Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
Also called: Clinical Psychologist, Counseling Psychologist, Psychologist, PsychotherapistAssess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Help individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory. Provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment. May design behavior modification programs and consult with medical personnel regarding the best treatment for patients.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 21 of its 30 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 11.7% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 84% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $90,800 | $69,000 to $126,430 | 260 |
| Alaska | $124,270 | $86,360 to $165,460 | 40 |
| Arizona | $119,010 | $69,610 to $141,880 | 730 |
| Arkansas | $77,520 | $61,590 to $85,130 | 370 |
| California | $116,000 | $77,050 to $162,360 | 12,840 |
| Colorado | $113,290 | $73,570 to $150,990 | 1,170 |
| Connecticut | not published | not published | 660 |
| Delaware | $113,050 | $99,560 to $129,580 | 280 |
| District of Columbia | $107,000 | $85,810 to $132,300 | 220 |
| Florida | $85,610 | $69,330 to $146,650 | 3,040 |
| Georgia | $96,060 | $53,500 to $137,420 | 1,120 |
| Hawaii | $117,860 | $99,180 to $138,510 | 250 |
| Idaho | $97,790 | $77,710 to $130,940 | 300 |
| Illinois | $83,750 | $53,650 to $126,890 | 5,810 |
| Indiana | $84,990 | $77,370 to $101,540 | 1,850 |
| Iowa | $91,690 | $74,990 to $129,970 | 440 |
| Kansas | $76,690 | $62,940 to $102,120 | 400 |
| Kentucky | $99,140 | $66,720 to $134,800 | 710 |
| Louisiana | $71,330 | $68,250 to $81,870 | 320 |
| Maryland | not published | not published | 2,140 |
| Massachusetts | $115,180 | $84,610 to $159,570 | 2,860 |
| Michigan | $84,730 | $72,440 to $111,050 | 2,170 |
| Minnesota | $107,030 | $80,960 to $131,030 | 1,290 |
| Mississippi | $76,000 | $59,570 to $97,670 | 210 |
| Missouri | $99,410 | $66,280 to $122,290 | 840 |
| Montana | $68,160 | $57,630 to $107,850 | 150 |
| Nebraska | $94,540 | $60,210 to $120,630 | 770 |
| Nevada | $102,650 | $93,260 to $123,910 | 680 |
| New Hampshire | $64,270 | $54,130 to $129,240 | 330 |
| New Jersey | $127,090 | $64,780 to $166,490 | 2,700 |
| New Mexico | $124,800 | $87,460 to $131,470 | not published |
| New York | $114,400 | $86,220 to $135,200 | 8,420 |
| North Carolina | $92,130 | $74,460 to $122,440 | 2,770 |
| North Dakota | $116,130 | $83,840 to $127,360 | 170 |
| Ohio | $101,190 | $74,150 to $136,930 | 2,080 |
| Oklahoma | $79,950 | $62,590 to $100,660 | 950 |
| Oregon | $134,350 | $98,190 to $151,240 | 540 |
| Pennsylvania | $91,870 | $73,670 to $131,360 | 3,140 |
| Puerto Rico | $67,660 | $53,550 to $78,540 | 330 |
| Rhode Island | $107,490 | $80,160 to $128,530 | 420 |
| South Carolina | $92,700 | $65,000 to $105,770 | not published |
| South Dakota | $80,130 | $64,340 to $111,940 | 120 |
| Tennessee | $76,820 | $56,990 to $100,180 | 1,180 |
| Texas | $83,660 | $59,990 to $106,510 | 3,640 |
| Utah | $99,170 | $75,380 to $131,390 | 1,020 |
| Vermont | $83,270 | $73,030 to $103,570 | 190 |
| Virginia | $86,520 | $61,130 to $110,990 | 2,140 |
| Washington | $115,240 | $99,540 to $145,790 | 1,270 |
| West Virginia | $77,040 | $57,660 to $104,640 | 920 |
| Wisconsin | $113,360 | $88,150 to $141,440 | 1,150 |
| Wyoming | $89,890 | $66,730 to $126,150 | 50 |
Nationally: $100,580. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 21 of its 30 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Conduct assessments of patients' risk for harm to self or others. | Not published |
| AI + software | Document patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Identify psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues and diagnose disorders, using information obtained from interviews, tests, records, or reference materials. | Not published |
| AI alone | Write reports on clients and maintain required paperwork. | Not published |
| Not much | Counsel individuals, groups, or families to help them understand problems, deal with crisis situations, define goals, and develop realistic action plans. | 0.16% |
| Not much | Interact with clients to assist them in gaining insight, defining goals, and planning action to achieve effective personal, social, educational, or vocational development and adjustment. | 0.39% |
See all 30 tasks
| AI alone | Collect information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods. | 0.06% |
| AI + software | Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling or treatments and the accuracy and completeness of diagnoses, modifying plans or diagnoses as necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Use a variety of treatment methods, such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, behavior modification, stress reduction therapy, psychodrama, or play therapy. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients' interests, abilities, or needs. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Develop and implement individual treatment plans, specifying type, frequency, intensity, and duration of therapy. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain current knowledge of relevant research. | Not published |
| AI alone | Obtain and study medical, psychological, social, and family histories by interviewing individuals, couples, or families and by reviewing records. | Not published |
| AI + software | Select, administer, score, and interpret psychological tests to obtain information on individuals' intelligence, achievements, interests, or personalities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Consult reference material, such as textbooks, manuals, or journals, to identify symptoms, make diagnoses, or develop approaches to treatment. | Not published |
