Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of clinical and counseling psychologists to grow 11.7% from 2025 to 2035 (about 9,500 more jobs), with about 4,100 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $100,580 a year ranks 134th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +11.7%
- Openings a year
- 4,100
- Median pay
- $100,580
- Pay rank
- 134th of 825
Is employment of clinical and counseling psychologists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of clinical and counseling psychologists to rise 11.7% (about 9,500 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +7.6% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 48 life, physical, and social science occupations with a projection. That change ranks 47th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 81,300 |
| Employment, 2035 | 90,900 |
| Projected change | +11.7% |
| Openings a year | 4,100 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 81,300 jobs here differ from the 75,990 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 4,100 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 416th most of 830 occupations. About 77% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 950 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for clinical and counseling psychologists rank?
The median of $100,580 a year ranks 134th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: doctoral or professional degree.
- Typical on-the-job training: internship/residency.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| School Psychologists | +0.8% | 3,400 | $95,990 |
| Psychologists, All Other | +2.3% | 3,500 | $110,840 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | +10.3% | 12,500 | $60,280 |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | +13.5% | 6,900 | $66,940 |
| Psychiatrists | +7.2% | 900 | $281,870 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | +8.5% | 16,900 | $67,880 |
| Registered Nurses | +5.6% | 180,800 | $97,550 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.