Child Psychologist Salary 2026

Child psychologists (clinical psychologists specializing in pediatric or adolescent populations) earn a median of approximately $96,100 per year based on BLS SOC 19-3033 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). Pay ranges substantially by setting: school-based child psychologists at $84,940 median (SOC 19-3034), private practice $110,000 to $160,000, hospital pediatric clinics $95,000 to $130,000.

Last verified 27 April 2026 · Source: BLS SOC 19-3033 (Clinical and Counseling Psychologists) + SOC 19-3034 (School Psychologists)

Important: "child psychologist" is not a single BLS category

Most online salary guides quote a single number for child psychologist pay. That is misleading. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate occupational code for child psychologists. The job title spans two distinct BLS occupations with different median wages and very different employment profiles.

SOC 19-3033

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

$96,100

Includes child psychologists working in private practice, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and academic medical centers. This is the higher-pay track.

SOC 19-3034

School Psychologists

$84,940

Includes child psychologists embedded in K-12 districts, special education evaluation teams, and educational support services. Lower median pay but stronger benefits and pensions.

The income difference between these two tracks is roughly $11,000 at the median and widens with seniority. A clinical child psychologist in private practice can earn double what a school district psychologist earns at the same career stage. Knowing which BLS code applies to a specific job is essential before comparing salary numbers, and most aggregator sites blur this distinction.

$96,100

Clinical Child Psych Median (SOC 19-3033)

$84,940

School-Based Median (SOC 19-3034)

$130K

Private Practice Estimate

$110K

Pediatric Hospital Estimate

Child Psychologist Pay by Setting

Setting is the single largest predictor of child psychologist income. The same doctoral training and licensure can pay anywhere from $70,000 in a starter telehealth role to over $180,000 in a senior private practice with custody evaluation work. The table below uses BLS data combined with practitioner survey data.

Setting	Typical Annual Range	Notes
School District (school psychologist)	$75,000 - $95,000	SOC 19-3034; pension-eligible; school calendar; PSLF
Pediatric Hospital / Children's Hospital	$95,000 - $130,000	CHOP, Boston Children's tier; multidisciplinary teams
Outpatient Mental Health Clinic	$80,000 - $110,000	Insurance-driven caseload; high productivity targets
University Clinic / Research Setting	$80,000 - $110,000	Teaching plus research; PSLF; lower pay, more flexibility
Private Practice (full caseload)	$110,000 - $160,000+	Net after overhead; assessment + therapy mix; cash-pay common
Telehealth Specialist (Cerebral, BetterHelp Pediatric, etc.)	$70,000 - $100,000	High volume, lower per-hour; often 1099 contractor
Court / Forensic Child Specialist	$100,000 - $140,000	Custody evaluations $5k-$15k each; expert witness fees

Child Psychologist Pay by Experience

Career progression for child psychologists tracks closely with the broader clinical psychology trajectory, with one important difference: the highest senior earners are concentrated in private practice with assessment-heavy mixes, where pediatric specialty commands premium fees from parents seeking psychoeducational evaluations.

Career Stage	Typical Salary Range	Key Details
Entry Level (0-2 years post-license)	$70,000 - $80,000	First licensed position; building child caseload; supervision still active
Mid-Career (3-7 years)	$90,000 - $110,000	Established pediatric niche; insurance panels; possible practice ownership
Senior (8-15 years)	$115,000 - $145,000	Reputation drives referrals; supervision income; possible ABPP-CCP
15+ Years in Private Practice	$150,000 - $200,000+	Custody work, expert witness, premium assessments, parent consultation

Top-Paying States for Child Psychologists

The state ranking below combines BLS state-level OEWS for both SOC 19-3033 and 19-3034. Child specialty pay closely mirrors the broader clinical psychologist ranking: New Jersey and California lead, with Oregon, Rhode Island, and Hawaii close behind. The Washington D.C. metro area shows particularly strong pay because of federal employer concentration and the proximity to NIH research roles.

State / Area	Mean Annual (Clinical Track)	Notes for Child Specialty
New Jersey	$145,000+	NYC metro spillover; strong pediatric hospitals (Hackensack, Rutgers)
California	$128,000+	Coastal metros; Stanford, UCLA, CHLA pediatric programs
Oregon	$124,000+	Portland private practice concentration; OHSU pediatric programs
Rhode Island	$117,000+	Hasbro Children's Hospital; Brown University clinical training
Hawaii	$116,000+	Limited pediatric supply, high COL; Kapiolani Medical Center
Washington D.C. Metro	$115,000+	Children's National Hospital; federal employer mix; NIH research
New York	$114,000+	NYC metro; Mount Sinai, Columbia pediatric programs
Massachusetts	$112,000+	Boston Children's Hospital; Harvard/Tufts pediatric training
Connecticut	$110,000+	Yale-New Haven pediatric mental health; strong school psych pay
Colorado	$113,000+	Children's Hospital Colorado; growing pediatric demand

Subspecialties Within Child Psychology

Child psychology has well-defined subspecialties that meaningfully change earning potential. Pediatric neuropsychology is the highest-paying subspecialty because of the assessment-heavy work and overlap with neurology referrals. Forensic child specialty (custody and child witness work) commands the second-highest fees because of cash-pay forensic work and expert witness rates that can exceed $400 per hour.

