Psychology Careers

This section of our site is designed as a resource for aspiring psychology students and graduates seeking career information, education, job search, and licensure assistance. Aside from a few Google Ads, all resources on this page are non-commercial in nature and free to use in any way you find beneficial. Please contact us with any other resources you'd like to see added to this page.

To learn more about advancing your career in psychology select a topic below.

Psychology is to study mental processes and human behavior through researching, observing, analyzing, and interpreting how individuals and other living creatures relate to one another and their environment. Like other social sciences, psychology revolves around the formulation of theories, or hypotheses, which are intended to explain what is observed. But unlike other social science disciplines, psychologists often concentrate on individual behavior, more specfically in the beliefs and feelings that influence a person's thought patterns and ultimately their actions.

Psychology is truly a very diverse field that provides a plethora of career opportunities for qualified professionals. Psychologists perform a large variety of duties in a number of diverse industries. For example, psychologists working in the field of health services may provide mental evaluation and healthcare services in clinics, hospitals, schools, or in the private sector. They may also be employed in applied settings, including industry, business, nonprofit organizations, or government, providing training, conducting research, designing organizational systems, or acting as advocates for psychology.

One of the factors that many psychologists will tell you prompted their decision to pursue a career in psychology was their desire run their own business. Today, nearly 34 percent of psychologists are self-employed, mainly as private practitioners and independent consultants, which is four times the national average for all other occupations.

While psychologists apply their knowledge and skill in a vast range of endeavors, including human services, healthcare, education, management, sports, and law, they usually focus in one of the specializations listed below.

Psychology

Counseling

Social Work

Therapy

Psychologists held about 166,600 jobs in 2016. This is an increase of 4 percent from the 2012 number of 160,200. Educational institutions employed about 32 percent of psychologists in positions other than teaching, such as counseling, testing, research, and administration. About 32 percent were employed in healthcare, primarily in offices of mental health practitioners, hospitals, physicians' offices, and outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers. Government agencies at the State and local levels employed 10 percent of psychologists in correctional facilities, law enforcement, and other settings. Between 2012 and 2020, employment of psychologists is predicted to increase by 18,700. And between 2016 and 2026, the prediction is an increase of 23,000 jobs. These numbers reflect the latest government job data as of 2019.

After several years of experience, some psychologists—usually those with doctoral degrees—enter private practice or set up private research or consulting firms. About 24 percent of psychologists were self-employed in 2016—mainly as private practitioners.

In addition to the previously mentioned jobs, 46,700 psychologists held faculty positions at colleges and universities in 2016. Additionally, many psychologists are employed as high school psychology teachers.

Geographic Profile for Psychology Occupations

Below you'll find states employing the highest number of psychologists as of 2019, along with the number of psychologists employed, employment per thousand jobs, and location quotient. These numbers include postsecondary psychology teachers but exclude the self-employed. (The location quotient is the ratio of the concentrations of psychologists employed per geography to the national average concentration. States with a location quotient greater than one employ a higher number of psychologists than the national average. A location quotient less then one indicates the state employs a lower number of psychologists than the national average.) The location quotient is a useful figure that should be considered when seeking employment opportunities and deciding where to set up a private practice. We've also include basic wage information for comparison purposes.



States employing the highest number of psychologists include:

State	Total employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Mean hourly way	Mean annual wage
California	24,350	2.46	1.20	$50	$103,000
New York	16,180	1.76	1.34	$46	$96,000
Texas	10,110	1.76	0.78	$38	$79,000
Pennsylvania	7,520	1.30	1.15	$41	$86,000
Massachusetts	6,410	1.82	2.68	$41	$84,000

The chart below shows those states with the highest concentration of psychology jobs.

