Salary Information for Medical Psychologist
Job Market Outlook July 11, 2013No one should be foolish enough to get into a career field without first researching it to figure out what they can expect to achieve in such a career during their lifetime. Income and employment information is usually collected by a central government agency and made public in each country, but that isn’t always the case, and sometimes those records can be out of date or outright wrong. At this point in time, it seems the best place to look up income information for jobs in the United States is through the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website.
According to the BLS, in 2010, graduates earned an annual average salary of $76,700 and there were over 100,000 jobs available in this profession. The medical psychologist job market is looking to increase by thirty-six percent from 2010 to 2020, which is much faster than the average for other professions. Top earners in this profession earn approximately $100,000 annually.
Working for the public has a certain sense of community to it; you truly feel like you’re helping out the area where you work, not just selling yourself. However, it’s inarguable that the salaries paid for private practitioners typically outdo the salaries those same people would be making if they remained in the public healthcare system. To make the most money possible with your skill set, you will need to decide if the community or your bottom line is what’s more important to you. This isn’t always a hard choice; some cities and towns are truly in terrible shape.
Besides spending more time on the job and waiting for years to add up, there are other ways to increase your income potential as a psychologist. While you aren’t exactly a doctor, your medical background will give you some insight into serious problems people may be suffering; publishing your findings in a book or books can be a great way to make money outside of the hospital. In addition, racking up relevant and worthy certifications when you can means you will make yourself stand out from other psychologists with similar training. Some of these edges pay well.
