While considering a career in child psychology, you may be wondering, how much does a child psychologist make?
Generally, the average salary of a child psychologist varies widely based on location, experience, and education level.
Most child psychologists have an advanced degree such as a master’s degree or Ph.D. which contributes to their salary range. This article mainly deals with individuals who hold these advanced degrees.
According to the totals provided by ZipRecruiter, PayScale, and Glassdoor, the national average for a children’s psychologist salary is approximately $74,629.
However, this may not accurately represent the spread of jobs on the market. Let’s take a closer look at the salaries reported by the three major job posting sites listed above.
ZipRecruiter Salary Estimates
Based on reported salaries, ZipRecruiter estimates the national average to be $81,331 for child psychologists. However, they state that salaries in the range of $77,000 and $83,999 account for only 8% of reported jobs.
This means that most jobs either make more or less than the national average. For example, nearly 32% of child psychologist salaries fall between $63,000 and $76,999. In contrast, an additional 16% of child psychologists make upwards of $98,000 to $104,999.
This range may be explained by the difference in salary between locations. ZipRecruiter currently lists Massachusetts as the top paying state for child psychologists, with an average salary of $93,213.
Mississippi was the lowest-paying state, with an average salary of $63,600, or about 22% below ZipRecruiter’s reported national average.
PayScale Salary Estimates
Based on approximately 120 reported salaries, PayScale estimates the average salary of a child psychologist as $67,417.
They also break down the average salary based on level of experience. Those with 0-4 years of experience make about 2% less than the average.
However, child psychologists with 5-9 years of experience make around $71,000, while those with 10-19 years make $87,000. The top earners were child psychologists with more than 20 years of experience, making about $103,000 on average.
The average salary also varies greatly depending on location. According to PayScale, child psychologists in Denver and Chicago make upwards of 30% more than the national average.
However, they list the average child psychologist salary in New York as 17% lower than the national average. This conflicts with ZipRecruiter’s data, which lists New York as the 5th highest paying location.
Glassdoor Salary Estimates
On Glassdoor, the reported national average for a child psychologist salary is around $75,141. This average is based on more than 4,600 reported salaries, with Glassdoor listing their estimate as very high confidence.
While they do not provide information about salary distribution, they do provide salary estimates for job postings and titles near your area.
How These Estimates Compare to the BLS Occupational Outlook
While these estimates may answer the question, “How much does a child psychologist make?,” they have very limited data. So, how do they compare to the median average salary published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics?
According to the BLS (Occupational Outlook Handbook), the median pay for a psychologist in 2020 was $82,180.
The lowest ten percent of the reporting group earned around $46,270, while the highest earned more than $137,000. This is pretty close to the estimate provided by ZipRecruiter.
The BLS also reports on the average wage for clinical, counseling,, and school psychologists in each state (BLS).
Based on their data from 2020, California had the highest average salary at around $115,000. West Virginia had the lowest average pay, at around $61,000 or 25% less than the national average.
Salaries Based on Industry
Average child psychologist salaries reported by the BLS differed between industries. Most child psychologists work in elementary and secondary schools, earning around $80,000 on average.
This group earned the lowest out of every industry. Some of the top industries for child psychologists in 2020 were home healthcare services, child day care services, and outpatient care centers.
Home healthcare service psychologists earned around 25% more than the national average, or about $103,000.
However, they only made up 0.02% of BLS respondents. Psychologists working in child day care services earned the second most at more than $105,000, but made up only 0.03% of respondents.
Finally, child psychologists at outpatient care centers had the highest salary, around $109,000 on average. This industry is also significantly larger than the previous two, making up 0.57% of respondents.
Learn More About Child Psychology with Stratford’s Course
Child psychology continues to be an expanding career field and always seems to be of interest to parents, teachers, therapists and more.
If you have an interest in learning more about child psychology, but aren’t sure where to start, Stratford Career Institute’s comprehensive course on child psychology explores the basics you need to know.
From the stages of child development to the methods used by licensed psychologists, our introductory course provides the footing you need to work toward a career in child psychology or gain knowledge for your own family and friends.
Enroll now or contact us at 1-800-254-4070 if you have any questions.
This educational program is an introductory course designed to help students gain the knowledge necessary for the vocational application of this subject. Completion of this program does not fulfill the legal requirements of particular state licenses or certifications, which may require additional training or apprenticeships.
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