State	Total employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Mean hourly way	Mean annual wage
Massachusetts	6,410	1.82	2.68	$41	$84,000
New York	16,180	1.76	1.34	$46	$96,000
Rhode Island	820	1.72	1.54	$39	$80,000
New Mexico	1,250	1.55	1.62	$39	$80,710
Vermont	460	1.50	1.98	$36	$76,000

Source: Burueau of Labor Statistics.

The largest employment sector within the field of psychology is made up of clinical, counseling and school psychologists. The mean average pay for this group of psychology professionals was $81,330 as of 2019 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Annual projected growth of clinical, counseling and school psychologists is estimated at 14 percent between 2016 and 2026, twice as fast as the average growth rate for all other occupations in the United States.

Those industries highest levels of projected employment for clinical, counseling and school psychologists in 2019 include:

Industry	Employment	% of Industry Employment	Mean hourly way	Mean annual wage
Elementary and Secondary Schools	43,570	.51	$37	$77,400
Other Health Practitioner Offices	16,300	1.86	$44	$92,100
Individual and Family Counseling	7,100	.31	$39	$81,200
Outpatient Care Facilities	5,840	.66	$40	$82,700
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	5,510	.10	$41	$85,100

Those industries offering the highest pay in 2019 for clinical, counseling and school psychologists include:

Industry	Employment	% of Industry Employment	Mean hourly way	Mean annual wage
Home Health Care Services	270	.02	$45	$93,900
Specialty Hospitals and Clinics	520	.20	$45	$93,700
Companies and Enterprises Management	350	.02	$45	$92,600
Other Health Practitioner Offices	16,300	1.86	$44	$92,100
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals	3,270	.06	$43	$90,500

The chart below shows the states that employ the highest number of clinical, counseling, and school psychologists. This is useful information when determining where to look for employment or set up your own practice. Dividing the total employment numbers per state below by the total population of the state will yield a psychologist-to-individual ratio. This ratio is also helpful when assessing employment opportunities.



The chart below shows the industrie that employ the highest number of clinical, counseling and school psychologist as of 2019. This is useful information for students and job seeker considering employment opportunities.



Directly below is map we generated using 2013 state employment data for clinical, counseling and school psychologists provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Directly below is map of the annual mean wage with most recent 2019 data for clinical, counseling and school psychologist nation wide. Comparing the map below with the map above can help you get a good idea for employment potential in each state.

Employment opportunities for psychology professionals are expected to grow as fast as average for all other occupations in the United States through 2026. Job opportunities will be best for individuals with a doctoral degree from an accredited university in an applied specialty, such as health or science, and for those with a specialist or doctoral degree in school psychology. Master's degree holders in fields other than industrial-organizational psychology will likely face high levels of competition. Career opportunities will not be as plentiful for bachelor's degree holders, although some entry-level opportunities will exist. Individuals with a bachelor's degree in psychology will likely pursue career opportunities in fields other than psychology.

Employment change. Employment opportunities for psychologists and other psychology professionals is expected to grow 14% from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all other career fields. Employment growth will be due to increasing demand for psychological services in hospitals, schools, social service agencies, substance abuse treatment clinics, mental health centers, consulting firms, and private companies. If you're looking for a job these industries are a good place to start your job search.

An increasing demand for school psychologists will be generated by growing awareness of mental health and behavioral problems, such as bullying, as they relate to students ability to progess and learn in an educational enviroment. School psychologists will also be required to fulfill general student counseling on a variety of other issues, including working with disabled students or with special needs students, addressing drug abuse, and managing and consulting personal crisis.

Ever rising healthcare costs associated with unhealthy lifestyles, such as alcoholism, smoking, and obesity, which have made prevention and treatment more critical, will continue to spur demand for qualified clinical psychologists. A growing number of employee assistance programs, intended to assist workers with personal problems, also should lead to new employment opportunities for a variety clinical and counseling specialties.

