Free clinical psychologist job description templates for clinics, private practice, and hospitals, with licensure and HIPAA guidance. Download as DOCX.
6 free templates for clinics, private practice, hospitals, and assessment roles, each with the doctoral licensure, HIPAA, and FLSA guidance the generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
A clinical psychologist assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Hiring one well is a high-stakes task for a small practice, because the role requires a doctoral degree and a state license, handles especially sensitive records, and is an expensive, infrequent hire. The credentialing, the HIPAA obligations, and the FLSA classification are exactly the points generic templates skip.
These six templates cover the role across its settings: a standard baseline, outpatient or clinic, private practice or small group, child and adolescent, hospital or inpatient, and a neuropsychology or assessment version. Each is ready to use, with the licensure, HIPAA, and FLSA guidance the generic templates leave out. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
TL;DR
A clinical psychologist assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental and behavioral disorders, and is distinguished by a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) and a state license earned through supervised hours and the EPPP. The closest federal category, clinical and counseling psychologists, reports a median of $96,100 a year, with demand growing faster than average. The big compliance points are doctoral licensure, HIPAA, and an FLSA classification that depends on duties. Download six templates as DOCX, by setting.
What a Clinical Psychologist Does
A clinical psychologist helps people with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders by assessing, diagnosing, and treating them. The work is doctoral-level and licensed: psychological assessment and testing, diagnosis, evidence-based treatment, report writing, and coordination with physicians and other providers, all under HIPAA and professional ethics.
The closest federal occupation is psychologists, and within it the specific category of clinical and counseling psychologists (19-3033). What sets the role apart from a master's-level therapist is the doctorate, the license to practice psychology, and the depth of training in psychological testing. Because the title spans several settings, the templates here are organized by where and how you are hiring.
Clinical Psychologist Settings and Specialties
Clinical psychologist work looks different across settings, even though the core license and training are the same. Getting the setting right keeps your posting accurate and attracts candidates who fit the actual role.
Setting
Focus
Notes
Standard
Assessment, diagnosis, treatment
The flexible baseline
Outpatient / clinic
Caseload of therapy and testing
EHR and billing heavy
Private practice
Caseload, telehealth, fee split
Small team, credentialing
Child & adolescent
Kids, teens, families
Schools, mandated reporting
Hospital / inpatient
Risk, acute, interdisciplinary
Facility credentialing
Neuropsychology / assessment
Testing and reports
Test batteries, board cert
The standard, outpatient, and private practice versions cover most general clinical roles; child and adolescent, hospital, and neuropsychology add specialty demands. Note that counseling, school, and forensic psychologists are related but distinct roles with their own SERPs and requirements. Match the template to your setting.
Duties and Responsibilities
Clinical psychologist duties cluster into four areas: assessment and diagnosis, treatment and therapy, reports and coordination, and ethics and compliance. A strong job description picks the specific responsibilities that match your setting, rather than listing every possible task.
Assessment and diagnosis
Conduct psychological assessments
Administer and interpret testing
Diagnose mental and behavioral disorders
Treatment and therapy
Develop evidence-based treatment plans
Deliver individual, family, or group therapy
Track progress and adjust treatment
Reports and coordination
Write clinical and assessment reports
Keep timely, accurate documentation
Coordinate care with other providers
Ethics and compliance
Protect client privacy under HIPAA
Follow ethical and licensing rules
Maintain license and continuing education
An assessment-focused role weights toward testing and reports; an outpatient role toward therapy caseload. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by setting. The core structure is the same across all six, but each emphasizes the duties and framing that fit a specific kind of clinical psychologist role. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
Standard
The flagship version
The baseline for any practice: assess, diagnose, and treat, with testing and reports. The starting point to adapt to your setting.
Outpatient / Clinic
Caseload and EHR
For an outpatient clinic: a steady caseload of assessment and therapy clients, testing as needed, and timely EHR documentation.
Private Practice
The small-practice version
The differentiator: caseload, telehealth, fee-split or per-session pay, and insurance credentialing for a solo or small group practice.
Child & Adolescent
Kids, teens, families
For pediatric mental health: developmentally appropriate assessment and therapy, school and parent collaboration, and mandated reporting.
Hospital / Inpatient
Acute, interdisciplinary
For a hospital or inpatient unit: risk assessment, acute intervention, interdisciplinary care, and facility credentialing.
