Industrial psychologist vs clinical psychologist

The differences between industrial psychologists and clinical psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an industrial psychologist, 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 $94,750 average annual salary of an industrial psychologist.

The top three skills for an industrial psychologist include human resources, SAS and . The most important skills for a clinical psychologist are patients, rehabilitation, and clinical psychology.

Industrial psychologist vs clinical psychologist overview

	Industrial Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Yearly salary	$94,750	$97,659
Hourly rate	$45.55	$46.95
Growth rate	6%	14%
Number of jobs	19,805	69,762
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	6	2

Industrial psychologist vs clinical psychologist salary

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

	Industrial Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Average salary	$94,750	$97,659
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $140,000	Between $72,000 And $132,000
Highest paying City	Redmond, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Illinois	California
Best paying company	Microsoft	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between industrial psychologist and clinical psychologist education

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

	Industrial Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Psychology	Clinical Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Northwestern University

Industrial psychologist vs clinical psychologist demographics

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

	Industrial Psychologist	Clinical Psychologist
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0%	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 3.5% White, 81.2% 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 industrial psychologist and clinical psychologist duties and responsibilities

Industrial psychologist example responsibilities.

Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.
Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.

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.

Industrial psychologist vs clinical psychologist skills

Common industrial psychologist skills

Human Resources, 54%
SAS, 46%

Common clinical psychologist skills

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

Industrial Psychologist vs. similar jobs

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Industrial Psychologist
Industrial Psychologist vs Clinical Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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