Psychologist Job Description: 5 Free Templates
Free psychologist job description templates for small practices: standard, private practice, clinical, counseling, and child. Download as DOCX.
Psychologist Job Description Templates
5 free templates, including a private-practice version for small clinics. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
Most psychologist job descriptions are copied from a generic one-pager that lists "assess, diagnose, and treat" and stops, missing the two things that matter most for the role: the state license requirement that belongs in the posting as a hard filter, and the FLSA classification that decides how the person is paid. A small private practice that copies a hospital-style template ends up advertising a job that does not match the reality of an owner-led practice hiring its first or second associate.
At FirstHR, we build templates for small, owner-led practices that handle hiring themselves, which is exactly the small clinic or private practice hiring a psychologist. The five templates below cover the role by scenario: standard, private practice for a small clinic, clinical, counseling, and child psychologist. The private-practice version is the one no generic template offers. This page covers "psychologist job description" along with the template, duties, licensure, and small-practice realities. Fill in the brackets and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Does a Psychologist Do?
A psychologist assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral conditions through evaluation, psychological testing, psychotherapy, and treatment planning. In federal occupational data the role is classified within clinical and counseling psychologists, who diagnose and treat mental disorders and emotional and behavioral problems.
For the employer writing the posting, the useful frame is that the clinical core stays constant while the scenario shifts the scope: broad assessment and treatment for a standard role, caseload ownership in a small practice, diagnosis and testing for a clinical psychologist, counseling and wellbeing for a counseling psychologist, and children and families for a child psychologist. That is why the templates below differ by scenario. If you need a prescribing provider instead, the psychiatrist job description templates cover that separate role, and a master's-level clinician may fit the social worker templates.
Psychologist Duties and Responsibilities
Psychologist duties center on assessment and diagnosis, treatment and therapy, documentation and records, and the coordination and ethics that keep care safe and compliant. The scenario shifts the weights, testing-heavy clinical work versus counseling-focused wellbeing work, but the categories hold. These are the duties grouped the way the templates use them.
A strong posting grounds these in the scenario with specifics: the populations this person will serve, the modalities and testing you use, the records system, and whether the role is on-site, hybrid, or telehealth. Licensed psychologists read postings closely, since they are choosing where to build a caseload, so a vague posting signals a vague practice. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Psychologist vs Psychiatrist vs Therapist
The most common confusion when hiring is psychologist versus psychiatrist versus therapist, and the difference drives the degree, license, scope, and pay you should write into the posting. Here is how they compare.
| Role | Typical credential | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Psychologist | Doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD), state license | Assessment, testing, diagnosis, therapy |
| Psychiatrist | Medical degree (MD or DO), state license | Diagnosis and medication management |
| Therapist (LPC, LMFT, LCSW) | Master's degree, state license | Counseling and therapy, no testing |
A psychologist provides assessment, testing, and therapy but generally does not prescribe; a psychiatrist is a physician who can prescribe; and therapist is an umbrella term for master's-level counselors and clinical social workers. What matters for the posting is matching the credential and scope to the role you actually need. This page covers the psychologist role; if you need prescribing, the psychiatrist templates fit, and for a master's-level clinician the social worker templates may be closer.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by scenario and by the population and setting the psychologist will work in. The clinical core runs through all five, but the scope, the specialty, and the pay structure differ enough that the matched version always reads more credibly to a licensed psychologist. Use this guide to choose.
5 Free Psychologist Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: practice overview, job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, compensation, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets and post.
Template 1: Psychologist (Standard)
The base version: assess, diagnose, treat, and document, written to fit most settings. Start here if no specialized version fits the role.
Template 2: Private Practice / Small Clinic Psychologist
The version for a small, owner-led practice hiring an associate: caseload autonomy, support handled for you, and a W-2 vs 1099 classification note.
Template 3: Clinical Psychologist
For a clinical caseload: assessment, diagnosis, psychological testing, and evidence-based psychotherapy for mental and behavioral disorders.
Template 4: Counseling Psychologist
For a counseling-focused role: helping clients manage life challenges, relationships, and stress, with therapy and wellbeing at the center.
Template 5: Child Psychologist
For working with children and teens: developmental and behavioral assessment, age-appropriate therapy, and partnership with families and schools.
