How many psychologists in the us

Psychologists continue to make up the largest segment of mental health professionals who can diagnose and treat mental disorders and other mental health concerns.

More than 34 percent of psychologists are self-employed, mainly as private practitioners and independent consultants. The worst news comes from the number of physicians who go into psychiatry.

Psychiatry has suffered a devastating 36 decrease in its ranks since The lack of psychiatrists can be attributed largely to a medical school curriculum that devalues psychiatry and psychiatric services coupled with the lowest median pay of virtually any other physician group. Psychiatrists make up approximately 3.

This proportion has declined 1. Another , people are educational, vocational, and school counselors, while rehabilitation counselors account for , people.

Social workers, who often assist a family in a mental health capacity, accounted for more than , jobs in the U. Licensed clinical social workers LCSW make up about percent of all social workers. The job outlook for virtually all the mental health professional fields is positive for the coming decade, especially for psychiatrists. Professionals who specialize in a specific area of mental health usually have better job prospects than those who are generalists.

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Psychologists seek to understand and explain thoughts, emotions, feelings, and behavior. They use techniques such as observation, assessment, and experimentation to develop theories about the beliefs and feelings that influence individuals.

Psychologists often gather information and evaluate behavior through controlled laboratory experiments, psychoanalysis, or psychotherapy. They also may administer personality, performance, aptitude, or intelligence tests. They look for patterns of behavior or relationships between events, and they use this information when testing theories in their research or when treating patients.

Clinical psychologists assess, diagnose, and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Clinical psychologists help people deal with problems ranging from short-term personal issues to severe, chronic conditions. Clinical psychologists are trained to use a variety of approaches to help individuals. Although strategies generally differ by specialty, clinical psychologists often interview patients, give diagnostic tests, and provide individual, family, or group psychotherapy.

They also design behavior modification programs and help patients implement their particular program. Some clinical psychologists focus on specific populations, such as children or the elderly, or on certain specialties, such as neuropsychology. Clinical psychologists often consult with other health professionals regarding the best treatment for patients, especially treatment that includes medication.

Currently, only Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, and New Mexico allow clinical psychologists to prescribe medication to patients. Counseling psychologists help patients deal with and understand problems, including issues at home, at the workplace, or in their community.

Through counseling, these psychologists work with patients to identify their strengths or resources they can use to manage problems. For information on other counseling occupations, see the profiles on marriage and family therapists , substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors , and social workers.

Developmental psychologists study the psychological progress and development that take place throughout life. Many developmental psychologists focus on children and adolescents, but they also may study aging and problems facing older adults. Forensic psychologists use psychological principles in the legal and criminal justice system to help judges , attorneys , and other legal specialists understand the psychological aspects of a particular case.

They often testify in court as expert witnesses. They typically specialize in family, civil, or criminal casework.

Industrial—organizational psychologists apply psychology to the workplace by using psychological principles and research methods to solve problems and improve the quality of worklife. They study issues such as workplace productivity, management or employee working styles, and employee morale. They also help top executives , training and development managers , and training and development specialists with policy planning, employee screening or training, and organizational development. Rehabilitation psychologists work with physically or developmentally disabled individuals.

They help improve quality of life or help individuals adjust after a major illness or accident. They may work with physical therapists and teachers to improve health and learning outcomes. School psychologists apply psychological principles and techniques to education disorders and developmental disorders. They may address student learning and behavioral problems; design and implement performance plans, and evaluate performances; and counsel students and families.

They also may consult with other school-based professionals to suggest improvements to teaching, learning, and administrative strategies. Some psychologists become postsecondary teachers or high school teachers. Psychologists held about , jobs in Employment in the detailed occupations that make up psychologists was distributed as follows:.

Some psychologists work alone, doing independent research, consulting with clients, or counseling patients. Others work as part of a healthcare team, collaborating with physicians , social workers , and others to treat illness and promote overall wellness. Psychologists in private practice often set their own hours, and many work part time as independent consultants.

They may work evenings or weekends to accommodate clients. Those employed in hospitals or other healthcare facilities may also have evening or weekend shifts. Most psychologists in clinics, government, industry, or schools work full-time schedules during regular business hours. Psychologists in clinical practice need a license.

Most clinical, counseling, and research psychologists need a doctoral degree. Students can complete a Ph. The Psy. In clinical, counseling, school, or health service settings, students usually complete a 1-year internship as part of the doctoral program. School psychologists need an advanced degree and either certification or licensure to work. Common advanced degrees include education specialist degrees Ed. At the bachelor's degree level, common fields of degree include psychology , education , and social science.

In all states and the District of Columbia, psychologists who practice independently must be licensed where they work. Licensing laws vary by state and by type of position.

Most clinical and counseling psychologists need a doctorate in psychology, an internship, and at least 1 to 2 years of supervised professional experience. They also must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. Information on specific state requirements can be obtained from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.

In many states, licensed psychologists must complete continuing education courses to keep their licenses. The American Board of Professional Psychology awards specialty certification in 15 areas of psychology, such as clinical health psychology, couple and family psychology, and rehabilitation psychology. The American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology offers certification in neuropsychology.

Board certification can demonstrate professional expertise in a specialty area. Certification is not required for most psychologists, but some hospitals and clinics do require certification. In those cases, candidates must have a doctoral degree in psychology, a state license or certification, and any additional criteria required by the specialty field. Most prospective psychologists must have pre- or postdoctoral supervised experience, including an internship.

Internships allow students to gain experience in an applied setting. Candidates must complete an internship before they can qualify for state licensure. The required number of hours of the internship varies by state.

Analytical skills. Psychologists must examine the information they collect and draw logical conclusions. Communication skills. Psychologists must have strong communication skills because they spend much of their time listening to and speaking with patients or describing their research. Interpersonal skills. Psychologists study and help individuals, so they must be able to work well with clients, patients, and other professionals. Observational skills. Psychologists study attitude and behavior.

They must understand the possible meanings of facial expressions, body positions, actions, and interactions. Psychologists must demonstrate patience, because conducting research or treating patients may take a long time.

Problem-solving skills. Psychologists need problem-solving skills to collect information, design research, evaluate programs, and find treatments or solutions to mental and behavioral problems.

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U. Source: U. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. In May , the median annual wages for psychologists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:.

Those employed in hospitals or other healthcare facilities also may have evening or weekend shifts. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program. Employment of clinical, counseling, and school psychologists is projected to grow due to demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, mental health centers, and social service agencies. Demand for clinical and counseling psychologists will increase as more people turn to psychologists for help with their problems.

Employment of school psychologists will continue to grow because of an increased awareness of the connection between mental health and learning. These workers also will be needed to help students whose educational, behavioral, or developmental issues impact their ability to learn. Organizations will continue to use industrial—organizational psychologists to help select and retain employees, implement trainings, increase organizational productivity and efficiency, handle employee conflicts, and improve office morale.

These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link s below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. All state projections data are available at www.

Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area.

There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area.

There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code. This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of psychologists.