Florida Clinical Psychologist Salary Outlook
According to federal health data, nearly 20% of adults in the United States say they deal regularly with mental health issues, including substance abuse and mental illness, but less than 15% receive treatment or help in any given year.
While Floridians report experiencing mental health issues slightly less frequently, they avail themselves of treatment options at a lower rate than the overall U.S. level. Why does Florida rank so low when it comes to utilization of treatment for mental illness? One contributing factor could be that the state isn’t among the national leaders in either wages or job availability for clinical psychologists, who are mental health professionals trained in assisting individuals with their emotional or behavioral health problems.
SEE ALSO: Steps to Becoming a Clinical Psychologist
Where are clinical psychologist jobs the most plentiful (and best paying) in Florida, how does the state stack up against others, and which companies and organizations are regularly seeking individuals who are qualified to work in clinical psychology?
What’s On This Page
- How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in Florida?
- Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in Florida?
- Which Florida Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make in Florida?
The national median wage of about $77,000 per year for clinical psychologists is just over the median wage for that job in Florida, and the state ranks in the top half among all Southern states.
Median annual clinical psychologist wage, Southern states
| District of Columbia | $84,780 |
| Maryland | $78,980 |
| Delaware | $74,390 |
| Virginia | $73,930 |
| Georgia | $71,200 |
| Florida | $69,650 |
| Texas | $66,070 |
| Tennessee | $64,330 |
| Louisiana | $63,540 |
| North Carolina | $62,470 |
| Arkansas | $62,200 |
| South Carolina | $61,030 |
| Alabama | $60,370 |
| Kentucky | $59,300 |
| Mississippi | $57,780 |
| West Virginia | $50,890 |
| Oklahoma | $49,830 |
Florida’s median annual wage for clinical psychologists doesn’t exactly put the state at the top of the entire nation, but the job is far more lucrative than the state’s overall median wage for all occupations, and it comes in higher than many other popular jobs in Florida.
Median annual Florida wage, select occupations
| All Occupations | $34,560 |
| Advertising Sales Agents | $47,540 |
| Bill and Account Collectors | $34,190 |
| Camera Operators | $50,420 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists | $69,650 |
| Commercial Pilots | $77,430 |
| Door-to-Door Sales Workers | $24,490 |
| Electricians | $42,570 |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $60,250 |
| Health Educators | $48,150 |
| Historians | $47,900 |
| Microbiologists | $62,800 |
| Nursing Assistants | $26,020 |
| Orderlies | $24,600 |
| Physical Therapists | $87,840 |
| Real Estate Brokers | $49,080 |
| Roofers | $33,800 |
| Security Guards | $24,380 |
| Veterinarians | $92,410 |
| Writers and Authors | $47,190 |
Florida isn’t quite a hotbed for clinical psychologists just yet, but that is changing. The state’s projected growth rate for clinical psychologist job openings is the one of the highest in the nation.
States by projected short-term growth rate for clinical psychologist job openings, top 10
| Alaska | 7.7% |
| Arizona | 5.8% |
| Washington | 4.9% |
| Oregon | 4.3% |
| Colorado | 4.1% |
| Utah | 4.1% |
| Florida | 4.0% |
| California | 4.0% |
| Wyoming | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 3.9% |
Note: Short-term growth rate refers to projected increase in job openings between 2018 and 2020.
Which Florida Cities Are Best for Clinical Psychologists?
With such a vast and diverse state, it’s not hard to understand why wages vary widely across the state of Florida, and it’s no different for clinical psychologists. Wages range from the high of $80,500 in Jacksonville to just over $38,000 in Panama City.
Florida cities and metro areas by median annual clinical psychologist wage
| Jacksonville | $80,500 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $79,390 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $72,890 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $68,950 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $68,580 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $67,490 |
| North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton | $65,110 |
| Port St. Lucie | $63,470 |
| Tallahassee | $62,990 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $55,530 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $51,590 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $46,680 |
| Panama City | $38,190 |
Salary is only one aspect to the health of a job market; where in Florida are clinical psychologist jobs most plentiful?
Florida cities and metro areas by clinical psychologist employment per 1,000 jobs
| Port St. Lucie | 0.91 |
| Panama City | 0.67 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | 0.63 |
| Tallahassee | 0.53 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 0.49 |
| North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton | 0.49 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 0.45 |
| Jacksonville | 0.40 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | 0.34 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | 0.30 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | 0.28 |
Who’s Hiring for Clinical Psychologists in Florida?
Trained and licensed clinical psychologists in Florida can find work in a variety of settings, from hospital and medical settings to corporate or even military environments. Those with particular specialties, including addiction, anxiety or children, also can drill down even further to find the perfect job for them.
Here’s a look at some of the organizations in Florida that were seeking or recently had advertised for clinical psychologists in the summer of 2019:
- Jackson Health System
- Moffitt Cancer Center
- Apalachee Center
- Florida Atlantic University
- University of Florida
- Potomac Healthcare Solutions
- Seminole Tribe of Florida
- The Watershed
- Volusia County Schools
- Northwest Florida Community Hospital
- Spine Institute of Central Florida
- Brevard Health Alliance
- S. Navy
- Psychological Services of Jacksonville
- Tampa General Hospital
- Cotler Health Care
- S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Compassionate Care Recovery
Conclusion
With a higher-than-state-median annual wage and a healthy near-term growth rate, jobs in clinical psychology in Florida look to be a wise choice, particularly for individuals who understand that helping spread acceptance of mental health treatment is a long process. With low utilization rates, it may be an uphill battle here in Florida, but those who are passionate about helping others are surely equal to the task.
SEE ALSO: Florida Psychology Doctorate Programs
Additional References
- Information on clinical psychologist job openings in Florida was gathered from listings posted in July 2019 on Indeed.com and Glassdoor.com
- 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
- Projections Managing Partnership, Projections Central, Short Term Occupational Projections. (Undated). Accessed from https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/ShortTerm
- 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/