| AI alone | Consult with or provide consultation to other doctors, therapists, or clinicians regarding patient care. | 0.01% |
| AI alone | Advise clients on how they could be helped by counseling. | 0.01% |
| AI alone | Refer clients to other specialists, institutions, or support services as necessary. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Consult with other professionals, agencies, or universities to discuss therapies, treatments, counseling resources or techniques, and to share occupational information. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop, direct, and participate in training programs for staff and students. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Supervise and train interns, clinicians in training, and other counselors. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct, coordinate, and evaluate activities of staff and interns engaged in patient assessment and treatment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide occupational, educational, or other information to individuals so that they can make educational or vocational plans. | 0.02% |
| AI + software | Provide consulting services, including educational programs, outreach programs, or prevention talks to schools, social service agencies, businesses, or the general public. | 0.08% |
| AI alone | Plan and develop accredited psychological service programs in psychiatric centers or hospitals, in collaboration with psychiatrists and other professional staff. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare written evaluations of individuals' psychological competence for court hearings. | Not published |
| AI alone | Conduct research to develop or improve diagnostic or therapeutic counseling techniques. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe individuals at play, in group interactions, or in other contexts to detect indications of cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide psychological or administrative services and advice to private firms or community agencies regarding mental health programs or individual cases. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Plan, supervise, and conduct psychological research and write papers describing research results. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 12 of the 30 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 30 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #1 Gather information from physical or electronic sources
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #20 Present research or technical information
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counsel others about personal matters | |||
| Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures | |||
| Present research or technical information | |||
| Advise others on healthcare or wellness issues | |||
| Collect information about patients or clients | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Direct scientific or technical activities | |||
| Supervise personnel activities |
Show all 19 activities
| Gather information from physical or electronic sources | |||
| Evaluate programs, practices, or processes | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters | |||
| Develop research plans or methodologies | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Evaluate patient or client condition or treatment options | |||
| Perform human resources activities | |||
| Develop patient or client care or treatment plans | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Diagnose health conditions or disorders | |||
| Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation33%
- An explanation or answer24%
- A plan or strategy8%
- An analysis or summary7%
- A document or report7%
How they worked with Claude
8% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for clinical and counseling psychologists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 31,167 moves out
- 1 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 9%
- 2 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 8%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 4 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 6%
- 5 Mental Health Counselors 6%
Where people moved in from
of 42,291 moves in
- 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 7%
- 2 Mental Health Counselors 7%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 4 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 6%
- 5 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 3%
The resume data uses 2010 occupation codes. This occupation comes from “Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists”, which today also includes “School Psychologists”, so these figures cover it too. Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 8% master's
- 44% research doctorate
- 48% post-doctoral training
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 25 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 7% bachelor's
- 13% master's
- 2% professional degree
- 78% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 335 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
10 programs, such as Psychology, General, Developmental and Child Psychology and Clinical Psychology.
See all
- Psychology, General
- Developmental and Child Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Counseling Psychology
- Clinical Child Psychology
- Geropsychology
- Health/Medical Psychology
- Family Psychology
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
97.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/19-3033.00