A growing number of clinical and counseling psychologists will be needed to help people productively cope with job stress, depression and other mental disorders, marriage and family problems, as well as a variety life altering addictions. An increase in the elderly population will increase the demand for psychologists trained in geropsychology to help people cope with the physical and mental changes that occur as individuals grow older. Forecasts indicate that there will also be a growing demand by the public and private sector for psychologists specially trained to work with returning veterans.

Industrial-organizational psychologists and related psychological specialties who are equiped to boost worker productivity and retention rates in a wide range of businesses will among those psychologists in highest demand. Industrial-organizational psychologists will also be hired to help companies and organizations deal with issues such as antidiscrimination policies and workplace diversity. Psychologists' with expertise in survey design, analysis, and research, capable of design tools for marketing evaluation and statistical analysis will find job opportunities to be plentiful.

Job prospects. Job opportunities will be most plentiful for professionals who have a doctoral degree from a top university in an applied specialty, such as heathcare or counseling, and those with a specialist or doctoral degree in school psychology. Psychologists who have work experience or extensive training in quantitative research methods and computer science are predicted to have a competitive advantage over applicants without comparable training or experience.

Psychology professionals with a masters degree in fields other than industrial-organizational psychology are likely to face steep competition for jobs because of the limited number of positions that require only a master's degree (most requiring both a masters degree and doctoral degree.) Those candidate who possess a master's degree will find jobs as psychological assistants or counselors, providing mental health services under the direct supervision of a licensed psychologist. Still, other psychologists may find career opportunities involving research and data collection and analysis in government, universities, or private companies.

Job opportunities directly related to psychology will be not be as pentiful for bachelor's degree holders as most job candidates will possess both a bachelor's degree and post graduate degree. Bachelor degree holders will likely find jobs as assistants in rehabilitation centers or in other positions involving research, data collection and analysis. Psychology professionals with a bachelors degree who meet State certification requirements may become high school psychology teachers. Many professionals who hold only a bachelor's degree in psychology will pursue job opportunities in other industries.

As of the latest government data provided in 2019, the median annual wage for all psychologists was $77,030 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. During the same time period about half of all psychologists made between $55,000 and $100,000 a year. The lowest 10% of psychologists make less than $43,000 a year, while the upper 10% made over $120,000.

The median annual wage for psychology professionals by specialty include:

The median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of clinical, counseling, and school psychologists were:

Industry	Annual Wage
Federal Government	$88,100
Healthcare Practitioner Offices	$104,500
Higher Education	$64,300
Hospitals and Clinics	$90,500
Physician's Offices	$93,000

The states with the highest mean annual wage for psychologists are as follows:

State	Total employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Mean hourly way	Mean annual wage
New Jersey	3,500	.87	1.15	$47	$97,800
Alaska	280	.89	1.18	$46	$96,400
Hawaii	470	.74	0.97	$46	$95,500
California	18,250	1.09	1.44	$46	$95,000
Oregon	1,030	.56	0.74	$45	$93,100

The map below shows the mean annual wage for all psychologists by state. Those states that are blank indicate that data is not available. (Note: the mean wage is the middle wage. 50% of all psychologists will make more than the mean wage, while 50% will make more.



The map below shows the mean annual wage for clinical, counseling and school psychologists by state as of May 2013.



Below are the wage figures by state for psychologists as of 2019. These data include both annual wage and hourly pay figures. While figures for individual psychology disciplines by state are not available, the numbers below will provide you a very good idea for the earning potential in one state relative to another. We also recommend comparing the wage figures below to the average cost of living for each state listed.