Neuropsychology / Assessment
Testing-focused
For a testing role: comprehensive psychological or neuropsychological evaluation, test batteries, and detailed integrated reports.
Match the Template to the Setting
Unsure or flexible: Standard. A busy outpatient clinic: Outpatient / Clinic. A solo or small group practice: Private Practice. Children and teens: Child & Adolescent. A hospital or inpatient unit: Hospital / Inpatient. A testing-focused role: Neuropsychology / Assessment. When unsure, the Standard version is the baseline to adapt, but always name the doctoral and license requirement.
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: practice and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications with the doctoral license, and how to apply, with an EEO statement and the HIPAA and licensure points built in. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
Standard, outpatient, private practice, child and adolescent, hospital, and assessment. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Standard (Flagship)
The baseline for any practice: assess, diagnose, and treat, with testing and reports. The starting point to adapt to your setting.
FLSA status: [ ] Exempt [ ] Non-exempt (confirm by duties and pay)
Compensation: $_____ per year
JOB SUMMARY
[Practice Name] is hiring a Clinical Neuropsychologist or Assessment
Psychologist focused on psychological and neuropsychological testing. You will
conduct comprehensive evaluations, interpret test batteries, write detailed
reports, and provide feedback, while following HIPAA and clinical standards.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Conduct comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations
•Select, administer, score, and interpret test batteries
•Write detailed, integrated assessment reports
•Provide feedback to clients, families, and referrers
•Diagnose and recommend treatment or accommodations
•Coordinate with physicians, schools, or attorneys as needed
•Maintain accurate testing and clinical documentation
•Follow ethical, legal, and HIPAA requirements
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) and active state license
•Training in psychological or neuropsychological assessment
•Experience with standardized test batteries
•Strong report-writing and interpretation skills
•Detail-oriented and methodical
PREFERRED
•Board certification or fellowship in neuropsychology
•Specialty in pediatric, forensic, or geriatric assessment
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ per year
To apply, send your CV and license information to __.
[Practice Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Licensure, HIPAA, and FLSA
This is the part the generic templates skip, and it is the part that protects a practice: the doctoral degree and license that define the role, the HIPAA obligations a psychologist carries, the FLSA classification that turns on duties, and the credentialing and EHR setup a billing practice needs. Get these right and your posting is both compliant and credible to a doctoral-level candidate.
Doctoral degree and license define the role
A clinical psychologist needs a doctoral degree, a Ph.D. or Psy.D., plus a state license to practice psychology, which in every state requires supervised hours and passing the EPPP, the national licensing exam, often with a state jurisprudence exam too. This is the single most important set of lines in the posting, and it is what separates a psychologist from a master's-level therapist or counselor. State the doctoral and license requirement clearly, and verify the active license at hire. Tracking license renewal and continuing education is a real, ongoing onboarding obligation. This is general information, not legal advice.
HIPAA and especially sensitive records
Clinical psychologists handle protected health information and especially sensitive records, including testing data and psychotherapy notes, which carry extra protection under HIPAA. The safe approach is HIPAA privacy training and a signed confidentiality agreement before the new hire accesses any client information. A small private practice carries the same HIPAA obligations as a large hospital, so build the training and signed acknowledgment into onboarding rather than treating it as paperwork. For child and adolescent roles, plan for background checks and mandated-reporter training as well. This is general information, not legal advice.
FLSA: usually exempt, but confirm by duties
A licensed clinical psychologist is generally a learned professional and is commonly classified as salaried exempt, since the work requires advanced knowledge and consistent professional judgment. However, classification still turns on the actual duties and pay basis, not the title, and per-session, hourly, or postdoctoral staff may be non-exempt and owed overtime over 40 hours in a workweek. Do not assume every clinical role is exempt without checking the duties tests and pay. When the answer is unclear, classify as non-exempt and track hours. This is general information, not legal advice.
Credentialing and EHR for billing practices
If your practice bills insurance, a new psychologist usually must be credentialed with each payer before you can bill for their services, a process that can take weeks to months, so start it at offer, not after the first client. The role also runs on an EHR or testing platform for notes, scheduling, and assessment, and accurate, timely documentation is both a clinical and a billing requirement. Name the EHR and the credentialing expectation in the posting, and build both into onboarding so a new hire can start seeing billable clients sooner. This is general information, not legal advice.
