Master's in Clinical Psychology Jobs: 10 Careers You Can Pursue

Updated June 24, 2022

If you're interested in continuing your education in psychology, then pursuing a master's degree in clinical psychology may interest you. The degree program allows students to learn fundamentals in the classroom and gain experience in the field by participating in internship programs. Having a master's in clinical psychology can increase your salary possibilities and career options. In this article, we explore 10 different careers that you can pursue with a master's in clinical psychology and the average salaries.

What is a master's in clinical psychology?

A master's in clinical psychology is an advanced degree that focuses on diagnosing and treating mental, emotional and intellectual disorders. Depending on the number of classes you take per semester, it can take two to four years to graduate from the degree program. Professionals often pursue a master's in clinical psychology while working in the field. Some courses a master's in clinical psychology program offer include:

Organizational behavior
Multicultural psychology and diversity
Learning and cognition
Group dynamics

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Master's in clinical psychology jobs

With a master's degree in clinical psychology, you can pursue careers where you work from home, in an office setting or in a hospital. Here is a list of some careers available to those with a master's in clinical psychology:

1. Rehabilitation counselor

National average salary: $30,260 per year

Primary duties: Rehabilitation counselors work with clients who have disabilities. Client disabilities can be physical, mental, developmental or emotional. The main role of the rehabilitation counselor is to help their clients with the abilities they need to live their lives independently. They may help their clients find jobs, help within their home or offer services for rides to activities and appointments.

2. Parole officer

National average salary: $38,309 per year

Primary duties: Parole officers work with inmates before, during and after their parole from prison. They help former inmates transition back into society by registering them with job services and finding local drug or alcohol counseling if needed. Parole officers also set up home and job visits to ensure the former inmate is successful in establishing habits to remain out of prison.

3. Academic adviser

National average salary: $38,996 per year

Primary duties: An academic adviser helps students choose courses to take to obtain their academic and career goals. They provide graduation information and help students make sure that they take the proper courses to satisfy any requirements. Academic advisers work in high schools, colleges or universities.

4. Career counselor

National average salary: $58,120 per year

Primary duties: Career counselors typically work with high school or college students to assess their strengths and weaknesses to identify careers they may enjoy. They may also work with people looking for a career change after they have been in the workforce. Career counselors help clients choose education and training and assist with job searching. Career counselors typically work in a school environment, but may also work in offices that assist people facing employment challenges, such as social services offices, unemployment offices or staffing agencies.

5. Market research analyst

National average salary: $65,810 per year

Primary duties: Market research analysts help companies determine who their customers are. They collect information about products, consumers and trends to help companies determine which products to launch. Market research analysts interpret data that affect spending patterns for a company's clients. They consider factors, such as the seasonality of products, the economy and the psychology behind why consumers buy goods and report their findings to the client or employer.

6. Human resources manager

National average salary: $69,219 per year

Primary duties: Human resources managers balance the needs of a business and its employees. Their responsibilities include onboarding new employees, taking disciplinary actions and ensuring legal compliance. Human resources managers maintain a positive working relationship with employees while holding them accountable for goals set by their supervisors, and they resolve any conflicts that may arise in the workplace.

7. Project manager

National average salary: $77,260 per year

Primary duties: Project managers ensure that employees complete projects on time and within budget. The project manager often participates in the project from the beginning and may be responsible for creating and presenting the scope and work for the project that they are overseeing. Many project managers work for independent companies, although many companies are now hiring project managers to work for them directly.

8. Forensic psychologist

National average salary: $98,232 per year

Primary duties: A forensic psychologist works with many aspects of the legal system and focuses on crimes and the people who commit them. They partake in everything from assessing criminal behavior to providing expert testimony in a trial. Forensic psychologists assist the police by studying crime scenes and creating profiles of possible offenders. They may help lawyers by assessing a suspect's state of mind when they committed the crime. Because the work of forensic psychologists varies, they often work at crime scenes and police departments, and they testify in courtrooms when necessary.

9. Clinical psychologist

National average salary: $100,388 per year

Primary duties: Clinical psychologists aid patients by diagnosing any underlying mental or behavioral issues and working to overcome challenges. They work in different settings, such as offices, hospitals and correctional facilities. The location they work in will change the clients and issues they assist. For example, clinical psychologists working in a hospital environment may help clients who have been the victim of a crime, received a difficult diagnosis or suffered an injury.

10. Industrial and organizational psychologist

National average salary: $112,690 per year

Primary duties: An industrial and organizational psychologist focuses on workplace improvement. They research different aspects of the work experience at companies, such as employee behavior, work environment and communication, to increase satisfaction and decrease turnover. Industrial and organizational psychologists may work as consultants, researchers or directly for a company. They may also work closely with human resources teams to assist in finding the right applicants and choosing appropriate training and development for the staff.