State	Pay Period	Low (<10%)	Median (50%)	High (>90%)
United States	Hourly	$20.41	$36.10	$59.58
United States	Yearly	$42,460	$75,090	$123,920
California	Hourly	$23.28	$45.51	$62.55
California	Yearly	$48,420	$94,670	$130,110
New Jersey	Hourly	$27.87	$42.27	$73.20
New Jersey	Yearly	$57,970	$87,910	$152,260
Connecticut	Hourly	$26.42	$41.80	$60.93
Connecticut	Yearly	$54,960	$86,940	$126,740
New York	Hourly	$23.81	$41.54	$62.82
New York	Yearly	$49,520	$86,410	$130,670
North Dakota	Hourly	$20.25	$40.98	$60.35
North Dakota	Yearly	$42,120	$85,230	$125,530
Oregon	Hourly	$24.11	$40.17	$61.72
Oregon	Yearly	$50,150	$83,550	$128,370
Alaska	Hourly	$22.74	$39.77	$89.65
Alaska	Yearly	$47,300	$82,720	$186,470
Hawaii	Hourly	$24.35	$38.49	$75.53
Hawaii	Yearly	$50,650	$80,060	$157,110
Colorado	Hourly	$18.75	$38.07	$58.78
Colorado	Yearly	$39,000	$79,190	$122,260
Minnesota	Hourly	$22.11	$38.04	$60.19
Minnesota	Yearly	$46,000	$79,110	$125,200
Nevada	Hourly	$24.99	$37.59	$49.52
Nevada	Yearly	$51,980	$78,180	$103,010
District of Columbia	Hourly	$25.43	$37.26	$60.02
District of Columbia	Yearly	$52,900	$77,500	$124,840
Massachusetts	Hourly	$22.49	$36.97	$60.74
Massachusetts	Yearly	$46,780	$76,900	$126,350
Maryland	Hourly	$19.30	$36.51	$55.77
Maryland	Yearly	$40,130	$75,930	$115,990
Virginia	Hourly	$21.84	$36.31	$72.19
Virginia	Yearly	$45,420	$75,530	$150,150
Rhode Island	Hourly	$18.76	$35.76	$56.67
Rhode Island	Yearly	$39,020	$74,380	$117,870
Delaware	Hourly	$21.56	$35.58	$48.10
Delaware	Yearly	$44,840	$74,000	$100,050
Wisconsin	Hourly	$22.99	$35.52	$57.32
Wisconsin	Yearly	$47,820	$73,890	$119,220
Pennsylvania	Hourly	$21.05	$35.30	$52.90
Pennsylvania	Yearly	$43,780	$73,430	$110,020
New Hampshire	Hourly	$24.24	$34.85	$59.09
New Hampshire	Yearly	$50,420	$72,490	$122,920
South Dakota	Hourly	$24.70	$34.63	$49.34
South Dakota	Yearly	$51,370	$72,030	$102,620
Michigan	Hourly	$20.34	$34.50	$60.80
Michigan	Yearly	$42,310	$71,770	$126,470
Maine	Hourly	$20.09	$34.34	$49.90
Maine	Yearly	$41,800	$71,430	$103,780
Wyoming	Hourly	$24.61	$34.30	$45.42
Wyoming	Yearly	$51,190	$71,330	$94,470
Iowa	Hourly	$22.81	$34.26	$48.97
Iowa	Yearly	$47,430	$71,260	$101,850
Florida	Hourly	$19.06	$33.77	$59.14
Florida	Yearly	$39,650	$70,230	$123,010
Nebraska	Hourly	$18.36	$33.71	$54.57
Nebraska	Yearly	$38,180	$70,120	$113,500
Illinois	Hourly	$16.50	$33.65	$56.96
Illinois	Yearly	$34,310	$69,980	$118,480
Washington	Hourly	$23.89	$33.45	$47.82
Washington	Yearly	$49,680	$69,570	$99,470
Ohio	Hourly	$20.10	$33.43	$49.60
Ohio	Yearly	$41,800	$69,520	$103,170
Georgia	Hourly	$14.38	$33.18	$59.38
Georgia	Yearly	$29,910	$69,010	$123,520
Utah	Hourly	$17.15	$33.18	$60.81
Utah	Yearly	$35,670	$69,010	$126,490
New Mexico	Hourly	$21.13	$31.57	$51.93
New Mexico	Yearly	$43,940	$65,670	$108,010
Vermont	Hourly	$17.59	$31.33	$52.23
Vermont	Yearly	$36,590	$65,170	$108,640
Texas	Hourly	$19.79	$31.25	$47.36
Texas	Yearly	$41,170	$64,990	$98,510
Idaho	Hourly	$14.00	$30.69	$45.88
Idaho	Yearly	$29,120	$63,830	$95,430
Tennessee	Hourly	$20.36	$30.36	$49.14
Tennessee	Yearly	$42,340	$63,150	$102,220
North Carolina	Hourly	$21.40	$30.15	$52.08
North Carolina	Yearly	$44,510	$62,700	$108,340
South Carolina	Hourly	$16.58	$29.34	$46.95
South Carolina	Yearly	$34,490	$61,030	$97,650
Indiana	Hourly	$17.70	$29.13	$50.12
Indiana	Yearly	$36,820	$60,600	$104,250
Arizona	Hourly	$17.34	$29.06	$46.27
Arizona	Yearly	$36,060	$60,450	$96,250
Missouri	Hourly	$17.15	$28.95	$47.85
Missouri	Yearly	$35,670	$60,210	$99,520
Kentucky	Hourly	$15.23	$28.68	$46.21
Kentucky	Yearly	$31,680	$59,660	$96,130
Alabama	Hourly	$19.98	$28.14	$44.66
Alabama	Yearly	$41,570	$58,540	$92,890
Arkansas	Hourly	$14.88	$28.03	$43.47
Arkansas	Yearly	$30,950	$58,310	$90,420
Louisiana	Hourly	$19.60	$27.84	$61.58
Louisiana	Yearly	$40,760	$57,900	$128,090
Kansas	Hourly	$14.40	$27.33	$46.66
Kansas	Yearly	$29,950	$56,840	$97,060
Montana	Hourly	$14.98	$26.62	$56.66
Montana	Yearly	$31,160	$55,370	$117,860
West Virginia	Hourly	$14.51	$26.49	$50.59
West Virginia	Yearly	$30,190	$55,090	$105,230
Oklahoma	Hourly	$15.91	$22.70	$39.79
Oklahoma	Yearly	$33,090	$47,230	$82,770
Puerto Rico	Hourly	$12.15	$22.23	$36.47
Puerto Rico	Yearly	$25,260	$46,240	$75,860
Guam	Hourly	N/A	N/A	N/A
Guam	Yearly	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mississippi	Hourly	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mississippi	Yearly	N/A	N/A	N/A

