Child Psychology Career Overview
Child psychologists focus on the mental health and behavior of children and adolescents as they grow up. The psychological characteristics and experiences of children are different than those of adults, and psychologists in this area need to be well versed in the developmental characteristics pertaining specifically to this younger age group.
Child psychologists overlap in their careers with clinical and developmental psychologists, as child psychology is seen as a more specialized field within these areas. Such psychologists learn how to counsel, evaluate, diagnose, and treat children. They help them with issues like emotional health, mental disorders, issues with their family or school, learning disabilities, cognitive impairment, or abuse.
Child psychologists work in schools, clinics, offices, and hospitals, among other places. They can be involved with research, education, politics, government, mental health work, advocacy, child services, social work, medicine, and more.
They may work as therapists, advise governmental organizations about child-related policy, develop new tools for child evaluation, or conduct research about adolescent mental health and wellbeing.
In order to excel in this career, you need to be caring, driven, sensitive, and hard working. You also need to have strong written and oral communication skills, and be talented at conducting research and evaluations. Above all, you need to be passionate about improving the lives of children, and interact naturally with them in a caring, nurturing way.
Requirements: Students can earn a bachelor's degree in Child Psychology. Advanced degrees at the master's and doctorate level are usually undertaken in a more general area of psychology, with child psychology as a specialty. A doctorate degree, plus licensure and certification, is necessary to practice as a clinical child psychologist.
Salary: Salaries vary widely based on location and experience level, from $37,900 to $106,840, in 2008. Child psychologists earn the most when employed in private practices; government, social work, and public school jobs usually pay less. The median annual wage in 2008 was $64,140 for psychologists.
Job Outlook: Job prospects for people in this field are favorable, as our society is beginning to recognize how crucial it is to foster mental health early in children, so that they can mature into well-balanced members of society.
Article Resources:
Hunter College, The City University of New York
University of Minnesota
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics