Psychologists Teach And Provide Services To Students
Psychologists provide a number of services both direct and indirect to children, youth and families in schools at all levels, from early childhood education settings through college. Some focus on improving student learning and behavior through research on topics such as motivation and cognitive processes, while others provide psychological services within educational settings. Psychologists work within specialty areas of learning, too, such as the arts and sports.
School psychologists help students with learning or behavior problems in the classroom and serve as members of the interdisciplinary teams that develop individual educational plans for students with learning disabilities, social and emotional issues, or other special needs. They work with students and staff members on schoolwide issues such as bullying prevention, and they consult with teachers on problems in the classroom.
Dr. Sylvia RosenfieldSchool psychologist, university professor and consultant
Schools are essential to our democratic society. I find them fascinating as organizations and recognize how important they are to childrens learning and mental health. I enjoy solving problems in schools and am never bored.
People spend a large part of their lives in school. When you return as a school psychologist, you see the schools in a new way. Helping to create healthy environments in which children and youth can flourish is a rewarding lifes work.
How Much Does A Psychologist Make
The salary for a psychologist depends on many factors, including the type of psychology practiced. The BLS reports that US psychologists in the all other category made a median of $99,010 per year, while industrial-organizational psychologists earned $113,320, and clinical, counseling-psychologists made $99,640 per year, and school psychologists earned $82,770.25-28 Factors that may impact psychologist salary include geographical location, years of experience, and type of practice.
Corporate Psychology Job Applications
Many corporations hire candidates with backgrounds in psychology to benefit from their knowledge in human behavior and research. However, corporations also place greater emphasis on skills such as organization, project management, and business knowledge than clinical employers.
The hiring process differs according to a company’s size, culture, and industry area. Sometimes, current or previous employees post anonymous accounts of their interview experiences on the website Glassdoor, which can give you some hints as to what to expect throughout the process.
Companies hiring psychologists with master’s or doctoral degrees typically seek candidates with experience in conducting focus groups, research, and data analysis. A decent portion of your interview may focus on your experiences with independent research.
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More Career Options In Psychology
Did one of the careers highlighted above catch your eye? Or are you still looking for something that matches your interests and goals? The specific career you pursue will depend largely on your educational background. Some entry-level jobs are open to those with an undergraduate degree in psychology, while others require advanced or graduate-level study.
The following are just a few of the many psychology-related job titles that you might want to explore. Some are directly in the field of psychology, while others require additional training in another field or specialty area.
In either case, having a solid understanding of the human mind and behavior can be beneficial in any of these careers.
- Academic Advisor
- Youth Counselor
Private Practice Clinical Therapists $150000
- Focus: Therapeutic Practice
- Stability & Growth: Above Average/Industry Experiences Steady Yearly Growth
Private practice clinical therapists often run their businesses out of home offices, and independently practice therapeutic techniques to treat their clients. To enter into such private practice, one has to first has to earn a bachelors and then pursue a masters degree in clinical therapy. It is common for therapists to then pursue a doctorate in clinical therapy because the success of private practice hinges on the accolades and rapport of the practitioner. This independence is both a weakness and strength of this career path. It allows the individual to self-market, establish self-made hours, and set the fee for services offered, which creates high-end salaries reported to range most commonly from 150,000 to 200,000 annually.
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Psychologists Support Community And Individual Well
Community psychologists focus on changing community settings to increase opportunities for individuals and families to successfully participate in community life. While they may work in different locations , they collaborate with professionals and community activists from different disciplines and with the people who are being served. They use their psychological training to address community issues and use community-based participatory research to guide community decision making.
Dr. Meg A. Bond, PhDCommunity psychologist, professor of psychology, researcher and activist
Through a career in community psychology I have been able to live my passion for promoting social justice. As a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, I teach in our community social psychology program conduct applied research addressing gender, racial and ethnic differences and direct a Center for Women and Work. I am also a resident scholar at the Brandeis University Womens Studies Research Center. But I did not start out knowing that this is what I wanted to do.
How Do I Start A Career In Psychology
The minimum degree requirement to become a practicing psychologist is a master’s degree, though many of the top careers in psychology require a doctorate. Additionally, most states require one or two years of a supervised clinical experience to qualify for a license. Once you meet the state’s requirements, you must successfully pass a national exam.
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Training And Development Specialist
Training and development specialists strive to improve organizational and individual performance in the workplace. These professionals create and administer programs that help employees perform daily tasks. Duties include developing surveys, conducting interviews, designing and evaluating training manuals, and collaborating with managers to identify additional training needs. At times, training and development specialists may need to develop strategies for resolving conflicts or administer disciplinary action to improve behavior.
Pertinent skills include effective communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and organization. Many professionals work in corporate, technical service, or healthcare settings. Most employers require a candidate to possess a bachelor’s degree at minimum. These professionals often acquire certifications to create a competitive edge.
- Average Salary: $60,870
How To Start A Career In Psychology
Careers as a clinical psychologist usually require a doctoral degree and state licensure. However, a bachelor’s degree in psychology can open the door for entry-level roles in fields like business and education. Bachelor’s degree-holders can work in marketing, advertising, and sales positions, applying their understanding of human behavior through a consumer lens.
Most careers in psychology can be unlocked by earning an advanced degree. With a master’s degree, you can pursue many nonclinical psychology roles, such as a school counselor or an industrial-organizational psychologist both of these positions feature strong earning potential.
With a doctoral degree, clinical positions in counseling, social work, and therapy become available. Graduate students can earn a Ph.D. or a Psy.D. These programs often include at least one year of supervised clinical experience. Once completed, candidates must successfully pass an exam to become a licensed psychologist.
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Industrial And Organizational Psychologist
Of the non-prescribing psychologists, industrial and organizational psychologists, often called I/O psychologists, are typically among the best paid. On average, they earn well over $90,000 annually while those with over a decade of experience can expect to earn much more than this, typically bringing in over $106,000 annually. According to the BLS, those employed in scientific and research settings earned far more than this while those working in college and other educational settings earned significantly less.
According to the American Psychological Association, these psychologists generally work for large business organizations and practice psychology as it applies to employees and employers in public, community, industrial and business organizations of all types. They may work to address a variety of organizational problems, such as ineffective employees, lost work hours, lack of business development and unhappiness on the job, or they may look at customer and client behaviors and satisfaction ratings to help create effective marketing strategies. Not only must they have solid backgrounds in psychology, but also they must understand statutory and case law in regard to work ethics within business settings.
Psychologists Study Social Development
Developmental psychologists study the many behavioral and psychological changes that occur throughout the life span.
Dr. Pamela Trotman ReidDevelopmental psychologist, researcher, professor and college president
Developmental psychologists look at the changes that occur across an entire lifetime. It is a fantastic area because you can do so many different things. You can focus on language development, for example, and study why childrens speech may not reflect their thinking. You can look at adolescents and the problems they have in establishing identity. Or you can examine families, from how they use discipline to how they develop attitudes.
There is also a growing interest in adult development and aging, partly because of the graying of America and partly because we are beginning to realize that we dont stop growing when we reach puberty. Instead, we continue to change and develop in many areas all our lives. Developmental psychologists can investigate adult learning issues at the workplace or the effects of aging on cognition.
In some of my past studies, I investigated why girls act in certain ways and why boys behave in different ways. One small body of research had suggested that women and girls are typically more interested in babies than men and boys are. But all this research had been conducted on White children and adults.
Dr. Miguel YbarraCounseling psychologist and director of a VA substance abuse treatment program
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What Are The Highest
Salaries for psychologists vary greatly depending on their field, experience, and industry type. In 2019, industrial-organizational psychologists earned a median annual wage of $92,880, while clinical and counseling psychologists earned $78,200, according to the BLS. Additionally, psychologists working in government roles earned a median annual wage of $96,870, while those employed in elementary and secondary schools earned a median annual wage of $76,960.
Licensed Marriage And Family Therapist
work with partnered or married couples, families and other closely bonded groups to ensure the group functions as well as it can. This could include addressing an acute mental health issue faced by one of the group members, but the group dynamic is the primary focus.
- Median Salary: $51,340
- Degree Requirements: Masters
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Substance Abuse Behavioral Disorder And Mental Health Counselor
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors assist patients suffering from one or more disorders. Duties include evaluating a patient’s current state of being, conducting tests, developing treatment plans, communicating with patients’ families, and collaborating with care teams. These counselors may also need to create coping strategies or manage outreach programs.
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors often work in mental health or substance abuse centers, for family services, hospitals, or the government. While some employers will accept a candidate with a bachelor’s degree, many positions require an applicant to hold an advanced degree.
- Average Salary: $44,630
- Job Outlook 2016-26:23%
Substance Abuse Counselor $38520
- Focus: Therapeutic Practice
- Stability & growth: Average/ Industry experiences high yearly growth
Substance abuse counselors help individuals overcome physical, mental, and emotional reliance on drugs. They work extensively with addicted individuals to help them overcome their vices. As addiction and substance abuse becomes more covered by insurance companies, the industry and earnings grow, with growth projected at 31 percent through 2022. Typically, most employers require at least a masters degree to work as a substance abuse counselor, but often extensive experience trumps this requirement. Professionals on this career path seeking higher salaries should seek doctoral education and apply for positions at high-end treatment centers, where salaries can jump into the six digits.
If youre looking to bring in sky high salaries, then there are some basic principles you can apply to your career choices. Listed below is a breakdown of the most important underlying trends and factors at play in the most lucrative and viable career paths. Although these points are drawn from this analysis of the best careers in psychology, they certainly apply to career choices in general and outside of this focus.
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Quantitative And Measurement Psychologists
Quantitative and measurement psychologists focus on methods and techniques for designing experiments and analyzing psychological data. Some develop new methods for performing analyses others create research strategies to assess the effect of social and educational programs and psychological treatment. They develop and evaluate mathematical models for psychological tests. They also propose methods for evaluating the quality and fairness of the tests.
Psychologists Promote Physical And Mental Health
Psychologists as health providers span a large and diverse spectrum of subfields. Some psychologists work alone, with patients and clients coming to the psychologists office. Others are involved in health care teams and typically work in hospitals, medical schools, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, pain clinics, rehabilitation facilities, and community health and mental health centers.
Increasingly, psychologists in independent practice are contracting on either a part-time or a full-time basis with organizations to provide a wide range of services. For example, a psychologist can join a health practice and work with a team of other health care providers, such as physicians, nutritionists, physiotherapists and social workers, to prevent or treat illness. This team approach, which is likely to become more common in the future, frequently includes efforts to change unhealthy behaviors and ensure that patients follow the recommended treatment. The team also helps patients cope with stress.
Psychologists also instruct students who are training to become health care professionals, such as physicians and nurses, about the psychological factors involved in illness. And they advise health care providers already in practice so that illnesses with symptoms that have a psychological component can be better diagnosed and treated.
Dr. Daniel AbrahamsonClinical psychologist, administrator and advocate
Dr. Dorothy W. CantorClinical psychologist in independent practice
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Clinical And Private Practice Psychology Job Applications
Outside of academia, many graduates find psychology careers in clinical settings and private practices. Clinical settings include hospitals, outpatient facilities, and clinics. Private ones usually refer to an office setting shared by one or more practitioners.
Each practice or clinic has a unique hiring process, which could be as short as one in-depth interview or stretch into a series of sit-down conversations with team members.
Many private practice positions are never advertised. Instead, employers seek out specific candidates within their professional network. You can start to make these professional connections in psychology by attending conferences, lectures, and seminars. Join your local psychology association to stay up to date on local events.
Once you land an interview, think about how you stand out from other applicants. How would your expertise and treatment methods add to a potential employer’s practice?
Research the clinic or practice to identify its niche, mission, and philosophy. Prepare to tell practitioners how you align with their values and ask questions that show you have done your research.
Career Paths In Psychology
As a multidisciplinary field, psychology encompasses many different career paths. For example, if you want to help people overcome drug and alcohol addictions, you may find employment as a substance abuse counselor. Alternatively, if you prefer working in a business environment, helping managers develop and hire new talent, you may choose to work as an organizational psychologist.
If you are interested in working directly with patients in health and social care settings, you may consider a career as a clinical psychologist however, most clinical positions require a doctorate and license to practice. Each psychology career path has different licensing and educational requirements, but all psychologists should possess strong communication skills, patience, and analytical skills.
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Parole Or Probation Officer
Provide assistance to people who are re-entering the community after being released from prison. Or advise and supervise criminal offenders who’ve been sentenced to probation instead of being sent to prison. Your understanding of the psychological aspects of human behavior could play a big role in helping to prevent such people from committing additional crimes.
- Average yearly pay: $59,910
- Employment growth: 3 percent
Careers With A Phd Or Psyd
Among those who hold a Doctor of Psychology or a PhD in Psychology, there are plenty of fields of specialization to choose from. As mentioned, school psychologists, clinical psychologists, and industrial-organizational psychologists are just a few of the specialties within the field. For most of the following jobs, you will need to get licensed in your state once you have obtained your doctorate in order to practice:
Child Psychologist
Child psychologists must possess exceptional communication skills since connecting with young clients can be particularly challenging. They should be empathetic and compassionate toward patients and enjoy helping the youngest members of society. Some psychologists in this field focus more on research, necessitating the ability to remain objective and detached in their work. The BLS does not offer specific child psychologist salary information however, the BLS reports that psychologists in the clinical and counseling categories earned an average annual salary of $99,640 as of May 2021.27 Many professionals who choose to specialize in child psychology go on to work as school psychologists, who earned an average of $82,770 as of May 2021.26 See our Child Psychology Degree Guide for more information.
Clinical Psychologist
Counseling Psychologist
Educational Psychologist
Forensic Psychologist
Gerontologist
Health Psychologist
Industrial Organizational or Business Psychologist
Neuropsychologist
Professor
Psychometrician
School Psychologist
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