JobAfterNext

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Help individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory. Provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment. May design behavior modification programs and consult with medical personnel regarding the best treatment for patients.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$100,580
Employment, U.S.75,990
Median hourly wage$48.36
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$55,170$73,210$100,580$135,200$180,960
By state (50)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama260$90,8000.25
Alaska40$124,2700.27
Arizona730$119,0100.46
Arkansas370$77,5200.59
California12,840$116,0001.44
Colorado1,170$113,2900.83
Connecticut660Not available0.80
Delaware280$113,0501.17
District of Columbia220$107,0000.64
Florida3,040$85,6100.63
Georgia1,120$96,0600.47
Hawaii250$117,8600.82
Idaho300$97,7900.72
Illinois5,810$83,7501.95
Indiana1,850$84,9901.18
Iowa440$91,6900.58
Kansas400$76,6900.57
Kentucky710$99,1400.73
Louisiana320$71,3300.34
Maryland2,140Not available1.58
Massachusetts2,860$115,1801.61
Michigan2,170$84,7301.01
Minnesota1,290$107,0300.89
Mississippi210$76,0000.37
Missouri840$99,4100.58
Montana150$68,1600.61
Nebraska770$94,5401.53
Nevada680$102,6500.89
New Hampshire330$64,2700.99
New Jersey2,700$127,0901.29
New Mexico$124,800
New York8,420$114,4001.78
North Carolina2,770$92,1301.15
North Dakota170$116,1300.83
Ohio2,080$101,1900.77
Oklahoma950$79,9501.14
Oregon540$134,3500.56
Pennsylvania3,140$91,8701.06
Rhode Island420$107,4901.72
South Carolina$92,700
South Dakota120$80,1300.52
Tennessee1,180$76,8200.73
Texas3,640$83,6600.53
Utah1,020$99,1701.21
Vermont190$83,2701.29
Virginia2,140$86,5201.07
Washington1,270$115,2400.73
West Virginia920$77,0402.68
Wisconsin1,150$113,3600.80
Wyoming50$89,8900.33

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Marriage and Family Therapists50.987
2Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors50.986
3Mental Health Counselors50.986
4School Psychologists50.984
5Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers50.984
6Healthcare Social Workers50.983
7Neuropsychologists50.980
8Clinical Neuropsychologists50.976
9Rehabilitation Counselors50.976
10Social and Human Service Assistants40.964

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Marriage and Family TherapistsNegotiation0.760.987
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder CounselorsCoordination0.880.986
School PsychologistsCoordination0.760.984
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social WorkersCoordination0.880.984
Healthcare Social WorkersCoordination0.880.983
Clinical NeuropsychologistsCoordination0.880.976
Rehabilitation CounselorsCoordination0.880.976
Speech-Language PathologistsOperations Analysis2.370.955
Recreational TherapistsCoordination0.760.947
Genetic CounselorsScience1.000.947

