Health psychologist vs clinical psychologist

The differences between health psychologists and clinical psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a clinical psychologist has an average salary of $97,659, which is higher than the $81,412 average annual salary of a health psychologist.

The top three skills for a health psychologist include patients, behavioral health and APA. The most important skills for a clinical psychologist are patients, rehabilitation, and clinical psychology.

Health psychologist vs clinical psychologist overview

	Health Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Yearly salary	$81,412	$97,659
Hourly rate	$39.14	$46.95
Growth rate	6%	14%
Number of jobs	58,741	69,762
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	-	2

What does a health psychologist do?

A health psychologist deals with the emotional and psychological aspects of health and illness. They lend support to those who are chronically ill. One of their foremost responsibilities is to find ways to encourage patients to improve their health. They conduct clinical interviews, complete behavioral assessments on patients, study patients' responses to ailments, and develop ways to incentivize patients to follow medical advice.

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.

Health psychologist vs clinical psychologist salary

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

	Health Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Average salary	$81,412	$97,659
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $118,000	Between $72,000 And $132,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between health psychologist and clinical psychologist education

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

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

Health psychologist vs clinical psychologist demographics

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

	Health Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 41.7% Female, 58.3%	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 4.2% White, 76.6% 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	20%	12%

Differences between health psychologist and clinical psychologist duties and responsibilities

Health psychologist example responsibilities.

Provide a broad array of psychological services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families.
Administer and interpret psychological tests, provide crisis intervention and orientation for new patients.
Utilize CBT, EMDR, client centered & humanitarian approaches.
Utilize biofeedback, CBT therapy, behavioral-change exercises, etc.
Work directly with physiatrists in developing patient's treatment plan for rehabilitation.
Support clients with psychiatry referral, aide in medication understanding and 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.

Health psychologist vs clinical psychologist skills

Common health psychologist skills

Patients, 28%
Behavioral Health, 13%
APA, 9%
Patient Care, 5%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Substance Abuse, 5%

Common clinical psychologist skills

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

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Health Psychologist vs Clinical Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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