In recent years, San Diego health care professionals and county officials alike are re-prioritizing mental health care as a key concern for city residents.
As the pandemic exposed shortcomings in mental health care infrastructure around the world, San Diego mental health care workers have continued to express a sense that their workplaces are understaffed.
For aspiring psychologists, San Diego offers the combined opportunity of a growing professional landscape and particularly high salaries (keep reading to find out just how much!). Moreover, those interested in pursuing becoming mental health care professionals but concerned about the necessary investment of time and money may find it interesting to learn that a number of meaningful roles in psychology are also available to those with Master’s degrees in the field.
Learn more about the mental health care system in San Diego, with additional insights into job opportunities, average salaries, and educational pathways.
San Diego: A Growing Hub of Industry
Scenic, laid-back San Diego is home to more than 1.3 million people. This coastal Southern Californian city is close to the US-Mexico border, which plays a significant role in the larger landscape: the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which separates San Diego from Tijuana, Mexico, is the fourth-busiest international land border crossing in the world.
San Diego is a warm, sunny city, with a climate often described as “Mediterranean.” Here, thousands of students pursue higher education at renowned universities, ranging from the public (San Diego State University and San Diego Community College) to the private (University of San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene University). Several universities have satellite campuses in San Diego, including Brandman University, National University, and the University of Redlands.
Of all these institutions, however, the one with the largest student body is the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), with well over 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students. As the second-largest employer in the city, UCSD plays a central role in the lives of San Diego residents of all ages.
The other mainstays of the local economy are defense and military, tourism, research and manufacturing, and international trade. Health care also plays a significant role: Kaiser Permanente, Sharp HealthCare, and Scripps Health are also in the top 10 of local employers. As of 2022, these three organizations employed more than 42,000 people in the city of San Diego.
Mental Health Care in San Diego: Opportunities and Challenges
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 psychologists to treat issues like depression.
In San Diego, local health care professionals are no less affected by these resource limitations. Last year, a state investigation into Kaiser Permanente resulted in a $50 million settlement after regulators determined that the health care provider did not have sufficient staffing to meet patient’s mental health care needs.
In the fall of 2024, mental health care workers at Kaiser Permanente institutions in San Diego, Anaheim, Fontana, and Los Angeles went on strike to protest what they saw as continued understaffing.
For aspiring psychologists, this data presents a meaningful opportunity.
As the mental health care infrastructure in San Diego re-prioritizes hiring, San Diego County is partnering with UC San Diego Health to establish a Behavioral Health Care Hub, a mental health care center located at UCSD’s East Campus Medical Center.
The new Behavioral Health Care Hub will have 30 beds accessible for adult patients covered by Medi-Cal insurance. This development is part of an effort to make mental health care more accessible for low-income residents of San Diego: today, many people covered by Medi-Cal face bureaucratic barriers when it comes to mental health treatments.
These combined developments indicate that San Diego county is shifting its focus to providing quality mental health care for all residents, making it a particularly appealing place for those pursuing employment in psychology and related fields.
Do I Need a Doctorate to Become a Psychologist in California?
No! In fact, mental health care professionals can become licensed and practicing psychologists with a Master’s in Psychology.
Unlike a doctorate, which can span the better part of a decade, a Master of Arts or Master of Science in Psychology can be completed in just two to three years.
Learn more about potential jobs for psychologists with Master’s degrees in San Diego below.
Jobs for Psychologists with Terminal Master’s Degrees
After two or three years of study in a Master’s-level psychology program, graduates are equipped to pursue licensure and begin practicing in several different specializations. While it’s true that doctorate-level psychologists have a wider range of options available to them, such as clinical psychology, psychologists with an MA or MS are still eligible for impactful, rewarding positions in a number of fields.
One of the best jobs for psychologists with Master’s degrees in San Diego is in sports psychology.
A number of significant sports teams are proud representatives of San Diego, including the San Diego Padres, a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and, in 2025, San Diego FC, a Major League Soccer team. There are also elite athletes at San Diego universities, a number of which have NCAA Division I sports teams, including the UC San Diego Tritons and the San Diego State Aztecs.
Sports psychologists typically work with athletes – ranging from the professional to the amateur – on topics like performance enhancement through self-esteem building and strengthening concentration; eating disorders and weight management; overtraining and burnout; and dealing with the aftermath of injuries.
Some other, related career options include:
- Forensic psychologist: Forensic psychologists can put their skills to use in a number of ways, from conducting research and publishing studies – i.e., Stephen Ceci’s work focused on children’s memory – to child custody evaluations, treating victims of crimes and those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and evaluating the competence of individuals accused of having committed crimes. Generally speaking, forensic psychologists are required to have doctorate-level degrees in order to practice. However, there are cases in which psychologists with master’s degrees can be practicing forensic psychologists, so long as they are employed under the supervision of a more senior psychologist with a Psy.D or Ph.D.
- School psychologist: In general, school psychologists work with young people in public elementary, middle, and high schools. One of the key services provided by school psychologists is within special education, where these trained professionals provide vital support for students with special needs. Additionally, school psychologists may be called in to conduct psychological evaluations of students, which can include administering tests, to determine which services may be of use to students who are struggling in school. School psychologists are a vital part of the colorful ecosystem of American public education, often working in close collaboration with school administrators, educators, and parents.
What Jobs Are Only Available to Psychologists with Doctorate Degrees?
Because of this breadth of meaningful, interesting opportunities for psychologists with terminal Master’s degrees, it may seem as though just about every job in this field can be done without a doctorate degree.
Unfortunately, that isn’t the case: a number of roles in psychology require Psy.Ds or Phds, including:
- Clinical psychologist
- Child psychologist
- Some roles in forensic psychology
- Educational psychologist
What Are the Best Master’s in Psychology Programs in San Diego?
Both the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and San Diego State University (SDSU) offer Master’s programs in Psychology.
When it comes to finding the “best” program, the answers become rather subjective. For prospective students who want to pursue a research-based, quantitative Master of Science (MS) degree, SDSU offers an MS program that combines classroom education with lab work, and culminates in a research thesis. UCSD, by contrast, does not offer an MS program.
Simultaneously, the University of California, San Diego offers prestige that may be appealing to some applicants. UCSD is home to a renowned medical school, which could prove to be an invaluable resource for psychologists in training.
Another factor to consider when choosing a Master’s program in psychology is cost. Different universities have different financial aid and scholarship options available for applicants, and tuition costs can be high. As such, it’s important to thoroughly research the various pathways to funding for which you may or may not be eligible.
How Much Do Psychologists Make in San Diego?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2023, psychologists in San Diego generally earn six figures annually. At minimum, psychologists earn an average salary of $103,330 (school psychologists). On the high end, the average clinical and counseling psychologist earns $146,760 per year.
This is significantly more than what the average worker in San Diego earns. The same study found that, across all occupations, employed people in this Southern California city had an average annual salary of $76,010.
Across the board, psychologists in California are better paid than their counterparts in almost every state (except for Oregon). Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, there are more psychologists in California than in any other state.
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.