Expected Salary at university counseling center

[Guruchild]

Hi,

I was just wondering what is the expected salary for a clinical psychologist working at counseling service centers for university (e.g. CAPS programs)? Is there very much upward mobility in these capacities? Does anyone here have any experience in such programs and advice regarding pursuit of a career in counseling amongst students and adolescents?

Thanks a lot!

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[AcronymAllergy]

A "quick and dirty" Google search turned up the following survey: http://www.collegecounseling.org/pdf/2005_survey.pdf

Which would indicate that for new-hire Ph.D.'s with limited experience, the average salary was between $40k and $50k/year. Keep in mind this information is now six years old, though; no idea what the current numbers might look like.

 

[Rivi]

Counseling center pay is usually lower than other places from what I have seen.

I have done practicums at two counseling centers and the pay for psychologists/counselors was usually between 50-65,000 dollars a year for licensed psychologists (not post-docs, which was more in the 30-40 range).

 

[psychmama]

Which would indicate that for new-hire Ph.D.'s with limited experience, the average salary was between $40k and $50k/year. Keep in mind this information is now six years old, though; no idea what the current numbers might look like.

Sad to say that it hasn't gone up much in these years (although it gets better after licensure).

I'd say 50-65k is the range, reaching 70k's once you're supervising or have additional administrative responsibilities (Asst or Training Dir or AOD coordinator).

 

[psychphd4me]

Do they work summers?

 

[Guruchild]

Not to sound greedy or anything, but which institutions (neuropsych aside) of mental health provide greater compensation for clinical psychologists? VA hospitals?

 

[psychmama]

It depends on your contract, which can be 10, 11, or 12 mos. I think you do usually get paid more if you're 12 months.

 

[psychmama]

Not to sound greedy or anything, but which institutions (neuropsych aside) of mental health provide greater compensation for clinical psychologists? VA hospitals?

Hospitals, prisons, VAs all pay better on average than college counseling. Probably the only setting that might pay less is community mental health, but typically therapy is handled at these places by master's level clinicians or psychology trainees. At least that's been my experience.

 

[psychmama]

While the pay isn't great, I think college counseling has some perks. You usually get great employee benefits when working for a university. Also, the hours are pretty decent -- often 8-5 and little or no evenings or weekends (although many centers are now instituting on-call rotations to handle after-hours emergencies). And then there's the fact that working in a college is often a nicer experience than working in a hospital or prison. This makes up for the some of the pay differential I think.

Although it would be nice to be paid more...🙄

 

[psychphd4me]

Just noticed two postings on CU Boulder's website, one for a post doc and one for a psychologist. Post doc pays $30k/year and psychologist pays $55-85k/year.

 

[psychphd4me]

While the pay isn't great, I think college counseling has some perks. You usually get great employee benefits when working for a university. Also, the hours are pretty decent -- often 8-5 and little or no evenings or weekends (although many centers are now instituting on-call rotations to handle after-hours emergencies). And then there's the fact that working in a college is often a nicer experience than working in a hospital or prison. This makes up for the some of the pay differential I think.

Although it would be nice to be paid more...🙄

Benefits such as a pension and free tuition for your children. Definitely something to be considered for the long term financial outlook.

 

[psychmama]

Benefits such as a pension and free tuition for your children. Definitely something to be considered for the long term financial outlook.

Agreed. 🙂

 

[ClinicalPHD5]

Its really unfortunate that the salaries are so low in college counseling centers for psychologists. How do psychologists support themselves making 40-65K at a counseling center if they have kids and families?

Being a psychologist these days really requires one to be willing to relocate, possibly work two jobs, not have children (unless you have a rich spouse who can support you or a trust fund). You can always work in a prison for a higher salary, but then you are working in a horrible and unsafe enviornment.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Its really unfortunate that the salaries are so low in college counseling centers for psychologists. How do psychologists support themselves making 40-65K at a counseling center if they have kids and families?

Being a psychologist these days really requires one to be willing to relocate, possibly work two jobs, not have children (unless you have a rich spouse who can support you or a trust fund). You can always work in a prison for a higher salary, but then you are working in a horrible and unsafe enviornment.

I honestly don't know that I'd call prisons a "horrible" environment, although obviously that's due to some subjective interpretation, as well as some cross-site variability. Most people whom I know who have worked there seemed to have liked it, but many of them probably came into grad school with the idea of ending up at those sites.

 

[Psych66]

Its really unfortunate that the salaries are so low in college counseling centers for psychologists. How do psychologists support themselves making 40-65K at a counseling center if they have kids and families?

Being a psychologist these days really requires one to be willing to relocate, possibly work two jobs, not have children (unless you have a rich spouse who can support you or a trust fund). You can always work in a prison for a higher salary, but then you are working in a horrible and unsafe enviornment.

Working for the BOP I wouldn't say is horrible at all, the flexibility, opportunities for training, job security, interesting cases, etc. are great. Prisons and forensic hospitals may on average house individuals who have a violent past, but because there is so much SECURITY, I've always felt very safe.

 

[beardedshrink]

Is there new data in regards to op's question or are things still relatively the same?

 

[missplum]

If someone works at a public university, I believe you can look up their salary. That information is public. So if you have a specific university you want to work in (and its a public institution), look up what the staff makes.