Psychologist Qualifications and Licensure to Include
Psychologist qualifications are credential-gated in a way most roles are not: the doctoral degree and the active state license are non-negotiable, which makes stating them precisely the most important part of the posting.
| Weak requirement | Strong requirement |
|---|---|
| Psychology degree | Doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in psychology |
| Must be licensed | Active [state] license to practice as a psychologist |
| Some experience | [N] years or postdoctoral supervised experience per state board |
| Good with clients | Experience with [populations, modalities, or testing you use] |
| Knows the systems | Experience with [your EHR / telehealth platform] |
State the license as a hard requirement by state, and decide whether you will consider a candidate licensed elsewhere who can transfer or one holding a PSYPACT authorization for cross-state telepsychology. Keep every line job-related and the posting neutral, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics. For the standard sections of a posting, the SHRM job description tools describe a good job description as a plain-language summary of a position's tasks, duties, and responsibilities.
Is a Psychologist Exempt or Non-Exempt?
A psychologist is typically exempt from overtime under the federal learned-professional exemption, and the more common small-practice question is whether the role is even an employee versus a contractor. Both belong on the posting as a confirmed classification.
Because psychologist pay sits well above the federal salary floor, the threshold rarely decides the question for this role. The mistake to avoid is defaulting an associate to 1099 contractor status for convenience: that classification is set by the actual working relationship, not by preference. If you direct the schedule, methods, and caseload, the psychologist is usually a W-2 employee, exempt as a learned professional; a genuinely independent clinician may be 1099. The templates leave both the FLSA status and the W-2 versus 1099 question as fields to confirm. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm classification with a professional.
How to Write a Psychologist Job Description
A strong psychologist posting takes about 25 minutes and has to clear a high bar: it is read by licensed professionals choosing where to build a caseload. Here is the process the templates are built around. If this is among your first clinical hires, the small business hiring guide covers the steps around the posting itself.
Psychologist Salary
Psychologist pay varies by specialty, setting, and location, and a small private practice may pay a salary or a fee-for-service split, which argues for stating the structure clearly in the posting.
Within that range, setting moves the number: government and hospital roles pay above ambulatory healthcare and school settings, and specialty matters too. In a small private practice, compensation is often a base salary or a percentage fee-for-service split tied to the caseload, so state which structure you offer rather than just a number. Posting a clear range and structure is one of the most effective ways to attract qualified psychologists, which is why the templates leave compensation as a field, and national compensation surveys can help you set one for your market.
Hiring a Psychologist for a Small Practice
For a small practice, hiring a psychologist is a significant step, and getting the posting and the setup right matters more than the template's polish. The reality of hiring into an owner-led practice differs from hiring inside a hospital or school system in three ways worth building around.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one, and onboarding a psychologist carries compliance weight most roles do not: this person handles protected health information from the first session, so the setup is a clinical and legal task, not just paperwork. Send the offer letter with the compensation and the classification you confirmed, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days along with the rest of the new hire paperwork, and gather tax forms.
Then handle the clinician-specific steps: verify the state license is active and in good standing, confirm malpractice coverage, collect a signed HIPAA acknowledgment, set up records and telehealth access, and orient the new hire to your intake, billing, and documentation, the kind of structured start the employee onboarding guide lays out and a 30-60-90 day plan template can anchor. Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and the employment contract template carries the formal terms. FirstHR connects the offer with e-signature, document management for the signed HIPAA acknowledgment, license documentation, and credentials, and the onboarding workflow a small, owner-led practice runs on its own. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a psychologist do?
A psychologist assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral conditions. The core work is consistent: conducting psychological evaluations, administering and interpreting testing, diagnosing conditions, providing evidence-based psychotherapy, developing treatment plans, maintaining confidential clinical records, coordinating care and referrals, and practicing within license scope and professional ethics. The setting shapes the rest. A clinical psychologist focuses on diagnosis, testing, and treatment of disorders, a counseling psychologist emphasizes helping clients manage life challenges and wellbeing, and a child psychologist works with children and adolescents and partners with families. In a small private practice, one psychologist may do all of it while also building and managing their own caseload. This page covers the role and offers a template for each scenario, since the clinical core is constant while the context varies.
What is the difference between a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a therapist?
A psychologist typically holds a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD), is licensed by the state, and provides assessment, psychological testing, diagnosis, and psychotherapy, but in most states does not prescribe medication. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD or DO) who can prescribe medication and treat mental health conditions from a medical standpoint, and is a separate hire with its own posting. Therapist is a broader umbrella that includes licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers, who provide therapy but generally hold master's degrees rather than doctorates and do not perform the full psychological testing a psychologist does. For a job description, the distinction matters because the degree, license, scope, and pay differ significantly. This page covers the psychologist role; if you actually need a master's-level therapist or a prescribing psychiatrist, the posting and requirements would be different.
