Jobs You Can Get with a Psychology Degree
What are the jobs you can get with a psychology degree?
What are the jobs you can get with a psychology degree? After obtaining a degree in psychology, you will have various options available to you in terms of potential careers. You can find jobs that are suitable for your objectives and way of life, regardless of whether you are seeking a specific income level, flexibility, or other benefits.
There are a lot of careers associated with psychology that pay well, so if making a particular amount of money is one of your top priorities, you should look into those jobs. Some may demand a master’s or doctoral degree, while others are open to those who have only a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Certification may also be necessary in some cases.
Compensation information can change as one moves from one sort of psychology-related employment to another due to the wide variety of available occupations. As a result of this, we have added some wage ranges where we deemed it suitable to do so.
15 Top Earnings Jobs You Can Get with a Psychology Degree
The following is a list of the 15 highest-paying jobs that need a degree in psychology.
1. Therapist
The national average wage is $28.12 per hour at this time.
Primary responsibilities include assisting patients in working through their thoughts, feelings, and decisions. They contribute to the general improvement of one’s mental health and level of happiness.
Although every therapist follows their procedure, in general, they start by assessing their clients and then continue to conduct talks that develop as they gain more knowledge. There are many subfields that therapists might specialize in, including social work and marriage and family therapy, for example.
Centerstone, Center for Discovery, and Omni Visions are other companies that hold this role.
2. Psychology Program Director
An annual salary of $61,632 is considered to be the national average.
The primary responsibilities include overseeing the implementation of behavioral and mental health programs at a wide array of corporate and public organizations. These types of programs are led and managed by program directors.
They frequently are responsible for making high-level decisions, as well as hiring new staff members and developing the overall framework of the program.
The YMCA, The Mentor Network, and Restorix Health are several companies that hold this role.
3. Behavior Analyst
An annual salary of $72,056 is considered to be the national average.
The primary responsibilities of behavior analysts include doing research and formulating strategies to modify or enhance specific areas of human behavior.
They could work in a variety of settings, including medical facilities, educational institutions, penal facilities, government offices, and more. People suffering from brain injuries, patients receiving psychiatric treatment, youngsters, and veterans are some of the potential clients or patients that they could see.
The MENTOR Network, Teamwork Specialties, and Aveanna Healthcare are among the companies holding this role.
4. Researcher
A yearly salary of $72,505 is considered to be the national average.
One of the highest-paying jobs you can get with a psychology degree is as a researcher. Primary responsibilities include developing and validating scientific hypotheses to advance our understanding of mental health, behavior, and other topics linked to psychology. Researchers can find employment in a variety of settings, including commercial firms, academic institutions, and government agencies. Candidates with no prior experience can perhaps work their way up to the position of the researcher by gaining experience first as a lab or research assistant.
Corizon Health, Harbor Behavioral Health, and Lifespan are among the companies that hold this position.
5. Psychology Professor
The national average salary ranges from $51,316 to $75,555 annually.
Primary responsibilities include working in schools of higher learning and graduate education to educate students in many aspects of psychology, including its terminology, methods, and theories.
They are responsible for the creation of curricula as well as the ongoing delivery of classes. They are also accountable for the distribution of homework and projects, the evaluation of dissertations, the grading of papers, and the development of examinations.
The University of Colorado, Michigan State University, and California State University are among the companies holding this position.
6. Industrial Psychologist
The national average salary ranges from $52,006 to $92,458 annually.
The primary responsibilities of an industrial or organizational psychologist include using their knowledge of behavior within groups or organizations to the development of training, the creation of more effective procedures, and enhancement of other parts of work within an organization.
MHM Services, Liberty Healthcare Corp., and PsychPros are among the companies that hold this role.
7. Military Psychologist
The national average salary ranges from $31,348 to $95,635 annually.
Military Psychologist is among the top-earning jobs you can get with a psychology degree. Primary responsibilities include working with veterans and active-duty service members to assist in the treatment of mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions. It’s also possible that they’ll collaborate with military families to evaluate and treat mental and behavioral health issues.
Companies that hold this position: United States companies Geisinger, the State of Washington, and the Army
8. Counseling Psychologist
The national average wage ranges from $50,178 to $95,635 annually.
First and foremost, a counseling psychologist is responsible for scheduling sessions with patients or clients who are interested in receiving psychological advice. People are free to seek the help of counselors on their own or the advice of their physicians. Others may work as part of another clinic or at a hospital, while still others may have their private practice and determine their schedules. Counseling psychologists can be found in a variety of settings.
The following organizations hold this position: Kaiser Permanente, Deloitte, and Mayo Clinic
9. Correctional Psychologist
The national average salary ranges from 64,947 dollars to 95,635 dollars per year.
The primary responsibility of a correctional psychologist is to work solely with individuals who have been convicted of a crime and the relatives of those individuals. Although they spend the majority of their time working in detention centers and prisons, they may also assist formerly incarcerated individuals in making the transition back to society after they have been released.
UWorld, the State of Arizona, and Correct Care Solutions are among the companies that hold this role.
10. Sports Psychologist
The national average wage ranges from 64,947 dollars to 95,635 dollars per year.
As one of the jobs that you get with a Psychology degree, the primary focus of a sports psychologist’s job is to assist players in resolving mental and behavioral challenges so that they can achieve their full athletic potential. They might produce plants that help with simple hurdles such as confidence levels or leadership abilities. However, they could also address more serious psychological concerns.
Carilion Clinic, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation are some of the companies that hold this post.
11. Clinical Psychologist
An annual salary of $95,635 is considered to be the national average.