Doctorate Required, Demand Growing
Independent practice as a psychologist requires a doctoral degree and a state license in every U.S. state, earned through supervised hours and the EPPP. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects overall psychologist employment to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, with clinical and counseling psychologists specifically projected to grow about 11 percent, faster than average. This is general information, not legal advice.
For more on the classification question that applies to clinical staff, the exempt versus non-exempt guide explains the learned-professional and duties tests, and the Fair Labor Standards Act overview covers the overtime rules for non-exempt clinicians.
Skills and Requirements
Clinical psychologists are hired on doctoral training, license, and fit with your setting and client population. Scale the requirements to the specialty.
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Clinical Psychologist Pay
Clinical psychologist pay is high relative to many roles, reflecting the doctoral requirement, and varies by setting and region. Set your range using government data as a baseline, then adjust for your specialty and market.
Median $96,100 (BLS, Clinical and Counseling)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $96,100 for clinical and counseling psychologists, the category that includes clinical psychologists, with the broader psychologist group at a median of $94,310 in May 2024, ranging from about $54,860 at the 10th percentile to $157,330 at the 90th. Private practice and neuropsychology tend to pay above the median.
Because pay varies widely by setting, from community mental health to private practice and specialty assessment, benchmark to your specific setting rather than a blended figure, and state the structure clearly in the posting.
Hiring for a Small Practice
A large hospital or health system hires psychologists through a recruiting and credentialing team. A private practice, counseling center, or small clinic does not. The owner, often a practicing psychologist, writes the posting, screens applicants, verifies the license, and onboards the new hire directly. Because a clinical psychologist is an expensive, high-stakes, and infrequent hire, getting it right matters even more for a small practice.
Same Clinical Rules, Smaller Team
A small practice carries the same licensure, HIPAA, and credentialing obligations as a large hospital, just handled by fewer people, so a clean, repeatable hiring and onboarding process is worth setting up once. That is where FirstHR fits: e-signature for the offer letter and confidentiality agreement, HIPAA training as a required onboarding step before client access, document management to store and track the doctoral license and continuing education with renewal reminders, and task workflows for license verification and insurance credentialing. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an EHR, testing, billing, or payroll system, so pair it with those providers. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and a clinical, HIPAA-aware onboarding. Because a psychologist handles sensitive records and needs license verification and insurance credentialing, getting the agreements, credentials, and records right from day one matters.
Send the offer and agreements
Confirm pay, classification, and schedule in writing, with an offer letter and confidentiality agreement the new psychologist can e-sign.
Verify license and start credentialing
Confirm the active doctoral license and EPPP, and start insurance credentialing right away if your practice bills payers.
Train on HIPAA and the EHR
Provide HIPAA privacy training before any client access, plus onboarding on your EHR, testing platform, and documentation workflow.
Track licenses and renewals
Store the signed offer, license, and HIPAA acknowledgment, and set reminders so license renewal and continuing education never lapse.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, confidentiality e-signature, HIPAA training, the onboarding workflow, and document management for licenses and credentialing in one place so a small practice can manage the full process from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an EHR, testing, billing, or payroll tool, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A clinical psychologist assesses, diagnoses, and treats disorders, distinguished from a therapist by a doctorate and psychology license.
Use the template that matches the setting; the standard version is the flexible baseline, but always name the doctoral license.
The closest federal category, clinical and counseling psychologists, reports a median of $96,100 a year, May 2024.
A doctoral degree, state license, and EPPP define the role; verify the license at hire and provide HIPAA training before client access.
FLSA classification turns on duties, not title; licensed psychologists are usually exempt, but per-session and hourly staff may not be.
For billing practices, insurance credentialing and an EHR belong in onboarding so a new psychologist can see billable clients sooner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a clinical psychologist do?
A clinical psychologist assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Day to day that means conducting psychological assessments and diagnostic evaluations, administering and interpreting tests, developing evidence-based treatment plans, delivering individual, family, or group therapy, writing clinical reports, and coordinating care with physicians and other providers. The exact mix depends on the setting: an outpatient clinician carries a therapy and assessment caseload, a neuropsychologist focuses on testing and detailed reports, and a hospital psychologist does risk assessment and acute intervention on a unit. Across settings, the role is doctoral-level, licensed, and bound by HIPAA and professional ethics. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a clinical psychologist and a therapist or psychiatrist?
