Clinical Psychologist vs Psychiatrist: pay, outlook, education and work, side by side.
Every row comes from one named source and says which career leads on that one dimension. There is no overall score.
Clinical Psychologist vs Psychiatrist: BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 19-3033 and 29-1223). The national median annual wage is $100,580 for clinical psychologists and $281,870 for psychiatrists (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects national employment to change +11.7% for clinical psychologists and +7.2% for psychiatrists from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree vs Doctoral or professional degree. Which fits better depends on what you value; the table shows who leads on each dimension, with no overall winner.
Side by side
Data Differences smaller than a stated threshold read “About the same” (pay 5%, growth 2 points, openings 10%, one education level, ORS 10 points, O*NET 0.2).
Pick what matters to you; the matching rows are highlighted. Nothing is combined into a score.
| Dimension · source | Clinical PsychologistSOC 19-3033 | PsychiatristSOC 29-1223 | Leads on this dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wageBLS OEWS, May 2025 (national) | $100,580 | $281,870 | Psychiatrist |
| EmploymentBLS OEWS, May 2025 | 75,990 | 27,980 | Not ranked |
| Projected employment change, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) | +11.7% | +7.2% | Clinical Psychologist |
| Projected numeric change in jobs, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) · A count, not a rate: it scales with the size of the occupation. | +9,500 jobs | +2,100 jobs | Not ranked |
| Projected openings (annual average)BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35 | 4,100 a year | 900 a year | Clinical Psychologist |
| Typical entry-level educationBLS Employment Projections · typical, not a legal requirement | Doctoral or professional degree | Doctoral or professional degree | About the same |
| Typical work experience in a related occupationBLS Employment Projections | None | None | About the same |
| Typical on-the-job trainingBLS Employment Projections | Internship/residency | Internship/residency | Not ranked |
| Pressure level (O*NET, 1–5; lower = less)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.49 | 3.92 | Clinical Psychologist |
| Social-contact level (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context · not ranked: neither direction is better | 3.86 | 4.11 | Not ranked |
| Freedom to make decisions (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 4.64 | 4.09 | Clinical Psychologist |
| Work styles O*NET rates most importantO*NET® 31.0 work styles (occupation ratings, not a personality test) | Empathy, Sincerity, Integrity | Empathy, Integrity, Dependability | Not ranked |
Choose based on what matters to you
Data Each line restates a measured difference from the table; nothing here predicts how you will feel about a job.
- faster projected national growth matters (+11.7% vs +7.2%)
- a lower-pressure work environment matters (3.49 vs 3.92)
- more decision-making freedom matters (4.64 vs 4.09)
- higher median pay matters most ($281,870 vs $100,580)
Which skills each one leans on
Data O*NET 31.0 skill ratings: level (0–7) and importance.
Skill-profile match: 90% (similarity of the two O*NET skill profiles, importance × level; 100% = identical).
No skill is rated meaningfully higher than for Psychiatrist.
- Operations Analysis (+2.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Science (+2.0 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Negotiation (+0.8 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Quality Control Analysis (+0.8 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
What each career involves
Data Core tasks from O*NET 31.0.
Clinical Psychologist
- Conduct assessments of patients' risk for harm to self or others.
- Document patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans.
- Identify psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues and diagnose disorders, using information obtained from interviews, tests, records, or reference materials.
- Write reports on clients and maintain required paperwork.
Psychiatrist
- Prescribe, direct, or administer psychotherapeutic treatments or medications to treat mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders.
- Gather and maintain patient information and records, including social or medical history obtained from patients, relatives, or other professionals.
- Collaborate with physicians, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, or other professionals to discuss treatment plans and progress.
- Counsel outpatients or other patients during office visits.
Largest employing industries
Data Share of all jobs in each occupation, BLS Employment Matrix 2025.
Clinical Psychologist
- Ambulatory healthcare services (56.9% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Hospitals; state, local, and private (10.2% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Social assistance (8.9% of all jobs in this occupation)
Psychiatrist
- Ambulatory healthcare services (47.6% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Hospitals; state, local, and private (27.7% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals (9.4% of all jobs in this occupation)
Moving between these careers
Data The comparison shows which; the career-change guides show how.
- Clinical Psychologist → Psychiatrist: skills to build: Operations Analysis, Science, Negotiation. Careers after Clinical Psychologist
- Psychiatrist → Clinical Psychologist: skills to build: no skill rated half a point higher. Careers after Psychiatrist
Go deeper
Clinical Psychologist career hub · Clinical Psychologist salary · Clinical Psychologist how to become · Clinical Psychologist career change · Psychiatrist career hub · Psychiatrist salary · Psychiatrist how to become · Psychiatrist career change
Common questions
Which pays more, Clinical Psychologist or Psychiatrist?
Which is growing faster?
Which is better?
How this page is built
BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 19-3033 and 29-1223). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for each occupation's SOC code. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (growth, numeric change and annual openings are separate metrics). Requirements rows: 2025 preliminary BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, shown only when both roles have detailed-occupation estimates. Work environment: O*NET 31.0 work context. This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. TryHired has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Searches this page answers include “clinical psychologist vs psychiatrist”, “psychiatrist vs clinical psychologist”, “difference between clinical psychologist and psychiatrist” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
- Any one employer's pay, schedule or culture.
- Job security, ease of hiring or work-life balance: these are not measured here.
- Which career you will prefer: the rows describe the occupations, not you.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 national projections (growth, openings, typical entry-level education and experience).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey, 2025 estimates (preliminary: two of the third wave's samples, collected August 2023 to July 2025; released January 16, 2026), public domain.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (all jobs, including self-employed).