Research, diagnosis, and the formulation of treatment strategies for people struggling with mental health issues are the primary responsibilities of clinical psychologists. They spend most of their time working in hospitals, but some of them may also spend time working directly with families in their own homes or other private facilities such as nursing homes.
Companies that currently hold this position include MedOptions, Thriveworks, and LifeStance Health.
12. Experimental Psychologist
The national average salary ranges from $64,947 to $97,011 annually.
The primary responsibilities of an experimental psychologist are to collaborate with other researchers in the design and conduct of experiments to get a deeper understanding of human behavior and mental health. They split their time between conducting experiments and studying the various processes of the human mind.
Companies holding this post include Cengage and Brown University.
13. Forensic Psychologist
The national average salary ranges from $50,178 to $210,798 annually.
Among their primary responsibilities, forensic psychologists analyze the behavior of criminals to provide answers to inquiries concerning cases and to document their results so that they might be used in future cases with similar details.
They frequently collaborate with local as well as federal law enforcement and are occasionally engaged through programs run by police forces.
Companies such as Correct Care Solutions and Matrix Providers, as well as CoreCivic, hold this position.
14. Neuropsychiatrist
The national median wage is $210 798 dollars per year.
Neuropsychiatrists are medical professionals who study, diagnose, and treat problems related to the activities of the brain and nervous system. Their primary roles include these responsibilities. Even though hospitals are their usual places of employment, some of them also work for mental health organizations or in facilities that provide assisted living.
UMass Memorial Medical Center, ERT, and Solvista Health are among the companies that hold this position.
15. Child or School Psychiatrist
The national average pays ranges from $57,309 to $210,798 annually.
Child psychiatrists’ primary responsibilities are working one-on-one with young patients to address issues related to mental health and behavior. In their capacity as medical professionals, they often work in institutions such as schools or hospitals, where they observe, diagnose, and treat children for a wide range of conditions.
St. Elizabeth Physicians, River Park Hospital, and Boys Town are some of the companies that hold this status.
Common jobs you can get with a psychology degree
Students who enroll in a standard bachelor’s program in psychology are given an overview of both the scientific study of psychology and its application in therapeutic settings. Students should anticipate covering topics ranging from biology and behavior theories to learning, memory, and ethics during their time in school.
This type of curriculum applies to a wide range of job responsibilities, and the following are some of the most common jobs you can get with a psychology degree:
- Therapy and counseling
- Training and development
- Private healthcare education
- Mental health support
- Career counseling
- Human resources
- Social work
There are a few positions in the field of psychology that call for more education than just an undergraduate degree. It is common practice to anticipate candidates for specialized posts to hold a master’s or doctoral degree.
Career opportunities for psychology majors in healthcare and therapy
There is a wide variety of work available for psychology degrees in the medical and counseling fields. Many of psychology’s practical applications can be put to use in settings such as hospitals and clinics.
- Clinical psychologist*
- Rehabilitation Specialist
- Mental health counselor*
- Research Assistant
- Group Facilitator
- Case manager
*Requires a graduate degree
To fulfill certain roles, such as that of a clinical psychologist, one must complete extra education beyond the undergraduate level.
Careers in education that involve psychology
Earning a degree in psychology can pave the way for a variety of different employment in the teaching field. Your knowledge can be put to use to help enhance teaching methods and gain a better understanding of the requirements of students of varying ages and from a variety of backgrounds.
Education-related careers for students majoring in psychology:
- Behavior Specialist
- Professional coaching
- Educational program researcher*
- School psychologist*
- Guidance counselor*
- Educational psychologist*
*Requires a graduate degree
For some specialized jobs, such as becoming a psychologist or guidance counselor, you may be required to have a master’s degree as well as a doctoral degree.
Making use of one’s degree in Psychology for research
In addition, psychology can be applied to research in many other ways, such as when it’s done to assist a company in running its operations more effectively or selling more of its products. Research in the field of psychology can be put to use in a variety of professions and settings.
Research careers for psychology majors:
- Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- Abnormal psychology/psychopathology*
- Criminal psychology and forensics*
*Requires a graduate degree
It should come as no surprise that psychologists contribute to the formulation of policies and procedures inside a company. A master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology can help you reach the point where you can contribute to this process.
Unique jobs you can get with a psychology degree
Students who major in psychology are also able to apply their skills in management roles as well as in the advertising industry, both of which require specialized knowledge of human behavior to understand the various management theories that are used and to attract the attention of customers.
Unique jobs you can get with a psychology degree:
- Management roles
- Motivational speaker
- Product or brand market researcher
- User experience researcher
- Corporate trainer
Earning a degree in psychology equips students with transferable skills that may be applied across a wide variety of professional settings and fields.
Education at the master’s and doctoral levels in psychology
To pursue a career in psychology, one needs to earn a graduate-level degree in the field. In addition, many of the aforementioned careers in psychology require that you specialize your studies in a particular subfield of psychology. For example, individuals who are interested in working in the field of human resources or organizations are encouraged to pursue training in industrial/organizational psychology.
- Clinical psychology
- Forensic psychology
- Industrial-organizational psychology
- School psychology
- Sports psychology
For those who major in psychology, obtaining a master’s or doctoral degree in the field might provide access to previously unavailable prospects. If you are considering a career in psychology, one of the most crucial things you can do is locate an appropriate graduate program for the subfield of psychology in which you are interested.
Do you wish to maximize your employment opportunities with a psychology degree? AdmissionSight is here to assist you. We have over 10 years of experience guiding students through the competitive admissions process. AdmissionSight can help you put your best foot forward when applying to college. Contact us today for more information on our services