Here's a link: Search Real Job Salaries

Senior Counselor Salary

The average Senior Counselor salary in the United States was $54,191, with yearly salaries ranging from $700 to $113,084.

openpayrolls.com

 

[thebalmofhurtminds]

You can get the same university perks working at an academic medical center affiliated with a university without the low pay 🙂

 

[borne_before]

If you know the name of other psychologists in such positions, you can google their salaries. Most universities or government positions are required to post that information. Same is true for professors.

 

[JustNoticing]

Last counseling center I worked at had salaries in the 60s-low 70s range for early/mid career non-administrative positions at a public uni in a small city with moderate cost of living. YMMV.

 

[calimich]

counseling center I interned/post doc'd at started psychologists ~95K, public university, high COL

 

[Justanothergrad]

You can get the same university perks working at an academic medical center affiliated with a university without the low pay 🙂

to be fair, counseling centers have a different work culture.

 

[Sanman]

counseling center I interned/post doc'd at started psychologists ~95K, public university, high COL

Wow, that may be the highest counseling center salary I have ever heard of from anyone. I have a colleague that made less at CC in NYC.

 

[calimich]

Wow, that may be the highest counseling center salary I have ever heard of from anyone. I have a colleague that made less at CC in NYC.

yeah they paid ok. As borne_before mentioned, it's all public.

I felt some tension accepting an academic job in the area at ~20k less than what my peers were offered at the UCC. However, the eventual salary upside and time off for faculty compared to staff, plus the fact that I knew I didn't want my career to be so clinically focused, made the decision easier.

 

[R. Matey]

In the UCCs I've worked at, I've only seen the director barely inch over the six figure line. Everyone else was $60-80k, including people who've been there for decades.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

In the UCCs I've worked at, I've only seen the director barely inch over the six figure line. Everyone else was $60-80k, including people who've been there for decades.

And these are year-round, full-time positions, correct? That's unfortunate.

 

[R. Matey]

And these are year-round, full-time positions, correct? That's unfortunate.

That is correct. Starting for a staff counselor position (pre-licensed psychologist) is somewhere in the low 50s for nine month positions.

 

[manwelio]

Benefits such as a pension and free tuition for your children. Definitely something to be considered for the long term financial outlook.

Old thread but can anyone speak to how competitive university positions are or chances of success getting into a position on campus? It's not as simple as just picking a college town and applying.

*Are you a more competitive applicant if you are coming out of the PhD program at the same school or more competitive coming out of your internship?

*Are you more competitive if you first get 1-3 years of experience elsewhere and licensed before applying?

*Or are university positions in counseling centers a common post-doc experience that prepares you for licensure and then you move on to other roles/private practice after licensure?

 

[manwelio]

yeah they paid ok. As borne_before mentioned, it's all public.

I felt some tension accepting an academic job in the area at ~20k less than what my peers were offered at the UCC. However, the eventual salary upside and time off for faculty compared to staff, plus the fact that I knew I didn't want my career to be so clinically focused, made the decision easier.

Thanks for the link on this. Can you clarify what the Psychologist 1, Psychologist 2, and Psychologist 3 titles mean given that the pay ranges across each of them are not consistent? There are Psych 3 titles making $30K and Psych 1 titles making $100K and vice versa.

 

[R. Matey]

*Or are university positions in counseling centers a common post-doc experience that prepares you for licensure and then you move on to other roles/private practice after licensure?

This one.

 

[calimich]

Thanks for the link on this. Can you clarify what the Psychologist 1, Psychologist 2, and Psychologist 3 titles mean given that the pay ranges across each of them are not consistent? There are Psych 3 titles making $30K and Psych 1 titles making $100K and vice versa.

It’s been a few years, but iirc, the sites I’m most familiar with bring in new fully licensed psychologists at “psych/counseling psych 3”...I think “psych 1” was mainly used for intern/post doc level, not sure what level 2 means. And the range in salaries within the same level are due to different % appointments, within or outside the university. For example I knew a supervisor who had a 75% contract, spent the other time in private practice and home with his kids; another colleague had a dual appointment as a clinician and a lecturer in the psych department. These were exceptions though, most folks were 40hr/wk. there is also a different title (and higher salary) for the psychologist administrators & supervisors (e.g., training director, outreach coordinator, group coordinator...)

 

[manwelio]

It’s been a few years, but iirc, the sites I’m most familiar with bring in new fully licensed psychologists at “psych/counseling psych 3”...I think “psych 1” was mainly used for intern/post doc level, not sure what level 2 means. And the range in salaries within the same level are due to different % appointments, within or outside the university. For example I knew a supervisor who had a 75% contract, spent the other time in private practice and home with his kids; another colleague had a dual appointment as a clinician and a lecturer in the psych department. These were exceptions though, most folks were 40hr/wk. there is also a different title (and higher salary) for the psychologist administrators & supervisors (e.g., training director, outreach coordinator, group coordinator...)

I did a few Google searches on names to see what their backgrounds are. For example, one is working with a jail program for psychiatric services associated with UC Davis. Their profile says they completed their PhD in 2005 but are Psych 1. Meanwhile, a Psych 4 is a supervisor-level position for someone at UC Davis. I found a Psych 2 whose background appears to be neuropsych behavioral assessments for a child research team at UC Davis in addition to a private practice. Whatever work they're doing for the research team is earning $90K.

It's interesting to note that some of the Cal locations have a greater spread of Psych 2 or higher and others have more Pscyh 1s. I don't think it's surprising LA has more Psych 1s, I imagine they carry more counselors overall.

One Psych 1 in LA is listed as part-time on their LinkedIn, and they're listed at $55K range in the public directory having already completed internship and post-docs elsewhere prior to starting with UCLA.