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By Neil Kokemuller Updated April 19, 2022
Despite the fact that you typically need much more education to work in clinical psychology, the pay for registered nurses and clinical psychologists is relatively similar. A two-year accredited nursing degree or diploma program is the minimum for an RN, though many hospitals prefer four-year nursing degrees. A licensed psychologist needs a doctoral degree to practice, which can entail up to 13 years of education and training.
Clinical Psychologist vs. RN Salary
Not surprisingly, clinical psychologists do earn a higher average salary. But the pay differential is not that far apart. As of May 2020, clinical psychologists earned an average salary of $89,290 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average annual salary for nurses was $80,010, as of May 2020. The BLS noted that 3.1 million people worked in RN jobs, compared to just over 111,320 working in clinical psychology.
Because clinical psychologists need much more schooling than a nurse, they are apt to incur a heavier student debt load. Consequently, clinical psychologists may earn a higher gross income than nurses, but their disposable income each month may be comparable after making hefty student loan payments over the course of several years.
Pay Ranges
The pay ranges for RNs and clinical psychologists are significant when you compare the top-end earners to those at the bottom end. Ten percent of clinical psychologists earned at or above $138,550. The bottom 10 percent earned at or below $46,410, though.
The range for RNs was a bit narrower, though top-end pay was significant less. Ten percent earned at or above $116,230 per year. The lowest 10 percent of earners made at or above $53,410.
Variable Factors
Geography and industry type impacted pay for these jobs as well. Among the top-employing sectors for RNs, business support services and the federal government paid mean annual salaries of $106,670 and $96,230, respectively. Of the largest employment sectors for clinical psychologists, those in other health care practitioner offices made the most, at around $101,860 on average.
California was the highest-paying state for clinical psychologists at $115,830 per year. California was also the highest paying state for nurses paying $120,560, on average. Hawaii was the second highest paying state for both clinical psychologists and nurses paying $110,780 and $104,830, respectively.
Licensing and Education Requirements
A nurse typically just needs the requisite education from an accredited nursing program and successful completion of the NCLEX-RN exam. RNs and psychologists must earn licenses to practice in their states. A background check is also commonly necessary in many states for both RNs and clinical psychologists.
Nursing vs. counseling or clinical psychology education requirements are quite different. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology states that it can take up to 13 years of schooling to be become a licensed clinical psychologist. Aspiring clinical psychologists spend four to six years taking undergraduate classes, including prerequisities for admission to a competitive doctoral program.
Graduate schooling, along with the required practic*ms and internships, takes four to seven years depending on whether the student is enrolled in a Psy.D. or Ph.D. program. You also have to pass the examination for professional practice in psychology.