All 16

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, excluding software Clinical and Counseling Psychologists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Patient electronic medical record EMR software6 of 2021.3x
Social Solutions ETO3 of 2046.2x
Scheduling software7 of 204.6x
Email software13 of 202.2x
Netscape Navigator3 of 2023.1x
Database software9 of 202.5x
Electronic medical record EMR software4 of 205.8x
Microsoft Internet Explorer4 of 203.0x
Moodle3 of 204.3x
Medical condition coding software3 of 203.5x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.75 4.38
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 4.38 5.00
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.25 4.88
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.25 4.38
WritingEssential skill 4.25 4.25
SpeakingEssential skill 4.12 4.25
Active LearningEssential skill 3.88 3.88
MonitoringEssential skill 3.75 3.88
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.75 3.88
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.75 3.75
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.75 3.75
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.62 3.50
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.50 3.75
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.50 3.12
InstructingTransferable skill 3.25 3.75
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.25 3.25
NegotiationTransferable skill 3.12 3.12
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.00 3.25
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.75 3.00
ScienceEssential skill 2.38 2.00
MathematicsEssential skill 2.25 2.12
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 1.75 0.88
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.62 0.62
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.50 0.88
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.50 0.88
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Therapy and Counseling 5.00 6.92
Psychology 5.00 6.88
English Language 4.12 5.04
Education and Training 3.88 4.92
Customer and Personal Service 3.72 4.28
Sociology and Anthropology 3.60 4.84
Law and Government 2.84 3.12
Administration and Management 2.80 3.32
Administrative 2.71 3.36
Medicine and Dentistry 2.70 3.00
Philosophy and Theology 2.67 3.96
Computers and Electronics 2.64 3.62
Biology 2.36 2.80
Communications and Media 2.32 2.48
Personnel and Human Resources 2.28 2.48
Public Safety and Security 2.28 2.04
Mathematics 2.24 3.08
Telecommunications 2.16 1.64
Economics and Accounting 1.96 1.72
Sales and Marketing 1.88 1.80
Foreign Language 1.75 1.50
History and Archeology 1.70 1.52
Chemistry 1.44 0.84
Geography 1.36 0.84
Fine Arts 1.25not rated
Production and Processing 1.24not rated
Transportation 1.20not rated
Engineering and Technology 1.16not rated
Design 1.08not rated
Physics 1.04not rated
Building and Construction 1.00not rated
Food Production 1.00not rated
Mechanical 1.00not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Expression 4.62 5.00
Written Comprehension 4.50 4.50
Oral Comprehension 4.38 5.00
Problem Sensitivity 4.38 4.25
Written Expression 4.25 4.38
Inductive Reasoning 4.00 4.12
Speech Clarity 4.00 4.12
Speech Recognition 4.00 4.12
Deductive Reasoning 4.00 4.00
Fluency of Ideas 3.75 4.00
Category Flexibility 3.38 3.88
Originality 3.38 3.88
Information Ordering 3.38 3.75
Near Vision 3.25 3.75
Selective Attention 3.25 2.75
Flexibility of Closure 3.00 3.12
Memorization 2.75 2.75
Far Vision 2.62 2.88
Speed of Closure 2.62 2.62
Auditory Attention 2.50 2.12
Perceptual Speed 2.50 2.12
Time Sharing 2.38 2.12
Mathematical Reasoning 2.25 2.25
Number Facility 2.12 2.12
Visual Color Discrimination 2.00 2.00
Visualization 2.00 2.00
Hearing Sensitivity 1.88 1.62
Trunk Strength 1.88 1.50
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.50 0.50
Depth Perception 1.25not rated
Spatial Orientation 1.12not rated
Arm-Hand Steadiness 1.00not rated
Control Precision 1.00not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Dynamic Strength 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Extent Flexibility 1.00not rated
Finger Dexterity 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Manual Dexterity 1.00not rated
Multilimb Coordination 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated
Reaction Time 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated
Stamina 1.00not rated
Static Strength 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 57
  • MS*Health Software/CMHC
  • Mdansby The PsychReport
  • MedEZ behavioral healthcare and substance abuse software
  • Medical Outcome Systems eMINI Software Suite
  • Medicine Rules PowerSEAT 360
  • My Clients Plus
  • Neuro Innovations Therapist's Toolkit
  • Neurobehavioral Systems Presentation
  • Noldus Information Technology The Observer XT
  • O*NET OnLine
  • Office Management Systems Mental Health Office All-in-One
  • Polaris Health Directions Polaris-MH
  • Practice Management Technologies Visual Private Office
  • PsyTech Solutions Epitomax
  • PsychAssistant
  • PsychNotesEMR
  • Psyquel
  • Serenic Navigator CommunityCare
  • Sigmund Software Sigmund Enterprise Management
  • SpectraSoft AppointmentsPRO
  • Statistical software
  • Testing software
  • TheraManager
  • Thriveworks TherapyBuddy
  • Trinity Software Solutions BEACON
  • UNI/CARE Pro-Filer
  • Web browser software

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Charleston, WV1803.63$66,620
Boulder, CO3103.26Not available
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH1802.57$72,150
Vallejo, CA1802.55$143,600
Champaign-Urbana, IL1302.43$75,520
Springfield, MA2302.35$99,200
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN5,0302.28$85,390
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA1,6502.20$72,090
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD1,4202.15Not available
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA1702.10$71,330

More metros, other thresholds