Careers in Psychology
Your Career in Psychology Starts Here
This helpful guide has been assembled to provide you with everything you need to know about careers in psychology, from the basics of the discipline of psychology, to what to expect from the job interview, and everything in between.
Career Outlook
In order to give you a good sampling of what kind of psychology careers are available, we’ll talk about some of the specializations available to psychology professionals; including clinical psychology, counseling, school psychology, forensic psychology, industrial organizational psychology, research psychology, developmental psychology including child psychology and several others.
Preferred Jobs
We cover several ways to find psychology jobs that will suit your preferences, including researching online, working with recruiters, attending psychology conferences and other meetings, and how getting involved with associations that relate to your psychological interests can be a great career boost.
Psychology Salaries and Jobs
We’ll examine the psychology job interview process in detail, looking at resume preparation, salary negotiations, and what to expect from the interview itself, in order to prepare you to go out there and get exactly the psychology job you want.
More Than Patient Care
Beyond direct patient care, a psychology degree means you can work in a business or leadership role, in a school system, in a hospital, or in a variety of other settings. It’s one of the most diverse degrees there is! Check out the career options to see if this is a good fit for you.
Find Your Ideal Psychology Career
By the time you’ve completed this guide, you’ll be ready to start down your new career path and take aim at the jobs that interest you. An exciting and fascinating profession awaits you, offering the chance to make a difference in the world and to build a rewarding life-long career.
Let’s get started in learning about your new career in psychology!
Clinical Psychology
A clinical psychologist provides mental and behavioral health care to families and individuals in a medical setting.
Counseling
A counselor is a qualified individual who uses various counseling methods to help others overcome various mental and emotional difficulties.
School Psychology
A school psychologist works as a key member of the school team to provide mental and behavioral health care to students and parents.
Forensic Psychology
A career in forensic psychology means you will work in the legal arena using psychological research and applications.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Industrial-Organizational, or I/O Psychology, studies human behavior and interactions in the workplace.
Marriage and Family Therapist
A Marriage and Family Therapist is a specially licensed counseling professional who is trained in psychotherapy and family systems.
Research Psychology
Research Psychology is a part of Psychological Science, which is the advancement of the discipline of Psychology through research and studies.
Developmental Psychology
Developmental Psychology studies how humans change over the course of their lifetime, including people from every lifespan.
Mediator
A mediator helps two or more parties resolve conflict and come to an agreement, usually without having to involve attorneys or the court system.
Addiction Counselor
An addiction counselor works with people on their road to recovery, often including families in the process.
Health Medical Psychologist
A Health Medical Psychologist helps patients with the emotional aspects of medical care, either in a hospital or clinic setting.
Sport Psychologist
A Sport Psychologist works with athletes to help them recover from injury, remove mental blocks and improve performance.
Case Manager
Case Managers work with a team of psychologists, social workers and others to help develop and implement an action plan for
Career Counselor
A Career Counselor works with high school students, college students and other people looking for work or to change their career.
Psychiatric Technician
Psychiatric Technicians work in hospital or other settings alongside doctors, dispensing medications, doing admits and more.
Pastoral Counselor
Pastoral Counselors study both theology and psychology, integrating their faith into their counseling methods.
Community Health Counselor
A Community Health Counselor works with the community to ensure the people in it are getting their mental health needs taken care of.
How to Become a Child Psychologist
A child psychologist works with children and teens to help them through issues and grow.
How to Become a Military Psychologist
A military psychologist is a licensed psychologist who works specifically with military personnel in the Navy, Army, Air Force and other branches.
How to Become a BCBA
A BCBA, or Board-Certified Behavior Analyst is a member of the psychology profession with specific education and licensure that allows them to work with people with autism and other behavioral disorders.
School Counselor
A school counselor works with students on a college and career path, deals with behavioral issues on campus, and is part of the campus safety team.
Earn Your Degree
A bachelor of science in psychology is often the first step in psychology education. Depending on where you live, the type of work you want to do, and how far you want to advance in your career, you may want to further your education with a graduate degree, or even a doctoral degree. Make sure you earn your degree from an accredited institution.
Get Licensed
To practice psychology, you must have a license to practice through your state’s licensing board. If you work at a college or university, state or federal institution, corporation or research lab, you may not need a license, depending on your state.
Begin Your Career
Psychology is a broad discipline, and with the proper education and training, you can work in a school, office, hospital, and many other settings. You can work in private practice, or as part of a group. There is a lot of variety in the field of Psychology, and there are a lot of career paths available.