Who makes more money? A psychologist or therapist/psychiatrist?

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	Who makes more money? A psychologist or therapist/psychiatrist? By Sandra Moscicki Asked Mar 11 2007 3:02PM	12 Pts Rate Question

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Top Answer out of 7

by branciforte3241 on Mar 11, 2007 at 3:06 pm Permalink

Generally a psychiatrist will make the most money, as they have a medical degree and can write perscriptions. But the money really depends more on how good you are and how long you have been practicing.

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Answer 2 out of 7

by Anonymous on Mar 11, 2007 at 3:04 pm Permalink

It depends on:

-Where they live
-How much they charge per hour
-How many hours a week they work
-If they are a Medicare provider

Generally, a psychiatrist can charge more and make more. They also do hospital calls and rounds, which they get paid for as well.

A "therapist" can be an MSW, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or other branches of mental health counseling. So it is a general term.

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science_geek has left the building Mar, 11 2007 at 03:05 PM

Great answer, pretty much what I was about to say. +3

Sandra Moscicki Mar, 11 2007 at 03:08 PM

I thought a psychiatrist and therapist were the same? & I thought the psychologist has the medical degree? Am i wrong? So what does each do?

Anonymous Mar, 11 2007 at 03:10 PM

Yes, a psychiatrist has an MD or DO degree, but anyone doing mental health counseling can call themselves a "therapist." It is a generic term. A psychologist has a PhD degree only, and cannot prescribe medications.

Answer 3 out of 7

by idne on Mar 11, 2007 at 3:09 pm Permalink

Psychiatrist make more because they have a medical degree. If they handle "pain management" then they make a killing.

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Answer 4 out of 7

by Patti jo on Mar 11, 2007 at 3:07 pm Permalink

The Psychiatrist -- They can order medicine a Psychologist can not

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Answer 5 out of 7

by kaykay on Mar 11, 2007 at 3:09 pm Permalink

Psychiatrists make more, but your job will be mostly diagnosing mental illness. Also keep in mind that becoming a psychiatrist requires med school, as well as residency training.

Psychologists/therapists make good money too, especially if you can build up a good reputation. Psychologists/therapists are the ones who typically do counseling and help patients with their everyday problems, which can include depression, eating disorders...you name it. You don't need med school to become a psychologist - just graduate study in psychology.

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kaykay Mar, 14 2007 at 04:43 PM

I'm glad I could help. The ony school in your specific area that offers criminal psychology at the bachelor level is John Jay. But what most people do is major in general psychology as a bachelor, then wait until grad school to specialize. Some nearby options for general psychology include: Canisius College, Drew University, Eugene Lang, Hofstra University, Hunter College, Manhattan College, Rutgers, St. John's University, and Wagner College.

kaykay Mar, 14 2007 at 04:47 PM

Or, if you're aiming for high selectivity, try these: Fordham, Sarah Lawrence, Skidmore, The College of New Jersey, Barnard, or NYU.

Sandra Moscicki Apr, 05 2007 at 05:44 PM

Now I have another question, say I was interested in attending John Jay would I need to attend another college first and than apply to John Jay or go to John Jay straight out of high school?
And to be a psychologist your saying anywhere from 6-8 years?

Answer 6 out of 7

by Rain13 on Feb 26, 2009 at 6:57 pm Permalink

Except for some extraordinary exceptions, Psychiatrists make significantly more money than Psychologists. These are the average salaries of the two professions where I live:

Psychologist: $90,000
Psychiatrist: $200,000

Both of these figures are significantly higher than the national average as I live in Boston which is sort of a hub for the health professions, but you'll find that Psychiatrists will be making approximately double what Psychologists make in most other areas as well. This is mainly due to the fact that Psychiatrists are able to bill more due to their ability to prescribe medication and their more prestigious, though perhaps not much more rigorous, training.

Therapist is not a legally regulated term and can be used to describe any mental health professional who provides therapy to clients including Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Clinical Social Workers, people with Masters degrees in Counseling, etc.

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Answer 7 out of 7

by NYC Therapist on Feb 3, 2009 at 4:44 pm Permalink

I am a psychotherapist in NYC. I graduated with my MSW (Masters in Social work) from NYU and now have my PhD in social work. In 2008, I made 102k. When the term therapist is used, it is often used to refer to social workers with extensive clinical experience. It is not necessary to get a degree in psychology of psychiatry to be a therapist. LCSW Social workers are also excellent clinicians and are usually on the front lines at hospitals and other mental health facilities.