A psychologist’s salary in Australia can be a vary based on the qualifications, experience, and location of the job with a median salary of AU$73,854 per year. Salaries will vary depending on the type of position, industry, and experience of the candidate. Universities in Australia recruit students for different disciplines that are relevant to psychology such as educational psychology, clinical psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, etc.
INTRODUCTION
If you are thinking of becoming a psychologist in Australia, it’s important you are aware what the average salary is. The pay differs across positions, so we’ll breakdown the most common types of psychologist, before looking at how much on average these positions earn:
A person working as a Clinical Psychologist in Australia typically earns around 287,000 AUD per year. Salaries range from 155,000 AUD (lowest) to 433,000 AUD (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Clinical Psychologist salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
- Salary RangeClinical Psychologist salaries in Australia range from 155,000 AUD per year (minimum salary) to 433,000 AUD per year (maximum salary).
- Median SalaryThe median salary is 264,000 AUD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Clinical Psychologist(s) are earning less than 264,000 AUD while the other half are earning more than 264,000 AUD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
- PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Clinical Psychologist(s) are earning less than 188,000 AUD while 75% of them are earning more than 188,000 AUD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Clinical Psychologist(s) are earning less than 321,000 AUD while 25% are earning more than 321,000 AUD.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
An Entry Level Psychologist with less than three years of experience can expect to earn an average compensation of AU$43,300 per year. A mid career Psychologist with 4-9 years of experience earns an average compensation of about AU$94,300, while a Senior Psychologist with 10-20 years of experience makes on average AU$116,100. Psychologists with more than 20 years of experience earn AU$131,200 per year on average.
Psychologist – Average Salary
The average salary for a Psychologist is AU$98,400 per year (AU$47.60 per hour), which is AU$30,540 (+45%) higher than the national average salary in Australia.
A Psychologist can expect an average starting salary of AU$43,300. The highest salaries can exceed AU$160,000.
CONCLUSION
I’ve been in the business of psychology for over 10 years now, and I can tell you that the salary is much more than what has been mentioned here. Find out how much a psychologist goes for in your country, before deciding if you really want to pursue a career like this.
