Career opportunities for psychology majors extend far beyond being a psychologist.
A psychology degree provides students with a highly adaptable skill set that can lead to jobs in health care, business, education and other industries. As long as psychology majors understand how to leverage their strengths, there are many career paths available.
[See: 25 Best Jobs That Pay $100K.]
Top Skills Psychology Majors Bring to the Table
An increasing number of employers are seeking workers with strong communication, creative thinking and interpersonal skills, all of which students should develop in college-level psychology courses.
Here are some of the skills psychology majors can bring to an organization, according to the American Psychological Association:
— Interpersonal and relationship-building skills
— Leadership and management skills
— Analytical thinking
— Critical thinking
— Creative thinking
— Problem-solving
— Empathy
— Emotional intelligence
— Time management and organization
— Attention to detail
— Persuasion and negotiation
— Inclusivity
What Can You Do With a Psychology Major?
A psychology major is flexible. College graduates can certainly further their education and become a psychologist or go into the medical field of psychiatry and prescribe medication to patients.
Regardless of whether you advance your education, this major offers a wealth of transferable skills that translate well into other fields such as education and business.
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers with psychology degrees were employed in these occupational groups in 2022:
| OCCUPATIONAL GROUP | OCCUPATIONAL GROUP SHARE |
| Management | 15% |
| Community and social service | 13% |
| Educational instruction and library | 12% |
| Health care practitioners and technical | 11% |
| Business and financial operations | 9% |
| Other | 39% |
Psychology Degree Salary Outcomes
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average starting salary for a psychology major in 2023 was $44,084. For those who become psychologists, the median annual wage in 2023 was $117,750, according to BLS data used in the U.S. News Best Jobs rankings.
It’s important to note that salary can vary based on factors such as industry, location and individual career path. Some college graduates will earn far more than the median annual wage, and others will make far less.
Great Jobs for Psychology Majors
Studying psychology doesn’t necessarily mean you need to become a psychologist. Instead, this major provides the flexibility to explore a wide range of possible careers.
Cynthia Vejar is a prime example of what one can do with a psychology degree. She is a licensed professional counselor who co-founded a practice, but she is also an associate professor and director of mental health counseling at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania.
Vejar has also held other professions, including grief and bereavement counselor and school counselor. When she was earning her psychology degree, she didn’t know all of the available career paths, she said in an email. But a psychology degree allows for a “diverse” and “individualized” career path, she said. “You can combine roles, like being a professor and a therapist, and this combination can look different from person to person,” Vejar said.
Here are other common career paths psychology majors pursue.
[SEE: 25 Best Jobs That Pay $80K or More]
Psychologist
Psychology majors often further their education by getting their master’s or Ph.D. and becoming psychologists.
Psychologists help patients resolve emotional problems, including anxiety and depression.
“The best part is building rapport, guiding people through difficult situations, and seeing those ‘aha’ moments when they develop new perspectives or a path forward,” Vejar said.
She cautions that psychologists can get burned out on the job if they’re not careful. “While the work is extremely rewarding, it’s important to have an established self-care plan and healthy outlets to recharge and maintain a sense of work-life balance,” she said.
The BLS projects 5% employment growth for psychologists between 2023 and 2033. In that period, an estimated 2,900 jobs will be created.
Learn more about psychologists.
School Psychologist
A school psychologist works with students who have learning disabilities, mental disorders and other behavioral, cognitive or emotional problems. It’s a highly fulfilling job, according to Alex Anderson-Kahl, a school psychologist in Columbia, Missouri.
“You can think of it as a cross between a detective and therapist’s office for kids in school,” Anderson-Kahl said in an email. “My occupation combines both education and psychology, which happens to be one of the most rewarding avenues to explore with a psych degree, particularly when coupled with a desire to help children, work within schools and address real-life challenges.”
He said that it can feel like detective work because you work with parents and teachers to try to “solve the mystery” of whatever’s blocking the students’ progress, whether it’s anxiety or ADHD or trauma, and then you assist the kids with devising plans to solve their problems.
The median salary for a school psychologist is $84,940, according to the BLS. Demand for this job is predicted to have only about 0.7% growth over the next decade.
Learn more about school psychologists.
Mental Health Counselor
Mental health counselors sound a lot like psychologists, and the terms are often used interchangeably since both help patients work through emotional problems. But a mental health counselor generally has a master’s degree, and a psychologist has a doctoral degree. Both are fulfilling jobs that help people. Mental health counselors often work in private practices, hospitals and community centers, among other places.
The median salary for mental health counselors is $55,960, and job openings are predicted to grow 11.6% by 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.
Learn more about mental health counselors.
Industrial Psychologist
Industrial psychologists help business employees work through knotty problems, whether through one-on-one counseling or using psychological principles to help an entire company.
Erris Langer Klapper, an industrial psychologist based in Pittsburgh, owns Erris Klapper Coaching and Consulting LLC. She said in an email that as a consultant, she helps “individuals and organizations navigate the intersection of psychology and business strategy.”
One of her specialties is helping people fight imposter syndrome, but she does it all from “managing co-workers and supervisors, work-life balance, navigating challenges surrounding optimizing performance and personal growth, improving dynamics, engagement, career development, conflict management, leadership development and more.”
The median salary for industrial psychologists is $147,420, with jobs estimated to grow by nearly 6% between 2023 and 2033.
Learn more about industrial psychologists.
Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists are doctors who help patients work out problems, but they’re often involved on the medical side of the mental health equation. These professionals prescribe medication to help patients combat depression or bipolar disorder or the mental and biological health issues they’re experiencing.
The median salary for psychiatrists is $239,200 according to the BLS, with job openings for this career expected to grow 7.6% by 2033.
Learn more about psychiatrists.
Chief Executive
A chief executive, often called a chief executive officer or CEO, runs a company. They generally make the biggest decisions for the company, but they also empower the other people at the firm to do their jobs. Since companies are filled with people who have different temperaments and personalities, a psychology degree can come in handy.
The median salary for chief executives is $206,680 in 2023. Expect 5.5% employment growth for this profession within the next decade.
Learn more about chief executives.
What Career Path Should You Choose as a Psychology Major?
If you’re an excellent communicator with empathy who can help people figure out their problems, your skill set is valued across industries and professions.
“I’ve seen firsthand how psychology majors graduate with a tool kit of highly transferable skills that serve them well across industries,” said Vernita Bowens, director of the Career Development Center at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, in an email. “From Day 1, these students are building their ability to think critically, analyze data and communicate clearly — skills that employers consistently rank among their top priorities.”
“What makes psychology such a versatile major is how deeply it focuses on understanding human behavior. Whether students pursue careers in counseling, marketing, education, human resources or health care, they’re equipped to interpret complex information, empathize with others and make evidence-based decisions. These are the kinds of competencies that allow graduates to pivot into a range of roles — and thrive.”
Beyond the jobs mentioned above, other professions psychology majors thrive in include child and family social worker, parole officer and market research analyst, Bowens said.
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What Jobs Can You Get With a Psychology Degree? originally appeared on usnews.com
