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Clinical Psychology

Students study psychological assessment, therapeutic techniques, counseling methods, and the application of psychological science to treat mental health disorders and improve wellbeing. Graduates typically pursue careers in counseling centers, mental health clinics, rehabilitation facilities, school psychology, and substance abuse treatment, typically after completing a master's or doctoral degree. The growing demand for mental health services is driving strong career prospects for clinical and counseling psychologists.

Schools
59
Programs analyzed
Earnings
$33,816
Avg 1-yr grad earnings
Range $6,023–$57,204
AI Risk
High
48% task exposure
Field Overview

What Clinical Psychology graduates do

You'll find that understanding human motivation is a powerful asset far beyond a therapist's office. Many graduates launch careers in corporate settings, initially as human resources specialists mediating employee conflicts or as training specialists designing leadership workshops. From there, you might become a management analyst, interviewing teams and analyzing data to help companies solve complex operational problems. The path often leads to senior roles like HR manager, guiding organizational strategy and overseeing entire departments.

While roles in training and specialized counseling are seeing rapid growth, be prepared for technology to reshape your workday. AI will increasingly handle routine tasks like screening resumes or initial data analysis. This shifts your focus toward the complex human element: coaching executives, navigating sensitive workplace issues, and making strategic judgment calls that algorithms can’t. Your success will hinge less on administrative skill and more on your ability to adapt and apply psychological insight in a tech-assisted world.

You may also want to evaluate Clinical & Counseling Psychology against Psychology, Research and Experimental Psychology, and Psychology Studies on salary and long-run job outlook.

Career Trajectories

Where Clinical Psychology graduates work

Common career paths for Clinical Psychology graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 449,300 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role Median Pay Annual Openings 10-yr Growth AI Exposure
Human resources managers
$140,030
$106K–$190K
17,900 +5.0% Moderate · 48%
Managers, all other
$136,550
$100K–$179K
106,700 +4.5% Moderate · 47%
Training and development managers
$127,090
$96K–$169K
3,800 +5.8% High · 50%
Psychologists, all other
$117,580
$74K–$145K
3,900 +4.3% Moderate · 44%
Industrial-organizational psychologists
$109,840
$81K–$198K
400 +6.3% Moderate · 49%
Management analysts
$101,190
$77K–$133K
98,100 +8.8% Moderate · 40%
Clinical and counseling psychologists
$95,830
$67K–$132K
4,800 +11.2% Moderate · 37%
School psychologists
$86,930
$73K–$108K
3,800 +0.7% Moderate · 39%
Psychology teachers, postsecondary
$80,330
$62K–$107K
4,000 +3.6% Moderate · 48%
Human resources specialists
$72,910
$56K–$97K
81,800 +6.2% High · 64%
Training and development specialists
$65,850
$49K–$92K
43,900 +10.8% High · 55%
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
$65,140
$52K–$83K
31,000 +3.5% Low · 29%
Counselors, all other
$49,830
$43K–$67K
7,400 +12.6% Low · 0%
Coaches and scouts
$45,920
$34K–$62K
41,800 +6.4% Moderate · 30%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Top Institutions

Best schools for Clinical Psychology

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 59.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 71
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
New York, NY · Public
$57,204 1-yr earnings
17.5x ROI multiple
High AI risk
# School DW Score 1-yr Earnings ROI
5 CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
New York, NY · Public
58 $35,656 17.5x
6 Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN · Public
58 $35,159 15.0x
7 California State University-San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA · Public
56 $40,316 12.1x
8 Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global
Marion, IN · Private nonprofit
55 $40,706 11.4x
9 Franklin University
Columbus, OH · Private nonprofit
55 $39,387 11.7x
10 University of Phoenix-Arizona
Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit
54 $41,118 9.8x
11 Albright College
Reading, PA · Private nonprofit
53 $48,838 3.5x
12 Los Angeles Pacific University
San Dimas, CA · Private nonprofit
53 $41,803 7.7x
13 SUNY College of Technology at Canton
Canton, NY · Public
52 $36,254 12.4x
14 University of North Texas
Denton, TX · Public
51 $32,553 11.6x
15 University of Phoenix-Texas
Dallas, TX · Private for-profit
50 $41,118
16 University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
49 $33,192 9.7x
17 University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA · Public
49 $33,192 9.8x
18 California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public
49 $29,457 16.9x
19 Clayton State University
Morrow, GA · Public
48 $27,532 21.4x
20 Emmanuel College
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
47 $41,522 2.2x
Browse all 59 Clinical Psychology programs ranked by graduate outcomes →

Highest Earnings Top 5

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
NY
$57,204
Albright College
PA
$48,838
Thomas Jefferson University
PA
$43,964
Saint Cloud State University
MN
$42,406
Boston College
MA
$42,384

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Clinical Psychology.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Clinical Psychology offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Clinical Psychology trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Clinical Psychology

What do Clinical Psychology graduates make in their first year?

Across 59 schools, Clinical Psychology graduates earn an average of $33,816 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $6,023 to $57,204 depending on the school.

How exposed is Clinical Psychology to AI disruption?

AI exposure for Clinical Psychology is rated "High." With 48% of tasks potentially affected by large language models, some career functions face meaningful automation pressure in the coming decade.

Where should I study Clinical Psychology?

Our data ranks CUNY Bernard M Baruch College first among 59 Clinical Psychology programs. Its score of 71/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($57,204/yr), return on investment, and career durability.

Is a Clinical Psychology degree worth the investment?

Typical graduates earn 6.5 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.