Child psychology is the many branches of psychology that encompasses the mind and behavior of children, supporting their mental, emotional and social development.
In this guide, we will cover what child psychologists do, what qualifications you need, and, of course, how much money you can make as a child psychologist, where you can expect to find the best salaries.
How Much Do Child Psychologists Make?
Child psychology is a broad field, and those working in this sector may be employed by a range of businesses. They may work within police departments, schools, daycares, hospitals, or clinics.
Therefore, there is no straight answer as to how much child psychologists make, as this is dependent on the employer, the location, and the person’s level of experience in the field.
So, these are estimations. For instance, the average salary for a child psychologist in the US is around $110,000 per year.
From the lowest end of the spectrum, entry level roles may pay around $23,000 per year, with the middle percentage of child psychologists earning between $110,000 and $270,000 per year.
At the highest end of the scale, some child psychologists can make up to $600,000 per year.
In What Field Do Child Psychologists Make The Most Money?
Child Psychologists may work within a legal setting to assess young victims, prepare child witnesses for court, or to work with a juvenile offender.
They may also work in a mental health care setting, to provide counseling and care, or within a hospital setting to help young people cope with sickness, loss, or illnesses. Others may work in research settings to conduct research around childhood behavior and development.
As mentioned earlier, child psychologists may earn varying wages depending on the sphere they work in.
Some of the highest earners in child psychology work in child daycare services, which offer salaries of around $120,000.
You may also find that child psychologists working within the offices of healthcare practitioners can earn upwards of $100,000 per year, with physician’s offices offering salaries of around $95,000 per year.
Outpatient facilities can also offer upwards of $99,000 per year for child psychologists.
What Does A Child Psychologist Do?
As mentioned briefly above, a child psychologist focuses on the behavior and mind of children from the prenatal stages all the way to adolescence.
From there, adolescent psychologists can support through those stages.
The main purpose of a child psychologist is to provide background information, context and reasons behind a child’s behavior, to better understand their actions and needs.
Child psychology can cover a range of topics and issues, from prenatal development to sexual development, language, gender identity, morality and personality issues.
Children may face difficulties within their lives, just like adults. However, they may not have the tools and skills to cope with such issues, and may need psychological support.
Without the help of a child psychologist, those afflicted could develop behavioral disorders or mental health disorders further down the line.
These issues could include phobias, trauma, aggression, misbehavior, depression and anxiety. Individuals may seek help from a child psychologist in regards to disorders such as Autism, ADHD, and other behavioral difficulties.
Duties may involve:
- Working with clients to diagnose and support behavioral issues
- Administering tests
- Conducting research around childhood development and behavioral issues
- Liaising with medical professionals and a healthcare team to provide treatment
The child psychologist may assess, diagnose these issues, and offer help and support in treating behavioral problems, working with doctors, specialists and the family directly.
Roles to work in may be school psychologist, who would work within the education system, or you could be a developmental psychologist who would study childhood development.
In addition, you could work as an abnormal child psychologist, who focuses on children suffering with psychological disorders like anxiety.
What Qualifications Do You Need To Be A Child Psychologist?
If you are the type of person who enjoys working with children, and you like making a difference in their lives, then child psychology may be for you. However, there are many requirements to become a child psychologist.
While you may be able to find work with a Master’s degree, the job opportunities as a child psychologist are far easier to find with a doctoral level degree in psychology.
There are a few programs that provide doctoral degrees in child psychology as a specialization, but you can also find work in this area with a PhD in psychology, clinical psychology, or counseling psychology.
It is important to note that you can also have PsyD qualification instead of a PhD. After gaining this qualification, you will also need to complete supervised clinical experience as an internship for at least 2 years. However, this may vary depending on which location and state you are planning on practicing in.
You will then need to complete all state and national tests in order to be licensed as a psychologist in your area (see also ‘New York Psychologist License‘) (see also ‘New York Psychologist License‘) (see also ‘New York Psychologist License‘).
You will need to check what the requirements are in the state in which you wish to work to find out details of all tests and fees you need to complete and pay.
Is Child Psychology A Good Career?
Working within child psychology can be a great career choice if you enjoy working with children and are interested in taking care of their mental health.
You can help children with mental disorders, behavioral problems, cognitive struggles, provide counseling, and treatment for young individuals.
To conclude, working as a child psychologist can be highly rewarding both for you and for your clients.
You can also earn an average wage of around $110,000 per year in this role.