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Psychological assistant vs psychologist

The differences between psychological assistants and psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a psychologist has an average salary of $97,803, which is higher than the $68,862 average annual salary of a psychological assistant.

The top three skills for a psychological assistant include patients, crisis intervention and mental illness. The most important skills for a psychologist are patients, crisis intervention, and rehabilitation.

Psychological assistant vs psychologist overview

Psychological AssistantPsychologist
Yearly salary$68,862$97,803
Hourly rate$33.11$47.02
Growth rate12%6%
Number of jobs90,78512,516
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4347
Years of experience12-

What does a psychological assistant do?

A psychological assistant primarily performs support tasks to assist a psychologist in treating patients at a medical facility. Their duties focus on helping patients by answering inquiries, giving instructions, explaining procedures, gathering requirements, and conducting initial assessments. They can participate in serving the patients under the supervision and directives of a licensed psychologist. Additionally, a psychological assistant may also participate in conducting research, preparing and processing necessary paperwork, handling calls and other forms of correspondence, and attending meetings and seminars.

What does a psychologist do?

Sales managers are responsible for leading the organization's sales team. They oversee the progress and performance of the whole team, set area assignments to team members, and set weekly or monthly quotas. Sales managers oversee training team members during onboarding and providing further coaching to help them achieve their goals. They manage the challenges that team members may meet and help mitigate any problems that come along the way. Sales managers also set the strategic direction of the sales team and follow through by ensuring that the team's activities are in line with the goals.

Psychological assistant vs psychologist salary

Psychological assistants and psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Psychological AssistantPsychologist
Average salary$68,862$97,803
Salary rangeBetween $44,000 And $105,000Between $68,000 And $139,000
Highest paying CitySparks, NVSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNevadaCalifornia
Best paying companyNew York UniversitySierra Corporation
Best paying industryNon ProfitsHealth Care

Differences between psychological assistant and psychologist education

There are a few differences between a psychological assistant and a psychologist in terms of educational background:

Psychological AssistantPsychologist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Psychological assistant vs psychologist demographics

Here are the differences between psychological assistants' and psychologists' demographics:

Psychological AssistantPsychologist
Average age4347
Gender ratioMale, 29.5% Female, 70.5%Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 6.9% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.0%Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 4.2% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%20%

Differences between psychological assistant and psychologist duties and responsibilities

Psychological assistant example responsibilities.

  • Lead dialectical-behavioral therapy groups (DBT) for individuals with borderline personality disorder diagnosis.
  • Work with adults with anxiety, depression, bipolar, ADHD and adjustment disorders.
  • Conduct psychological assessment, including learning disability, ADHD, substance use disorders, personality, etc.
  • Administer cognitive assessments to patients presenting with workers compensation and personal injury claims
  • Conduct psychological and psychoeducational testing evaluations for disability and vocational rehabilitation.
  • Conduct psychological and psychoeducational testing evaluations for disability and vocational rehabilitation.

Psychologist example responsibilities.

  • Supervise mental health staff, including the overseeing of the provision of mental health services in a correctional facility.
  • Provide EMDR therapy for clients with trauma and anxiety.
  • Perform tests to diagnose autism in children or tests for the detection of autism at an early age.
  • Provide supervision and mentoring for APA Pre-Doctoral interns.
  • Supervise clinical activities of doctoral level psychology interns in APA accredit internship program.
  • Evaluate veterans for psychological disorders that may have resulted secondary to their military service for compensation purposes.
  • Show more

Psychological assistant vs psychologist skills

Common psychological assistant skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • Crisis Intervention, 15%
  • Mental Illness, 13%
  • Clinical Supervision, 12%
  • PsyD, 5%
  • Psychological Assessments, 5%
Common psychologist skills
  • Patients, 18%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%
  • Mental Illness, 5%
  • Clinical Supervision, 5%
  • APA, 4%

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