masters level salary

[Firebird]

Hey...just a quick question...what does a masters level clinical psychologist make per year? General info is fine...I know no one can give a 100% accurate quote.

Thanks!

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[50960]

Is there such a thing as an MA level clinical psychologist? Not in my half of the country....

 

[Firebird]

Well, I'm pretty sure that everyone in the world (and Califorina included) who practices psychology in a clinical setting does not have a PhD. Now whether you want to call them a clinical psychologist, a clinician, or whatever, that's a different matter. What I'm talking about is if someone wanted to get an MA in clinical psychology, do therapy under the supervision of a PhD or MD or PsyD or whatever...what would that person make per year.

 

[PsychMode]

Hey...just a quick question...what does a masters level clinical psychologist make per year? General info is fine...I know no one can give a 100% accurate quote.

Thanks!

This link may be of interest. This is an employment survey on master's level practitioners in psychology.

http://research.apa.org/mes2004contents.html

 

[PsychMode]

This is from the above link to the APA webpage:

Salaries of New Master’s, Specialist’s, and Related Degree Recipients

The starting salaries for recent master’s and specialist’s degree recipients with full-time positions related to psychology by position and employment setting are shown in Table 11. Direct human services salaries are listed separately for graduates in subfields with 5 or more respondents. The highest median among 11-12 month salaries was reported by Master’s degree recipients employed in applied psychology settings ($48,000), followed by direct human service positions in School Psychology ($41,250, overall) and “other types of positions” in business-industry settings ($42,000).

The graduates in fields where there are established occupational niches for the master’s degree tended to report higher salaries (e.g. school and industrial/organizational psychology). Examining the data by subfield of degree, graduates working in direct human services positions in general clinical psychology reported the lowest median salary ($30,000). In terms of employment setting, the lowest median salary ($29,000) was reported by clinical psychology degree recipients working in direct human services positions in community mental health centers (among the groups where there were 5 or more respondents).

 

[LM02]

Just to clarify some of the confusion above, one must have a PhD or PsyD degree to be referred to as a "clinical psychologist" or "psychologist" in a professional setting. This is stated in the APA Ethics Guidelines, and is overseen by state licensing boards.

So, in other words, there is no such thing as a "master's level psychologist." Moreover, a doctoral candidate in psychology is prohibited from using the title "psychologist" or "clinical psychologist" until graduation. Again, this is stipulated in the APA ethics guidelines. Indeed, according to the APA, it is even misleading to refer to oneself as "doctoral candidate in psychology" because the general public may not be educated enough to understand this statement. It even comes up as a question on the EPPP - it was on all of the practice exams!

However, my understanding is that there is no oversight for the use of terms such as: psychotherapist, therapist, counselor, clinician, etc.

 

[50960]

Thanks LMO2..I forget that people in other professions often don't know this. Another point to clarify is that most states allow MA level counselors to practice independently with some form of license regulated by a separate board (LCSW, LPC, MFT). Lastly, there is a big difference between supportive counseling and psychological treatment. Both are needed, but don't think they are the same thing.
As for the original question, I am not sure. In private practice they can do quite well. One thing I do know is that with increasing medicalization of managed care by far the best license to have for a master level clinician is the LCSW, and that requires an MSW degree.

 

[Firebird]

That seems really odd that they won't let a person with a Master's Degree call themselves a psychologist. My bachelor's was in chemistry, and I would call myself a chemist if I was in that field. But I'm in medical school and while the term doesn't get used that often, we are "student doctors" or "student physicians." My mistake--sorry psisci.

Thanks for the info PsychMode. I appreciate it. So what is applied psychology? Is that like I/O?

 

[50960]

I guess it is more about licensure. You can't call yourself a physician until you are, same with us. There are exceptions to this like in the armed forces etc... Psychology has a long history, and psychologists tend to be protective of their title. The same is true in medicine really; you don't say that NP's are practicing medicine, but rather advanced practice nursing. SO, MA level folks are practicing counseling etc.., but not psychology. I get your point though...my wife has PhD in chem and is always annoyed at BA-chem folks calling themselves chemists. In the absence of a license and statute that spells this out they are chemists .

 

[EL CAPeeeTAN]

My brother inlaw has a masters in MFT and a masters in psychology and he is finshing in PhD in psychology this year. He is currently doing his intership. He has been practicing in private practice for the last 3 years on a limited basis because of his course work his time for clients is limited. However he charges $100.00 / hour for individual therapy and $85.00 / hour for group therapy and will not do group unless he has four patients(4 x $85 = $340 / hour) in the group. He is able to see 15 - 20 clients a week, mostly in the early morning or evenong and weekends. He is doing quite well and only expects his rates to go up slightly once he has completed his PhD. However once he is done with his PhD he will be able to see a lot mor patients in a week thus increasing his total income. This is probably not the norm, but he has made it work for him.Also his co-therapist who has been practicing for 25 years only has a masters in psychology and she is making $200K + per year, but I do not think that this is the norm. She is so busy she is turning patients away.

 

[lazure]

The Quebec province in Ontario is currently changing the licencing guidelines - until now one could call oneself a licenced psychologist with just a Master's. You should see the tricks the schools used to keep their doctoral students....

 

[Annakei]

My brother inlaw has a masters in MFT and a masters in psychology and he is finshing in PhD in psychology this year. He is currently doing his intership. He has been practicing in private practice for the last 3 years on a limited basis because of his course work his time for clients is limited. However he charges $100.00 / hour for individual therapy and $85.00 / hour for group therapy and will not do group unless he has four patients(4 x $85 = $340 / hour) in the group. He is able to see 15 - 20 clients a week, mostly in the early morning or evenong and weekends. He is doing quite well and only expects his rates to go up slightly once he has completed his PhD. However once he is done with his PhD he will be able to see a lot mor patients in a week thus increasing his total income. This is probably not the norm, but he has made it work for him.Also his co-therapist who has been practicing for 25 years only has a masters in psychology and she is making $200K + per year, but I do not think that this is the norm. She is so busy she is turning patients away.

You give me hope for the future El Capeetan!

I work in a mental health agency and the folks here with MA/MS/MSW dont call themselves psychologists, I hear more along the lines of psychotherapist/therapist, but not psychologist. My co-worker has 3 masters degrees, Counseling, Clinical Psychology and M.Div. She obtained the Counseling and M.Div at a dual degree program in Boston. She doesnt call herself a psychologist, but our CEO can, of course because she has a PHD in Clinical psychology.

Also our LCSW are the only ones able to call themselves Social Workers because they are licensed. Even the folks with MSWs arent able to title themselves as such until they are LGSW or LCSW.

So I would assume the same goes for Clinical Psychology. MA/MSW level practioners are counselors as they can only obtain a LPC or LCSW, therefore unless you are licensed as a Clinical Psycholgist, you arent able to deem yourself as such.

Oh and to answer the OP's question, here in DC at this agency they make low to mid 40s.

 

[Firebird]

Thanks for the info guys...very helpful!

 

[deuist]

Just to clarify some of the confusion above, one must have a PhD or PsyD degree to be referred to as a "clinical psychologist" or "psychologist" in a professional setting. This is stated in the APA Ethics Guidelines, and is overseen by state licensing boards.

A more appropriate term is "therapist" for the M.S. crowd.