Biochemists and Biophysicists vs Clinical and Counseling Psychologists: $127K vs $101K Median Pay

Biochemists and Biophysicists vs Clinical and Counseling Psychologists: what changes?

Consider Biochemists and Biophysicists if you want to study the chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, and related phenomena. Consider Clinical and Counseling Psychologists if you would rather assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Both list doctoral or professional degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Biochemists and Biophysicists and Clinical and Counseling Psychologists. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Biochemists and Biophysicists

National median pay (2025): $127,410
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,900

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Biochemists and Biophysicists brief

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

National median pay (2025): $100,580
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree; Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements.
Work to investigate: Conduct assessments of patients' risk for harm to self or others.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 4,100

Know before you choose

Training continues through internship/residency after the degree path.

See the full Clinical and Counseling Psychologists brief

How the national numbers differ

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists has the edge on annual openings

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists is at 4,100 annual openings, compared with 2,900 annual openings for Biochemists and Biophysicists.

Biochemists and Biophysicists has the edge on median pay

Biochemists and Biophysicists is at $127,410, compared with $100,580 for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists.

Biochemists and Biophysicists has the edge on projected growth

Biochemists and Biophysicists is at 12.3% projected growth, compared with 11.7% projected growth for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists.

64.4/ 100

Biochemists and Biophysicists

64.2/ 100

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Biochemists and Biophysicists vs Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Dimension	Biochemists and Biophysicists	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
Median pay (2025)	$127,410	$100,580
Pay percentile	91.3 percentile	83.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	12.3%	11.7%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,900	4,100
2025 employment	35,200	81,300
How you qualify	Doctoral or professional degree	Doctoral or professional degree; Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Biochemists and Biophysicists brief Read Clinical and Counseling Psychologists brief

Biochemists and Biophysicists vs Clinical and Counseling Psychologists: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Biochemists and Biophysicists

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

How the national numbers differ

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists has the edge on annual openings

Biochemists and Biophysicists has the edge on median pay

Biochemists and Biophysicists has the edge on projected growth

Biochemists and Biophysicists vs Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

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