Interested in becoming a psychologist in Southern California?
This lucrative and deeply rewarding field is in need of additional qualified workers. With less than 5,000 qualified school, clinical, and counseling psychologists across the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metropolitan region, millions of people in this sunny city stand to benefit from additional resources and support.
Learn more about the path toward becoming a psychologist in LA, including popular specializations, local universities, degree requirements, licensure, and much more.
Welcome to The City of Angels
According to LA County officials, sunny and sprawling Los Angeles, California “has the largest population of any county in the nation.” LA County is home to some 10.4 million people across 88 cities.
The city of Los Angeles itself – also known as “The City of Angels” – is perhaps best known for the glitzy and glamorous entertainment industry, but is also home base for millions of people who are unaffiliated with what residents call “the industry,” finding work in other major sectors of the local economy like technology, manufacturing, finance, tourism, and health services.
LA also has several renowned universities, such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Loyola Marymount University (LMU), Pepperdine University, and the University of Southern California (USC), all of which offer Master’s in Psychology programs.
Psychologists in California: An Overview of the Landscape
Psychologists in California are in high demand, to the extent that current statistics indicate residents’ needs vastly overwhelming the limited, existing, and accredited mental health professionals in the near future.
In 2018 – prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that would dramatically exacerbate mental health concerns for people around the world – the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) published a report estimating that demand for mental health services would overwhelm California’s available therapeutic and psychiatric workforce by a whopping 41%.
Despite the fact that the number of mental health professionals in California grew by 20% between 2016 and 2020, the field remains in dire need of additional workers.
After New York, Los Angeles is home to more psychologists than any other city in the nation – but that number remains significantly smaller than one might think.
In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metropolitan area, just 4,920 people were actively working as professional clinical, counseling, and school psychologists in 2023. In a county with almost 11 million residents, it’s not hard to see why qualified psychologists would be in extremely high demand.
A Profession with Many Possibilities: Jobs for Psychologists in LA
As a professional field, psychology offers a wide range of specializations, ranging from child psychology to school, sports, and clinical settings. Typically, these specializations require specific certifications and/or credentials.
Below, we offer an overview of some of the more popular specializations for psychologists, though many more – such as neuropsychology and forensic psychology – are also popular tracks for aspiring mental health professionals.
- Child psychology: Between birth and adolescence, young people rapidly develop emotionally, mentally, socially, and physically. Child psychologists are specially trained to treat emotional challenges, behavioral issues, and developmental challenges faced by young people. Within this sensitive role, child psychologists often collaborate with parents, schools, and healthcare providers to provide holistic and quality care to young people navigating their maturation.
- Clinical psychology: When imagining a psychologist or work in psychology, it’s possible that a clinical psychologist is what comes to mind. In this field, psychologists work with patients to diagnose and treat mental health disorders, ranging from common afflictions like anxiety and depression to conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. These mental health professionals are ready to help patients struggling across the spectrum of mental health challenges, from the mild to the severe. Powered by practices like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), clinical psychologists often work in settings like hospitals and private practices.
- Sports psychology: Another possible specialization for mental health professionals seeking to become psychologists is within the field of sports psychology. In this role, psychologists work with patients to manage stress and improve their performance through techniques like visualization, motivation, relaxation, and goal-setting. Sports psychologists are also vital resources for injured athletes who may be struggling to cope. Though it may seem like these mental health workers would be primarily employed by major sports teams like the Dodgers or the Lakers – and this is certainly one avenue where sports psychologists find work – sports psychologists actually work with athletes at all levels, including amateur athletes.
How Does One Become a Psychologist in Los Angeles?
Generally speaking, becoming a psychologist requires extensive education, a professional license, and work experience in the form of an internship or residency.
First, it’s essential to get a Bachelor’s degree. While many may get undergraduate-level degrees in psychology, it’s also common for adults to decide that they’d like to pursue this path later in life. Down the line, it’s necessary to have a Bachelor’s degree, but it’s absolutely possible to apply for advanced degrees in psychology without having studied the subject specifically as an undergrad.
Some programs may require that students complete coursework in related fields, like sociology or biology, before applying. In the event that an applicant has not taken such classes during their undergraduate studies, it’s possible that they will be asked to take prerequisite courses before applying to the program of their choice.
Next, aspiring psychologists return to school for advanced degrees. In some fields, like forensic psychology, school psychology, and marriage and family therapy, psychologists are able to practice professionally with a Master’s degree.
In other fields, like clinical psychology, aspiring professionals typically have to pursue a Doctoral degree in order to begin working with patients. These degrees are either research-focused, leading students to graduate with a Ph.D., or practice-focused, a path that allows students to graduate with a Psy.D.
No matter which path students take, they’ll then have to complete an internship or residency. This period of time is crucial for aspiring psychologists to shadow experienced professionals, develop work experience, and build confidence in their ability to bring all that they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world situations. According to the California Board of Psychology, qualified psychologists in the state need to have completed 3,000 hours of supervised residency, fieldwork, or internship experience. 1,500 of those hours must have been completed after graduating from an advanced degree program.
The next step is licensure. It’s important to know that the process for licensure varies from state to state. In California, the process is managed by the California Board of Psychology. According to this government organization, there are two exams necessary for aspiring psychologists to pass in order to request an initial license. The first exam is the EPPP, which can be taken after completing 1,500 hours of supervised professional experience or upon completion of an advanced degree program. The second exam is the CPLEE, which verifies an applicant’s completion of 3,000 hours of supervised fieldwork. Applicants must pass the EPPP in order to take the CPLEE exam.
Master’s in Psychology Programs
Though some fields in psychology require a doctoral degree, a Master’s in Psychology is not only a valid pathway to attaining certification and being able to practice, but is also a specifically attractive option for a few reasons.
First, a Master’s in Psychology takes two to three years to complete, making it both more expedient and often more cost-effective than Doctoral programs, which can be up to seven years long – before even completing internship experience!
Second, some aspiring mental health workers may be seeking to enter specific fields, like school psychology or industrial-organizational psychology, that don’t need professionals to have doctoral degrees to practice.
Homelessness and Mental Health in Los Angeles
Los Angeles County faces one of the largest homeless populations in the nation, with over 75,000 people living on the streets or in shelters as of the most recent count. The intersection of homelessness and mental health is undeniable, with a significant portion of the homeless population suffering from mental health issues such as depression, PTSD, substance use disorders, and untreated trauma.
Psychologists in LA are essential in providing care to this vulnerable group, offering therapy and mental health support in shelters, outreach programs, and through collaborations with organizations like LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority). Many psychologists working in this field specialize in trauma-informed care, working to build trust with individuals who may have experienced long-term neglect or abuse. Given the complexity of homelessness, psychologists can also help to coordinate care with social workers and healthcare providers to address the multifaceted needs of this population, from securing housing to managing mental health symptoms.
The ongoing mental health crisis within the homeless community presents a unique opportunity for psychologists to make a profound difference in the lives of some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
How Much Do Psychologists Earn in Los Angeles?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, practicing clinical, counseling, and school psychologists in California are the second-highest-paid in their field across the whole country, closely following the state of Oregon.
In 2023, the average psychologist in California earned $111,750 annually (compared to $112,010 for Oregon-based psychologists).
That salary is actually higher for psychologists based in LA, who typically earn around $117,140 per year.
2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2024.