There are several factors, including location, experience, education level and industry, that impact earning potential for psychologists. You can find more earnings information for individual disciplines on our psychologists salary and wage information page.

Any psychologist who has a private practice, or provides services directly to patients, must fulfill specific licensing and certification requirements mandated by state and federal law.

These requirements vary, depending on the state you live/work in and your specific area of focus (clinical, counseling, school, etc.). In the end, it's your responsibility to know the requirements for your particular situation. A state license is essentially a seal of approval, verifying that the psychologist is sufficiently trained and capable of providing effective services to his or her clients. Typically, state licenses only allow psychologists to practice within the realm of their training and education.

Clinical and counseling psychologists are usually required to hold a doctorate degree in psychology before being considered eligible for licensure. After earning a doctorate degree, psychologists must pass a standardized licensing exam, which is administered by their state licensing board. This exam may consist of multiple choice questions and/or essay and verbal response sections. Once again, these requirements vary from state to state.

It is not uncommon for psychologists to be required to undergo a two-year internship or residency, as well as passing the exam before becoming eligible for licensure.

Below you'll find licensure information for other specialties.

The psychology job search resources below have been compiled, reviewed and evaluated by our editorial staff for relevancies and usefulness. If you know of any other reputable job search resources for aspiring psychology students and psychology graduate we'd love to add them to this section.