical Supervisor	Clinical Psychologist
Average salary	$61,615	$97,659
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $88,000	Between $72,000 And $132,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Apple	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	Education	Government

Differences between clinical supervisor and clinical psychologist education

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

	Clinical Supervisor	Clinical Psychologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Nursing	Clinical Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Northwestern University

Clinical supervisor vs clinical psychologist demographics

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

	Clinical Supervisor	Clinical Psychologist
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8%	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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	15%	12%

Differences between clinical supervisor and clinical psychologist duties and responsibilities

Clinical supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage the clinical reimbursement coordinators traveling schedule to ensure that facilities have adequate MDS coverage.
Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in EMR system.
Assist with implementation of OSHA, emergency preparedness, infection control and regulatory compliance for the medical clinic.
Participate in training on various topics such as HIPAA compliance, treatment planning, co-occurring disorders and crisis management.
Pick to be part of a group that work to establish the insurance information house in the EMR system.
Provide annual OSHA require health education, maintain the OSHA log and submit the final annual summary to company management.

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 supervisor vs clinical psychologist skills

Common clinical supervisor skills

Patients, 17%
Social Work, 8%
Autism, 7%
Applied Behavior Analysis, 6%
ABA, 5%
Clinical Supervision, 4%

Common clinical psychologist skills

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

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Clinical Supervisor vs Clinical Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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