Michigan Clinical Psychologist Salary Outlook
Dealing with a mental illness, emotional issues or behavioral disorder can be devastating in a person’s life, often keeping them from achieving personal or professional happiness. In fact, while nearly 20% of American adults have a diagnosable mental illness, well under 15% receive any mental health services, according to the most recent available federal data.
In Michigan, people are slightly more likely to avail themselves of mental health services, which makes the state among the most attractive for licensed clinical psychologists, who are qualified to help patients and clients improve their everyday lives through a variety of therapeutic methods.
What can clinical psychologists expect to earn in Michigan, which cities across the state have the highest salaries, and which organizations have recently sought to hire new clinical psychologists?
What’s On This Page
- How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in Michigan?
- Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in Michigan?
- Which Michigan Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in Michigan?
Michigan’s annual median wage for clinical psychologists is just over $75,000, which is very close to the overall U.S. median of $76,990, and the state ranks No. 18 overall.
Median annual clinical psychologist wage, top 20
| California | $100,850 |
| Oregon | $89,150 |
| Connecticut | $88,890 |
| New York | $88,710 |
| Rhode Island | $86,370 |
| New Jersey | $85,160 |
| District of Columbia | $84,780 |
| Alaska | $84,740 |
| Minnesota | $84,630 |
| Colorado | $84,410 |
| North Dakota | $83,730 |
| Massachusetts | $79,810 |
| Maryland | $78,980 |
| Iowa | $78,810 |
| Hawaii | $78,440 |
| Nevada | $77,200 |
| Wisconsin | $77,090 |
| Michigan | $75,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $74,930 |
| Delaware | $74,390 |
In addition to boasting a clinical psychologist wage among the top half nationally, Michigan clinical psychologists also can expect to make far higher salaries than individuals in other jobs. In fact, the median clinical psychologist wage in Michigan is more than double the median annual wage for all jobs in the state.
Median annual Michigan wage, select occupations
| All Occupations | $37,620 |
| Advertising Sales Agents | $45,310 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists | $75,340 |
| Dental Hygienists | $64,660 |
| Editors | $52,740 |
| Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | $34,480 |
| Industrial Engineering Technicians | $51,520 |
| Labor Relations Specialists | $68,010 |
| Manicurists and Pedicurists | $24,390 |
| Medical Assistants | $31,900 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $69,740 |
| Parking Enforcement Workers | $30,990 |
| Pharmacy Aides | $24,920 |
| Sociologists | $77,170 |
| Tool and Die Makers | $54,360 |
| Transit and Railroad Police | $44,320 |
| Travel Agents | $35,720 |
| Urban and Regional Planners | $66,700 |
| Veterinarians | $84,820 |
| Word Processors and Typists | $38,480 |
In addition to relatively high wages, clinical psychologist job openings are expected to become much more common in Michigan over the next several years. Among all Midwestern states, Michigan’s growth rate for clinical psychologist job openings is one of the highest.
Midwestern states by projected long- and short-term growth rate for clinical psychologist job openings
| State | Long-term | Short-term |
| Ohio | 13.4% | 3.5% |
| Indiana | 15.4% | 3.3% |
| Minnesota | 11.9% | 2.8% |
| Nebraska | 11.3% | 2.7% |
| Missouri | 16.2% | 2.6% |
| Kansas | 9.3% | 2.4% |
| Michigan | 13.5% | 1.6% |
| Iowa | 12.2% | 1.6% |
| Illinois | 5.9% | 1.4% |
| Wisconsin | 9.7% | 1.1% |
| North Dakota | 17.2% | 0.0% |
| South Dakota | 11.4% | 0.0% |
Note: Short-term 2018-2020; long-term 2016-2026
Which Michigan Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
Wages vary dramatically across Michigan for clinical psychologists, from a low of $57,500 in Niles to a high of $87,530 in Jackson.
Michigan cities and metro areas by median annual clinical psychologist wage
| Jackson | $87,530 |
| Ann Arbor | $78,890 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $76,310 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $74,710 |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $72,580 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming | $72,270 |
| Flint | $71,560 |
| Battle Creek | $69,670 |
| Muskegon | $66,100 |
| Niles-Benton Harbor | $57,500 |
Jackson, in addition to having the highest wage among Michigan cities for clinical psychologists, also has one of the highest wages among all U.S. cities. Excluding California, a state that dramatically skews data for clinical psychology, Jackson’s median annual wage for the job is No. 13.
U.S. cities and metro areas by clinical psychologist employment median wage, top 20, excl. California
| Baton Rouge, LA | $107,370 |
| Bend-Redmond, OR | $106,260 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $97,820 |
| Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA | $95,280 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $94,000 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $93,360 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $92,380 |
| Grand Junction, CO | $91,020 |
| Reno, NV | $90,900 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $88,920 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $88,590 |
| Kingston, NY | $87,900 |
| Jackson, MI | $87,530 |
| Salisbury, MD-DE | $87,480 |
| Leominster-Gardner, MA | $87,170 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $87,110 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $86,770 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | $86,650 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $86,090 |
| Springfield, MA-CT | $86,080 |
Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in Michigan?
Whether they seek work in the public or private sector or have a particular specialty area they practice in, clinical psychologists have hundreds of options for employers across the state of Michigan.
Here’s a look at a sampling of companies and organizations with clinical psychologist job openings in summer 2019:
- Seniors Wellness Group
- Rush Pediatric Neuropsychology
- PsyGenics
- Developmental Enhancement
- Merakey
- Building Bridges Therapy Center
- Oakland County
- Autism Spectrum Therapies
- Great Lakes Psychology Group
- Jenison Psychological Services
- Henry Ford Health System
- Cancer & Hematology Centers of Western Michigan
- Premise Health
- Correct Care Solutions
- University of Michigan
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Easterseals
- Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
Conclusion
Learning how to cope with the stresses of life and the symptoms of mental illness is a challenge, but it’s one for which clinical psychologists are well trained. While the desire to help others is the primary drive in seeking a career in clinical psychology, here in Michigan, it certainly doesn’t help that typical wages are relatively high and growth rates are hot.
SEE ALSO: Best Michigan Psychology Doctorate
Additional References
- Information on clinical psychologist job openings in Michigan was gathered from listings posted in July 2019 on Indeed.com and Glassdoor.com
- Projections Managing Partnership, Projections Central, Short Term Occupational Projections. (Undated). Accessed from https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/ShortTerm
- Projections Managing Partnership, Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections. (Undated). Accessed from https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2016-2017 NSDUH State Prevalence Estimates. (Undated). Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2016-2017-nsduh-state-prevalence-estimates
- U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Psychologists. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm#tab-5
- U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Query System. (2019). Accessed from https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/home
- Average Clinical Psychologist Salary by State. (2019). Retrieved from https://psydprograms.org/average-clinical-psychologist-salary-by-state/
- How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make? (2019). Retrieved from https://psydprograms.org/how-much-do-clinical-psychologists-make/