Working to help people cope with their personal problems is what the duty of the counseling psychologist entails. The following CareerStint article discusses the job profile and salary prospects of this profession in brief.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, positions for qualified psychologists are expected to rise by 12% by the year 2022.
Everybody longs for someone they can share their problems with, and a counselor is the one most turn to, when they feel they cannot handle the pressures of life. A counselor listens with a patient ear before jumping to conclusions and offering solutions, which makes him/her all the more a preferred person to talk to. The best part of confiding in a counselor is that, they are sworn to secrecy, and you can rest assured that your revelations will not be the talk of the town.
Counseling psychology facilitates personal and interpersonal well-being, besides, it also helps ease problems related to adjusting in society. It stresses on the emotional, social, vocational, educational, developmental, and organizational concerns that affect an individual’s well-being. It integrates research with practice to resolve conflicts and alleviate distress. A person with at least a master’s degree in clinical/counseling psychology, a license to practice, and 4-6 years experience can work as a counseling psychologist. He/she can start his/her own practice, or can work as a part of a healthcare team in a big hospital or school.
Salary Details
- A counseling psychologist can expect an approximate average salary of $68,900 per year.
- Salaries can vary drastically from one area of employment to the next. In San Jose (CA), you can expect an average salary of about $80,000 which is approximately 15.5% above the average salary.
- Counseling psychologist salary may vary according to area of specialization, location, level of experience, and type of employment.
- Based on these criteria, the salary figures can be in the range of US $40,000 to US $115,000.
- For counseling psychologists, maximum number of jobs were available in elementary and secondary schools. However, offices of health practitioners showed the highest concentration of employment in this occupation.
- With an annual mean wage of $96,180, counseling psychologists working in child day care services were the top-paid psychologists.
- Maximum number of jobs were available in the state of California. The job markets in New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts were pretty good.
- With an annual mean wage of $94,590, Rhode Island was the top-paying state for this occupation.
Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2014
Counseling Psychologist Salary by Location
*The following table lists the average salary in each of the states. The figures are an approximate amount, and are subject to vary.
Alabama – $58,000
Alaska – $42,000
Arizona – $47,000
Arkansas – $58,000
California – $61,000
Colorado – $50,000
Connecticut – $65,000
Delaware – $50,000
Florida – $53,000
Georgia – $65,000
Hawaii – $35,000
Idaho – $37,000
Illinois – $65,000
Indiana – $54,000
Iowa – $56,000
Kansas – $52,000
Kentucky – $49,000
Louisiana – $51,000
Maine – $50,000
Maryland – $58,000
Massachusetts – $68,000
Michigan – $57,000
Minnesota – $50,000
Mississippi – $59,000
Missouri – $56,000 Montana – $47,000
Nebraska – $41,000
Nevada – $43,000
New Hampshire – $56,000
New Jersey – $61,000
New Mexico – $49,000
New York – $69,000
North Carolina – $54,000
North Dakota – $50,000
Ohio – $54,000
Oklahoma – $52,000
Oregon – $55,000
Pennsylvania – $55,000
Rhode Island – $52,000
South Carolina – $56,000
South Dakota – $43,000
Tennessee – $53,000
Texas – $55,000
Utah – $44,000
Vermont – $50,000
Virginia – $57,000
Washington – $59,000
West Virginia – $54,000
Wisconsin – $51,000
Wyoming – $47,000
* Source: Indeed
A Counseling Psychologist …
… conducts psychological tests to determine individual aptitudes, abilities, intelligence quotients, and interests.
… conducts counseling/therapeutic sessions to assist the individual to understand and interpret personal problems.
… determines plan of action depending on the interests and abilities of the client.
… helps formulate realistic educational and vocational plans.
… determines the reliability and validity of the treatment to be used.
… engages in research to develop and improve diagnostic and counseling techniques.
In short, a counseling psychologist should be able to counsel and advise people on how to cope with the apparent problem. He/she is expected to help the clients understand their strengths and weaknesses to successfully overcome their problems. The main difference between a clinical psychologist and a counseling psychologist is that the latter generally treats patients with relatively milder forms of mental illness and/or behavioral disorders.