In Your State: Hawaii

Psychology Degree Schools in Hawaii

How to Become a Psychologist in Hawaii

How to Become a Psychologist in Hawaii

Educational Requirements

To practice as a psychologist in Hawaii, the state requires that you hold a doctoral degree in psychology or educational psychology from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, or a doctoral degree from an American Psychological Association-approved program in clinical psychology. During graduate training, psychologists must have taken courses that covered the biological bases of behavior (physiological psychology, comparative psychology, neuropsychology, sensation and perception, psychopharmacology); cognitive-affective bases of behavior (learning, thinking, motivation, emotion); social bases of behavior (social psychology, group processes, organizational and systems theory, community psychology); individual differences (personality theory, human development, abnormal psychology); and therapy (child or adult intervention or both).

Additionally, the program must have covered topics in scientific and professional ethics and standards, history and systems, research design and methodology, and statistics and psychometrics. In addition to course work, psychologists must complete 1,900 hours of internship experience and 1,900 hours of supervised post-doctoral experience to be eligible for licensure in Hawaii. Licenses must be renewed every two years by June 30 of each even-numbered year. Psychologists do not have to complete any continuing education hours as part of their licensure renewal in this state.

Psychology Licensure in Hawaii

You must be a licensed psychologist in Hawaii to practice. The state’s Professional and Vocational Licensing department issues two types of licensure for psychologists depending on your experience and credentials:

• Psychologist
  • Education: Doctoral degree in psychology or educational psychology
  • Exam: Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology
  • Work Experience: 1,900 hours of internship experience approved by the American Psychological Association or one year (1,900 hours) of supervised experience in health service in psychology in an internship or residency program in an organized health service training program
  • Other Prerequisites: One year (1,900 hours) of supervised post-doctoral experience in health service in psychology
• Psychologist by CPO or NR
  • Prerequisites: Holds a current Certificate of Professional Qualification in psychology issued by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards or a current Health Service Provider credential issued by the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology

Salaries for Psychologists in Hawaii

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2010, clinical, counseling, and school psychologists in Hawaii earned a mean annual salary of $94,960. All other psychologists earned a mean annual wage of $84,270 at that time. Both salaries are significantly higher than the average annual wage for all occupations in the state, which is $44,600. However, it’s important to keep in mind that these aren’t guarantees, and location and profession are just two factors affecting how much you can expect to earn. Other factors include employer, employee experience, and economic climate.