The role of a Psychologist in the UK is both rewarding and respected. As mental health awareness continues to grow across society, the demand for skilled psychologists remains strong. From established therapy practices in London to mental health initiatives in cities like Manchester and Edinburgh, organizations are eager to recruit experienced professionals, offering competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits.
Psychologist salary
Base pay £27K – £48K/yr
£36K/yr average base pay
The estimated total pay for a Psychologist is £38,556 per year, with an average salary of £36,073 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is £2,483 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing.
What do Psychologist earn
How much does a Psychologist make in United Kingdom?
£44,372/yr
Highest paying cities for Psychologist near United Kingdom
- York
£53,072 per year103 salaries reported - Leeds
£50,646 per year119 salaries reported - London
£46,199 per year470 salaries reported - Birmingham
£45,738 per year208 salaries reported - Bristol
£45,522 per year141 salaries reported - Manchester
£45,055 per year124 salaries reported - Coventry
£40,860 per year53 salaries reported - Norwich
£35,861 per year102 salaries reported - Liverpool
£35,073 per year126 salaries reported
What’s on Quora?
What is the salary of a clinical psychologist under NHS in the UK? Google says 100k and the HNS website says 50k tops. Which one is true?
Hi, I would suggest that you refine or redefine the question. The NHS has a number of salary scales ranging from (in some cases) people still in training grades, to the starting salaries for newly professionally qualified, through promotion grades to the highest grade.
“What is the highest salary achievable for clinical psychologists in the NHS?”
“What is the average final salary at retirement for clinical psychologists?”
“What is the mid-point salary across all the grades of clinical psychologists in the NHS?”
If you look for a single salary from a website they might quote the average salary across all the grades or they might (if you are asking about the highest salary people can expect to achieve in their career) exclude the highest grade salary range. Not everyone becomes the manager of an entire clinical psychology department or is regarded as a national expert in a particular area of therapy or knowledge.
I can’t tell you the answer to your question, without looking it up, as I left the NHS more than 20 years ago. The 2022 salary scales might increase in 2023 or 2024 or whenever.
When I became a trainee clinical psychologist after my Bachelor degree in 1970 my annual salary was 1000 pounds. Nowadays I expect it to be in the region of 27 or 28k for clinicians in training. I rose through the grades and promotions to be in the Top Grade to have a salary of 58k in 2002. I expect that, if I were still working in the NHS, I would be earning close to 100k.
As above, it is a significant minority of clinical psychologist that are promoted to Top Grade so 100k is a possible top salary but the majority will never reach that salary.
Top Answer
I’ll make it short and simple. I’ve been a psychologist for over 30 years and was a clinical social worker for 14 years prior, so I’ve been practicing therapy for 44 years. I love what I do. Do you want to know what a psychologist does in two basic actions? I ask questions and I listen. In other words I have conversations with people about their lives, their situation, and their feelings. I am genuinely curious. I like to say that I am a “professional listener.” I listen for a living. How easy is that! In my view that is what is essentially helpful to clients. They come into a space where they feel heard and “gotten” and then everything else is up to them.
Some people ask, “how can you stand listening to people’s problems all day?” Easy peazy. One thing I don’t do which lands many therapists in burnout and that is I don’t try to fix people nor do I view anyone as “something wrong” with them. I validate their experience and I recognize each as a unique human being who is searching and finding their own way in this human journey.
There was a point in my profession where I assumed responsibility for “solving the client’s problems” and that’s when I experienced unhappiness in my work. I am not responsible for solving anyone’s problems only because I know that that is impossible. The client has it within themselves to solve their own problems for which they are 100% responsible. When they feel heard and validated, problems clear up just in the process of life itself. All I have to do is show up and be present.