Subspecialty	Typical Salary Range	What Drives the Premium
Pediatric Neuropsychology	$115,000 - $150,000	Overlaps with neuropsychology; 2-year postdoc; ABPP-CN possible
Autism / ABA Specialty	$90,000 - $130,000	High demand; insurance reimbursement strong; assessment-heavy
Pediatric Trauma / Child PTSD	$95,000 - $125,000	TF-CBT certification valued; hospital trauma teams; CPS contracts
Adolescent / Teen Specialty	$90,000 - $120,000	Eating disorders, mood, substance use; college transition work
Forensic Child Psychology (custody, child witness)	$110,000 - $150,000	Custody evaluations $5k-$15k flat; expert witness $300-$500/hr

The Child Psychology Training Path

Becoming a child psychologist takes 8 to 12 years post-bachelor's. The route runs through a clinical PhD or PsyD with an explicit child or pediatric specialization, supervised pediatric clinical hours, an APA-accredited internship at a pediatric site, and state licensure. Optional ABPP-CCP board certification adds a credentialing premium for hospital and forensic roles.

Bachelor's Degree (4 years)

Psychology, neuroscience, or related undergraduate degree. Volunteer or research with children's clinics, schools, or developmental labs strengthens doctoral applications.

Doctoral Degree (5-7 years)

Clinical PhD or PsyD with explicit child/pediatric specialization track. Coursework in developmental psychopathology, child assessment, family systems, and pediatric intervention. Practicum placements at children's hospitals, schools, or pediatric outpatient clinics.

Predoctoral Internship (1 year)

APA-accredited 12-month internship at a pediatric site such as Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Boston Children's, Texas Children's, or a major academic medical center. This is the most competitive stage of training.

Postdoctoral Hours (1-2 years)

Supervised clinical hours required by most state licensing boards. For child specialists, this typically means a pediatric postdoc at a hospital, community mental health center, or forensic clinic. Pay during this phase is $55,000 to $70,000.

State Licensure

Pass the EPPP and any state-specific jurisprudence exam. Once licensed, the psychologist can practice independently, bill insurance, and supervise junior clinicians.

ABPP-CCP Board Certification (optional)

American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology certification. Requires written and oral examinations, work samples, and supervised pediatric experience. Adds 10 to 20 percent to typical fees and improves access to hospital staff positions and forensic referrals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do child psychologists make?

Child psychologists earn an estimated median of $96,100 per year if they work as clinical psychologists specializing in pediatric populations (BLS SOC 19-3033, Clinical and Counseling Psychologists). If they work as school-based child psychologists, the median is $84,940 (BLS SOC 19-3034, School Psychologists). Private practice child psychologists with a full caseload typically earn $110,000 to $160,000 or more, while pediatric hospital staff psychologists range from $95,000 to $130,000.

Do school psychologists or clinical child psychologists earn more?

Clinical child psychologists earn more on average. The BLS reports a median of $96,100 for clinical and counseling psychologists (SOC 19-3033) compared with $84,940 for school psychologists (SOC 19-3034). The gap of roughly $11,000 reflects two main factors: clinical settings can bill insurance at higher rates than public school district pay scales, and clinical child psychologists have access to private practice income that school psychologists rarely tap into. School psychologists do, however, get school-calendar benefits, pension systems, and PSLF eligibility that can offset the salary gap over a career.

How much does a private practice child psychologist make?

A child psychologist in established private practice with a full caseload typically grosses $150,000 to $220,000 in revenue and nets $110,000 to $160,000 after overhead. Overhead in child practice runs 30 to 40 percent: office rent, malpractice insurance, billing software, child-friendly assessment tools, and continuing education. Practices that include parent consultation, school consultation, and psychoeducational assessments at $250 to $450 per hour earn at the higher end. Telehealth child specialists tend to earn less, typically $70,000 to $100,000.

What is ABPP-CCP certification?

ABPP-CCP is the American Board of Professional Psychology specialty in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. It is an optional post-licensure board certification that signals advanced expertise in pediatric assessment and treatment. Eligibility requires a doctoral degree, state licensure, supervised pediatric clinical hours, and passage of written and oral examinations. Board-certified child psychologists typically command 10 to 20 percent higher fees in private practice and have stronger access to hospital staff positions, custody evaluation referrals, and insurance panel credentialing.

Is being a child psychologist worth it financially?

Financially, the answer depends on the setting. A clinical child psychologist with a doctoral degree and private practice can comfortably earn $130,000 to $180,000 by mid-career, which is competitive with many medical specialties relative to training cost (especially when funded PhD programs are chosen over PsyD). A school psychologist will likely cap around $95,000 to $110,000 unless they reach district leadership, but they trade salary for stable benefits and time off. Both paths take 8 to 12 years post-bachelor's, so the financial case is stronger for those entering with funded doctoral programs and clear specialty plans.

Where do child psychologists earn the most?

Child psychologists earn the most in New Jersey, California, Oregon, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and the Washington D.C. metro area, where state mean wages for clinical and counseling psychologists exceed $115,000 to $145,000. School psychologists tend to earn highest in California, New York, and Connecticut due to strong public sector pay scales. Within these states, urban areas with academic medical centers (Boston, NYC, Los Angeles, Philadelphia) and major children's hospitals concentrate the highest paying child psychology jobs.

Clinical Psychologist Salary

The parent BLS category for clinical child psychologists

School Psychologist Salary

The other track for school-based child psychologists

Neuropsychologist Salary

Pediatric neuropsychology overlap and earning potential

About the author

Oliver Wakefield-Smith

Founder of Digital Signet, an independent research firm that builds data-led salary and career guides for high-skill professions. PsychologistSalary.com pulls directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024) and is updated when the BLS publishes new datasets.

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