Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between research psychologists and child 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 research psychologist and a child psychologist. Additionally, a research psychologist has an average salary of $90,440, which is higher than the $78,743 average annual salary of a child psychologist.
The top three skills for a research psychologist include research projects, research studies and technical reports. The most important skills for a child psychologist are autism, mental health, and family therapy.
| Research Psychologist | Child Psychologist | |
| Yearly salary | $90,440 | $78,743 |
| Hourly rate | $43.48 | $37.86 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 58,163 | 22,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Research psychologists are psychology professionals who examine questions and test hypotheses by using scientific methods to understand human thought and behavior. These psychologists must conduct experiments in controlled lab settings as well as out in the field to examine the social behavior of people living in a rural town. They must analyze data and prepare reports to be presented professionally to program managers and administrators. Research psychologists must also supervise staff and interns who are involved in treating and diagnosing mental health.
Child Psychologists evaluate and treat adolescents and children. They help children to cope with stresses such as school or family transitions, deaths, and divorces. Their clients may include children with different developmental issues, from learning disabilities to severe mental illness. A partial list of problems they treat has autism, obsessive-compulsive order, attention deficit disorder, adjustment disorder, and phobias. Their job is to endorse the best diagnosis to a complex set of symptoms presented. Moreover, a Clinical Child Psychologist is considered a health service provider.
Research psychologists and child psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Psychologist | Child Psychologist | |
| Average salary | $90,440 | $78,743 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $128,000 | Between $54,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Parexel International | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a research psychologist and a child psychologist in terms of educational background:
| Research Psychologist | Child Psychologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between research psychologists' and child psychologists' demographics:
| Research Psychologist | Child Psychologist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.7% Female, 49.3% | Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5% |
| 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% |