The differences are training, scope, and prescribing. A clinical psychologist holds a doctoral degree, a Ph.D. or Psy.D., is licensed to practice psychology, and is specially trained in psychological assessment and testing as well as therapy. A therapist or counselor is usually a master's-level licensed clinician, such as an LPC, LCSW, or LMFT, who provides therapy but typically does not do the same depth of psychological testing. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe medication, which psychologists generally cannot. For hiring, the practical point is that a clinical psychologist role requires a doctorate and a psychology license, which is a smaller and more specialized candidate pool than a master's-level therapist role. This is general information, not legal advice.
What qualifications and license does a clinical psychologist need?
In every U.S. state, independent practice as a psychologist requires a doctoral degree, a Ph.D. or Psy.D., supervised clinical hours, and passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, known as the EPPP, often plus a state jurisprudence exam. The doctoral path typically takes five to seven years after a bachelor's degree, which is why the candidate pool is smaller and the hire is higher-stakes than for a master's-level clinician. Licenses must be renewed with continuing education. For a posting, state the doctoral degree and active state license clearly, name any specialty or board certification you prefer, and plan to verify the license at hire. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a clinical psychologist exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A licensed clinical psychologist is generally treated as a learned professional and is commonly classified as salaried exempt, because the work requires advanced knowledge acquired through prolonged specialized study and consistent professional judgment. That said, classification still depends on the actual duties and pay basis rather than the title alone. Per-session contractors, hourly staff, and some postdoctoral or unlicensed roles may be non-exempt and entitled to overtime at one and a half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. The safe approach is to evaluate each role against the FLSA duties and salary tests, and when the answer is unclear, classify as non-exempt and track hours. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do small practices hire clinical psychologists?
Yes. Private practices, counseling centers, and small mental-health clinics regularly hire clinical psychologists, and many of these are small businesses with just a handful of staff. At a small practice the owner, often a practicing psychologist, writes the posting, screens applicants, verifies the license, and onboards the new hire directly. Because a clinical psychologist is a high-stakes, infrequent, and expensive hire, getting the job description, the credentialing, and the onboarding right matters even more for a small practice than for a large hospital with a recruiting team. The licensing, HIPAA, and insurance-credentialing obligations are the same; they are just handled by fewer people. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a clinical psychologist make?
Pay is high relative to many roles, reflecting the doctoral requirement, and it varies by setting and region. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of 96,100 dollars for clinical and counseling psychologists, the category that includes clinical psychologists, with the broader psychologist group at a median of 94,310 dollars in May 2024, ranging from about 54,860 dollars at the 10th percentile to 157,330 dollars at the 90th. Private practice with a full caseload often sits at the higher end, while community mental health and entry-level roles sit lower. Specialties like neuropsychology tend to pay above the median. For a posting, benchmark to your setting and local market and state the pay clearly. This is general information, not compensation advice.
What is the demand for clinical psychologists?
Demand is solid and growing faster than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects overall psychologist employment to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, with about 12,900 openings a year, and projects clinical and counseling psychologists specifically to grow about 11 percent over the same period, well above the average for all occupations. Growth is driven by rising demand for mental health services, telehealth expansion, and integrated care. Because the doctoral pipeline is long, qualified, licensed psychologists are in a strong position, and small practices often compete with hospitals and health systems for the same candidates. A clear posting, fair pay, and a smooth onboarding process help a small practice compete. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a clinical psychologist job description include?
Start with the setting and specialty: standard, outpatient, private practice, child and adolescent, hospital, or assessment, since each shifts the duties. Include a short practice summary, a job summary naming the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment focus, and responsibilities grouped into assessment and diagnosis, treatment and therapy, reports and coordination, and ethics and compliance. State the requirements clearly, especially the doctoral degree, active state license, and EPPP, plus the FLSA classification and pay. The most valuable additions that generic templates skip are the doctoral-and-license framing, the HIPAA and sensitive-records onboarding requirement, the FLSA learned-professional nuance, and, for billing practices, the EHR and insurance-credentialing expectation. Close with an equal opportunity statement and apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
