Psychologists are those essential professionals to care for people’s mental health, they are a great support to maintain a good emotional state from different aspects. However, the salary of a psychologist in Spain may vary depending on their specialty, their experience, if they are part of public or private health or if they work on their own account (as self-employed) or as an employee.
Keep reading to find out how much the salary of a psychologist in Spain is as of 2022!
Specialty influences the salary of a psychologist in Spain
Before knowing how much is the salary of a psychologist, it is important to note that there are certain requirements and parameters to practice psychology in Spain, like having a degree in this discipline, being part of an official College of Psychologists, or having a specialty. To know more, you can keep reading this article.
Now, we can find clinical and health psychologists, forensic psychologists, occupational psychologists, social psychologists, and neuropsychologists, specializing in emergencies, and family, among many other experts. On average, the salary of a psychologist in Spain is between €1,100 and €1,800 euros per month.
But, not everyone earns the same and there is no fixed amount that is applied to the entire sector due to various factors:
For example, the salary of a psychologist specializing in clinical psychology can be more or less if they have their PIR (Resident Intern Psychologist) degree. During its completion, the professional can earn about €1,100 euros per month, and at the end of the PIR, their salary can increase to about €2,200 euros per month (net) distributed in 14 payments. According to the Glassdoor employment portal, the salary of a psychologist with this specialty can be €56,000 per year (gross).
It should be noted that the psychologist who works in the Spanish private health system is not required to be exclusive. Therefore, if the psychologist is also self-employed, the sessions can range between €40 and €120, which is an additional help and an increase from their base salary. Thus, a private psychologist can earn an average of €2,640 net euros per month in Spain, according to data from the Jobted employment portal, but it depends a lot on preserving their job stability and their patients.
If with your profession you want to be your own company and register as self-employed, we will tell you more in the I’m Self-Employed section of our blog.
On the other hand, within the legal field, a psychological report or analysis of a person in a civil or family process is established in €750 euros approx.; within criminal procedures, carrying out a psychological profile can cost up to €1,200, and the service of home visits ranges between €200 and €500 depending on the time and kilometers traveled.
Even so, it must be remembered that all of the above are only net salaries, since other expenses that compromise the salary of a psychologist in Spain, whether self-employed or part of the health system, should always be kept in mind: Social Security, the payment of rent for a private office if you have one, taxes, investment in marketing and advertising, tools, time dedicated to training and monitoring, etc.
The more experience, the higher the salary
As in most professions, with a greater degree of experience and training, the salary of a psychologist in Spain can increase progressively. A psychologist who, despite their specialty, has less than 2 or 3 years of experience can earn between €2,000 and €2,200 per month; from 4 to 10 years, the salary increases from around €400 to €600 euros and professionals who have been practicing for more than a decade can exceed €3,000 – €4,000 euros per month in Spain.
Likewise, there are exceptions in which certain professionals or psychology experts obtain a higher salary, by having higher prices than the average of their colleagues or the rates established by the Professional Associations of Psychology, given their good results and reputation.
Spain needs psychologists
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of the Spanish population was never the same again. Currently, psychology consultations are not enough for the number of patients who request them and there are few resources, which is why there is a shortage of psychological personnel in the country (according to Dr. Mayelin Rey, member of the COP and Clinical Psychologist at the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital.).
The situation is so serious that Spain has 5.14 psychologists for every 100,000 inhabitants. A CIVIO Report states that the psychologists who work in public health are only a small part of the total of 32,516 collegiate professionals that the National Institute of Statistics collects, approximately 2,397 psychologists from the hospitals of the Public Health System.
Hence, communities such as Madrid, the Canary Islands and Navarra, have doubled the number of professionals and have modified the salary of a psychologist in Spain (as in other provinces). according to data from the Indeed job portal, a psychologist can earn:
- Madrid: starting at €1,659 per month.
- Galicia: starting at €1,592 per month.
- Andalusia: starting at €1,748 euros per month.
- Catalonia: starting at €2,000 euros per month.
- Valencia: starting at €1,700 euros per month.
Already aware of all of the above, a good salary for a psychologist in Spain is possible, as long as some or all of these requirements are met. Keep believing in your goals!
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