Clinical and counseling psychologists
SOC Code: 19-3033
Clinical and counseling psychologists carries a 27% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $95,830 and +11.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 76,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 27% AI exposure, Clinical and counseling psychologists sits 10 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 22% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
86/100
Clinical and counseling psychologists, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A- $95,830
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +11.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B+ 27% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Clinical and counseling psychologists in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Graduate credential among the thinner entry shelves
Clinical and counseling psychologists is in the Graduate band (113 of 832) with BLS pace Fast growth (67/832). Graduate entry is a minority shelf - pairing it with fast growth growth is the standing that separates this SOC from bachelor-dominated neighbors.
Where Clinical and counseling psychologists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Clinical and counseling psychologists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
27% Among the lowest lower than 78% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Clinical and counseling psychologists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Clinical and counseling psychologists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Clinical and counseling psychologists's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 19-3033) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Clinical and counseling psychologists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Clinical and counseling psychologists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Conduct assessments of patients' risk for harm to self or others.
- 2. Document patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans.
- 3. Identify psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues and diagnose disorders, using information obtained from interviews, tests, records, or reference materials.
- 4. Write reports on clients and maintain required paperwork.
- 5. Counsel individuals, groups, or families to help them understand problems, deal with crisis situations, define goals, and develop realistic action plans.
- 6. Interact with clients to assist them in gaining insight, defining goals, and planning action to achieve effective personal, social, educational, or vocational development and adjustment.
- 7. Collect information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods.
- 8. Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling or treatments and the accuracy and completeness of diagnoses, modifying plans or diagnoses as necessary.
- 9. Use a variety of treatment methods, such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, behavior modification, stress reduction therapy, psychodrama, or play therapy.
- 10. Develop therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients' interests, abilities, or needs.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Service Orientation
- Complex Problem Solving
Knowledge Areas
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Law and Government
- Administration and Management
- Administrative
- Medicine and Dentistry
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Clinical and counseling psychologists?
Clinical and counseling psychologists has an AI exposure score of 27%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Clinical and counseling psychologists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Clinical and counseling psychologists is projected to grow by 11.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 76,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Clinical and counseling psychologists?
Key skills for Clinical and counseling psychologists include Reading Comprehension, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is Doctoral or professional degree.
How much do Clinical and counseling psychologists earn?
The median annual wage for Clinical and counseling psychologists is $95,830, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Clinical and counseling psychologists?
The typical entry-level education for Clinical and counseling psychologists is Doctoral or professional degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Internship/residency. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Clinical and counseling psychologists?
Clinical and counseling psychologists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Clinical and counseling psychologists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (27% here).
- Civil engineers · AI exposure 27%
- Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders · AI exposure 27%
- Concierges · AI exposure 27%
- Dancers · AI exposure 27%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+11.2% here).
- Athletic trainers · growth +11.1%
- Taxi drivers · growth +11.1%
- Community health workers · growth +11.3%
- Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians · growth +11.0%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 30 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Clinical and counseling psychologists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Clinical and counseling psychologists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).