Most students believe that the career options in psychology are limited and low-paying, but this is not true. Apart from being a psychologist, many people question what can you do with a psychology degree or what jobs you can get with a psychology degree.
There are majorly 4 levels of degree:
- Associate
- Bachelors
- Masters
- Doctorate/Ph.D.
To answer your query regarding what can you do with a psychology degree, we have discovered and listed the 21 best career opportunities from clinical practice and counseling to research and corporate roles that await you.
Let’s look at what jobs you can get with a psychology degree.
Job Opportunities With an Associate Degree in Psychology
To begin your career in the field of psychology, an associate degree can open up several entry-level opportunities. While it may not qualify you for roles requiring advanced degrees and won’t pay you much, it’s a great way to explore your interest in the field of psychology.
Research Assistant
This is the best way to kick off, as you would get to work with professionals and get access to real-life situations. You would be required to get a mandatory bachelor’s or master’s degree to become more qualified. It would also be an excellent way to fund your higher education.
- Role and Responsibilities: Manage appointments, make appointments for patients and clients, and engage with social workers and healthcare professionals. Sometimes you would be required to help researchers prepare a thesis or assist with general administrative tasks, including managing office supplies, filing, photocopying, and faxing.
- Average Salary: $40,000 per annum
Youth Counsellor
Working as a youth counselor is both challenging and rewarding. You play an important role in assisting children and adolescents by addressing behavioral issues, boosting confidence, and meeting mental health needs to ensure their safety and well-being.
- Role and Responsibilities: Provide both individual and group counseling sessions to help young people cope with emotional, behavioral, and social challenges. Additionally, you will have to address crises in young people such as violent conduct, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts.
- Average Salary: $33,000 per annum
These were the 2 major job opportunities you can have as an associate degree holder. The next step in this journey requires you to hold a mandatory bachelor’s degree.
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What Can I Do With a BA in Psychology?
Some countries or universities do not require an associate degree; instead, you can apply for a bachelor’s degree immediately after graduating from high school. So, let’s discover what jobs can I get with a psychology degree in a bachelor.
Career Counselor
A career counselor assists clients in making comfortable job selections and helps them develop rewarding careers by utilizing their knowledge of psychological evaluation and counseling strategies.
- Role and Responsibilities: Assist individuals in choosing career paths that align with their skills and interests. Also, make them aware of various opportunities that match their talent and nature.
- Average Salary: $50,000 per annum
Human Resources
HR specialists play a critical role in leveraging useful employee relations to propel corporate performance. Additionally, by using your abilities for behavior and personality analysis, you may contribute to the development of an effective, driven, and cheerful team.
- Role and Responsibilities: Provide management with frequent updates on the various HR initiatives and their impact on the company. Ensure the organization’s HR practices comply with labor laws and regulations.
- Average Salary: $60,000-$80,000 per annum
These 2 are the main career options you can have with a BA in psychology. Now let’s move on to the next step.
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What Job Opportunities Do You Have With an MA in Psychology?
Pursuing a master’s after completing your bachelor’s degree will open more doors and provide you with a better pay scale. The job opportunities with an MA in psychology are:
Jobs in Business, Sales, Marketing, and Advertising
An MA graduate in psychology has more profound and in-depth knowledge of how the human brain works. This knowledge can be used in corporations and businesses to attract potential clients.
You can use your skills to understand human behavior and respond to certain situations to get an edge over business competitors and provide insights on market sentiments.
- Role and Responsibilities: Analyze human behavior and response, offer psychological tricks to make businesses look more appealing, and work on advertisement and color schemes that attract customers.
- Average Salary: $80,000 per annum.
School Psychologist
You can be employed as a full-time school psychologist for students and help them resolve their issues. A student’s brain is quite delicate and during the school phase; their mental health must not be affected by negative thoughts that impact their lifestyle.
- Role and Responsibilities: Understand mental issues and problems that are being faced by students and help them cope with the mental pressure of exams. Make sure their environment is positive and provide necessary career guidance as well.
- Average Salary: $80,000 — $90,000 per annum
Psychology Teacher
The most prominent career you can take with a master’s degree is to become a psychology teacher in schools. In some countries, you might also require a teaching degree, and this would be a great way to continue your research for a Ph.D.
- Role and Responsibilities: Teach students about psychology as a subject according to the syllabus. Also, you may need to provide scientific methods and therapies in psychology.
- Average Salary:$90,000 per annum
Mental Health Worker
According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the working population suffers from mental disorders. It would be a great initiative and one of the best opportunities to widen your skills, which would help you become a well-experienced psychologist.
- Role and Responsibilities: Provide assistance and therapy to mental health patients while working with an NGO or clinic.
- Average Salary:$40,000 – $60,000 per annum
Sports Psychologist
Sport exposes athletes to a variety of challenges that hurt their mental health. If you have an interest in the field of sports, this could be a great opportunity to explore various dimensions of mental health because sports psychology is different from regular therapy.
- Role and Responsibilities: Work with sports teams or athletes to motivate them. Understand their problems and mental issues, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.
- Average Salary:$40,000 – $80,000 per annum
We have already discussed 9 career options if you pursue a master’s degree, but that is not all. After completing your Ph.D., you will be able to pursue real and high-paying jobs. So, without further ado, let us look at some other options for those with a psychology degree.
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What Can You Do With a Ph.D. in Psychology?