What should a psychologist job description include?
A strong psychologist job description includes a practice overview, a job summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications including the doctoral degree and state license, the employment type and compensation, and how to apply, matched to the clinical scenario. List the core duties: assessment and diagnosis, psychotherapy, testing, treatment planning, confidential documentation, care coordination, and ethical and HIPAA compliance. Two elements that generic templates miss but matter most for this role are the state license requirement, which should be stated as a hard requirement by state, and the FLSA classification, since psychologists are typically exempt learned professionals but the status should be confirmed by duties and salary. Match the template to the scenario, since a private-practice associate, a clinical psychologist, a counseling psychologist, and a child psychologist need meaningfully different postings even though the clinical core is shared.
What qualifications and license does a psychologist need?
A psychologist generally needs a doctoral degree, either a PhD or a PsyD in psychology, plus supervised clinical experience and a passing score on a licensing exam. Every state requires a license to practice independently as a psychologist and to use the title, and the specific requirements, including supervised hours, exams, and renewal, vary by state. The job description should state an active state license in your state as a hard requirement rather than leaving it implied. For telehealth across state lines, some psychologists hold a PSYPACT authorization, a multistate compact that authorizes telepsychology in participating states, which is worth specifying if your practice offers remote sessions to clients in other states. Always verify the license is active and in good standing during onboarding, before the new hire sees a client.
Is a psychologist exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
Psychologists are typically exempt under the federal learned-professional exemption. The U.S. Department of Labor explicitly names psychologists as an example of a learned professional, meaning a salaried psychologist whose primary duty requires advanced knowledge in a field of science and learning, acquired through prolonged specialized instruction, generally qualifies as exempt from overtime when paid on a salary basis at or above the current federal threshold. Because psychologist pay is well above that salary floor, the threshold is rarely the deciding factor for this role. The more common issue in small practices is classification as an employee versus an independent contractor: an associate you direct and schedule is usually a W-2 employee, while a truly independent clinician may be a 1099 contractor, and that determination is set by the working relationship, not by preference. The templates leave the FLSA status and the W-2 versus 1099 question as fields to confirm. This is general information, not legal advice; consult an employment attorney for your situation.
How much does a psychologist make?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychologists earned a median annual wage of $94,310 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $54,860 and the highest 10 percent over $157,330. Pay varies by specialty, setting, and location. Clinical and counseling psychologists earned a median around $95,830, school psychologists around $86,930, and industrial-organizational psychologists around $109,840. By industry, government and hospital settings pay above ambulatory healthcare and school settings. About 204,300 psychologists were employed nationally, with employment projected to grow about 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, and roughly 12,900 openings each year. In a small private practice, compensation may be a salary or a fee-for-service split, so the posting should state the structure clearly rather than just a number.
Can a psychologist be a 1099 contractor in a private practice?
Sometimes, but it depends on the actual working relationship, not on what is more convenient. If the practice controls the psychologist's schedule, methods, caseload, and how the work is done, the person is generally a W-2 employee, typically exempt as a learned professional. If the psychologist is genuinely independent, sets their own schedule and methods, and works with multiple practices, a 1099 arrangement may be appropriate. Many small practices default new associates to 1099 to avoid payroll and benefits, but misclassifying an employee as a contractor is a common and expensive mistake that can trigger back taxes, penalties, and wage claims. The safest approach is to classify based on the real relationship and confirm with an accountant or employment attorney before hiring. The private-practice template here leaves the W-2 versus 1099 decision as a field precisely because it should be a deliberate determination, not a default.
What happens after I hire a psychologist?
Onboard them with both the standard paperwork and the clinical compliance steps the role requires. Send the offer letter with the compensation, the confirmed FLSA classification, and whether the role is W-2 or 1099, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days, and gather tax forms. Then handle the clinician-specific steps: verify the state license is active and in good standing, confirm malpractice coverage, collect a signed HIPAA acknowledgment, set up access to your records and telehealth systems, and orient the new hire to your intake, billing, and documentation processes. Because a psychologist handles protected health information from the first session, these compliance steps are not optional and should be done before the first client. FirstHR handles the offer with e-signature, document management for the signed HIPAA acknowledgment, license documentation, and credentials, and the onboarding workflow a small, owner-led practice runs on its own. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.