I ask this question because I myself have a PhD but it's in education. When I work as a high school teacher or college adjunct professor or academic tutor, I make approximately one-tenth to one-fourth of what a psychologist charges by the hour if outside preparations are taken into account. I always have to do real preparations outside of my classroom or tutoring sessions, whereas I never seen my psychologists doing preparatory reading/research/journal studying prior to my sessions.

I'm sure psychologists defend their high wages as due to their heavy educational training, but I have just as much training but don't get paid anywhere near as much. Plus, most psychologists I have met really like to relax and not work long hours: whereas I go home at 4:30pm and work later in the evening, the psychologists go home at 5pm and don't do any more reading, writing, grading, etc. I work on weekends, but they don't.

Do you think psychologists are really interested in helping their patients? I think they care, but there is no way they would have chosen this career but for the high wages. So in essence it's greed foremost driving them and helping others secondarily.