School psychology vs. Clinical psychology. Which career choice yields the highest opportunities, salary, etc?

Question

I am a junior at wayne state and I am trying to decide what I want to do with my life. I am male,21 and I am a psychology major. I am thinking about the professor vs. school practitioner vs. private practice. What do you think? Please give reasonable in depth answers to the question and not just some b.s response from the internet

Answer 1

Ok..
I am in grad school for school psychology and have been coached a lot in the field thus far. I'm going to be real with you. Before I do, please google the word "school psychologist" and "shortage" and you'll find a lot. It is waaaay more difficult to get into clinical psychology let alone be successful in maintaining some type of private practice off the bat, if thats what you want...P.S (Clinical Psychs do of course work many other places, but let me let you in a lil secret, social workers and maybe some MA counselors are taking their jobs. If they get the job, they will often have to agree to get paid like a social worker..) School psychology only requires at least an Ed.S which is more that a masters, less than a doctorate. I reccomend the doctorate because you have more options than "just being a practitioner at a school," which is fine, if that is all you care for. With a doctorate you can teach, private practice, work in prisons, hospitals, you name it. So you are basically a "psychologist" with a doctorate but have a SECURE job. Schools are begging for more SP's due to the baby boom retiring which is coming up in the next ten years, school violence, recognized mental health value in schools now and of course, special education which means ASSESSMENTS..lots of them. But you can avoid this if this is not your tasts by working at an alterative school. Well, I gave you more than you asked.
So, if you want security, marketability, versatility and autonomy, and want to make not a whole lot, but more money sooner than a clinical psych would (usually), School Psychology is where it's at! No joke.

Answer 2

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RE:
School psychology vs. Clinical psychology. Which career choice yields the highest opportunities, salary, etc?
I am a junior at wayne state and I am trying to decide what I want to do with my life. I am male,21 and I am a psychology major. I am thinking about the professor vs. school practitioner vs. private practice. What do you think? Please give reasonable in depth answers to the question and not just...

Answer 3

Salaries are depending on location and who you work for such as school district, hospitals, mental health facilities etc. I would do more research into salaries in your area.

Ok as far as career paths....You first need to realize that you need to get at LEAST a Masters degree and most likely a PhD. for the paths you mentioned.

With that said, first...there is no degree which allows you to become a professor..you of course need at least a M.S., but more importantly you need years of work experience in your field. So I would hold off on making that decision until after you've been in your field for 10-15 years.

Second...private practice again, comes with years of experience. You have to be established in your field through years of working, being supervised by others, licensing, etc. Plus you need money to start, patients to bring along with you to your private practice and don't forget insurance (it's a killer). This is why you usually enter into a private practice with others if it's even profitable to do at all.

Basically what I'm telling you is, calm down. These decisions really can't be made now. You need to get into graduate school, get at least your Masters degree and then you'll have different paths to choose from and you'll be more educated on which path suits you best, either school or clinical.

Answer 4

School Psychologist Vs Clinical Psychologist

Answer 5

You don't want bull S? Can you handle the truth? Take a really close look at your own psychology, study it.. You don't need anyone to help you... It's your own...

What is it that drives you to choose salary over other benefits or consequences of your choices?

Why is everyone in this country so deeply embedded in the idea that money is the sacred cow? What's wrong with espousing the possibility of a career that foments family unity? A career with an ulterior noble goal of seeking social peace and overall personal satisfaction..

Your own mind operates in a way that you ought to discover..

I'll tell you like I tell my daughter, you don't need someone to tell you that 2 plus 2 is four.

Answer 6

I'm going to say career enjoyment because you want to be happy in what you're doing day in and day out for the rest of your life. Salary is important but money isn't everything, a lot of people are sick and unhappy because they work jobs they hate just for money. If you can find something doing what you love while making good money then you'll never work a day in your life because you enjoy it so much. Best wishes with that.... ;)

Answer 7

I would check out forums dealing with the topic. Also look at where the market is the strongest at and where it is the weakest. Compare the two salary wise and opportunity wise. For example try salary.com to see what you can expect money-wise Try job boards and public and private institutions to see what you can net there. In fact you can also shadow someone practicing your field, or volunteer, that way you can get a grasp of what it is, and you may gain insights of the meat and potatoes of where the hotspots are when it comes to available positions in the discipline you feel you deserve to be in.

Answer 8

Schools, normally have really fantastic benefits, and teaching what you have learned is wonderful. I am a teacher and have a masters in psych. Private practice makes more money, once you are established. Why can you not take classes for both and choose, once you get out there, seeking a terrific profession?

Answer 9

neither without a masters degree, if you don't have a master or PhD you'll end up a social worker and it yields nada...good luck