It takes about 5 years to complete your Ph.D. Additionally, it requires a strong temperament to continue with your research work. Here are some of the best job opportunities you can get with a Ph.D.
Psychological Specialist
Once you complete your Ph.D. you will be regarded as a specialized psychologist. You can treat patients or become a motivational speaker for students as well.
- Role and Responsibilities: Develop treatment plans and provide therapy to mental patients. You will have to provide necessary guidance on changing their day-to-day lifestyle to improve their mental health.
- Average Salary: $80,000 — $1,00,000 per annum
Professor
If you wish to inspire others, then this opportunity is perfect for you. Being a psychology professor is the most respected of the jobs mentioned, and it also allows you to work part-time as a therapist.
- Role and Responsibilities: Develop instructional material, provide help with students’ research work, and most importantly, engage in departmental meetings to promote psychology and mental health across the globe.
- Average Salary: $1,10,000 per annum
Management Consultant
The way people work and produce their output is directly related to their behavior and mental aspects. A psychology degree holder’s role is not limited to treating patients; they can also work in the corporate sector. A management consultant emphasizes analyzing human behavior and providing necessary solutions to maximize growth.
- Role and Responsibilities: Provide insights on performance in the form of data, plan out necessary changes in the project to maximize output, and improve business processes.
- Average Salary: $1,20,000 per annum
Clinical Supervisor
If you have an interest in providing guidance and taking high-end responsibility, then you can look to build your career as a clinical supervisor.
- Role and Responsibilities: The responsibility involves overlooking medical staff, interns, and junior therapists. Furthermore, you have to ensure that professional-based services and therapy are provided.
- Average Salary: $90,000 – $1,00,000 per annum
Addiction Counselor
The term addiction is no longer anonymous for us, whether it is an addiction to drugs, mobile, or certain habits. If it’s affecting your lifestyle, then the only option is therapy. As a specialized psychologist, you have to provide brain programming to change certain habits to get rid of addiction.
This career opportunity will be most viable and advantageous because everyone in today’s world is attempting to overcome certain bad habits.
- Role and Responsibilities: Provide brain programming and guidance for addiction recovery.
- Average Salary: $1,30,000 per annum
Behavioral Health Specialist
Psychology works around the behavior and reactions of people in certain situations. This career opportunity is an excellent way to broaden your knowledge and work to treat humans’ complex behavior.
- Role and Responsibilities: Track and record the behavior of patients and provide required therapy to improve their mental health.
- Average Salary: $90,000 – $1,00,000 per annum
Forensic Psychologist
This is probably one of the most interesting and captivating jobs you should be aware of if you plan to pursue a Ph.D. If you have an interest in crime and legal investigation, then you should get your hands on this field.
- Role and Responsibilities: Treat mental patients who have committed crimes, research human behavioral and criminal offenses, and provide post-trauma therapy to victims.
- Average Salary: $90,000 – $1,40,000 per annum
While earning a Ph.D. may lead to valuable job opportunities, the majority of students fall short of this goal. Sometimes, completing this degree may take more than 5 years, which could be frustrating.
The best solution is to pursue a doctorate in psychology (Psy.D.), which can be completed in up to four years.
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Job Opportunities in Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)
Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) serves as an alternative to a Ph.D., and aspirants can pursue this degree to get high-paying and prestigious jobs. The opportunities in Psy.D. include:
Organizational Psychologist
The organizational psychologist’s role is much broader, and you must oversee the mental health of the entire organization. They have to ensure that the workforce stays motivated, and new employees come out of steep learning curves by providing the best working strategy.
- Role and Responsibilities: Provide necessary treatment to workers to reduce burnout and employee turnover due to frustration. Not only that, but you will have to recommend the best course of action for completing a project to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- Average Salary: $1,00,000 – $1,40,000 per annum
Marriage and Family Therapist
In this modern era, divorce and family disputes are quite common. By pursuing a Psy.D., you can become a specialist in resolving such conflicts.
- Role and Responsibilities: Provide specialized treatment to help married couples bond. Layout different techniques, identify the root cause of the problem and address those issues to heal relations.
- Average Salary: $1,10,000 – $1,20,000 per annum
Researcher
You can write your theory and publish your research paperwork while earning a good living. Moreover, you would get the opportunity to explore more into the field of psychology, helping you to become an expert.
- Role and Responsibilities: Conduct research and practical application of human psychology. Record your learning outcome from your tests and provide recorded documents to the Department of Psychology.
- Average Salary: $1,10,000 per annum
Clinical Psychology Professor
This job is a hybrid of that of a professor and a therapist. You should be passionate about psychology and willing to put in the time and effort required. The earning opportunity is excellent and allows you to learn more about the human brain.
- Role and Responsibilities: Instruct students in school or colleges and continue your practice as a licensed psychologist.
- Average Salary: $1,10,000 – $1,40,000 per annum
Psychotherapist
Psychotherapy is more like talk therapy, in which a group of people who are facing mental issues sit together and share their pasts. People who have suffered past trauma, anxiety, and depression engage in positive activity to uplift their moods. This is a great opportunity if you have a passion for curing people with mental problems and have strong, assertive communication skills.
- Role and Responsibilities: Help patients overcome past trauma and emotional setbacks. Provide group sessions and group talks that can help patients feel more confident and secure.
- Average Salary: $90,000 per annum
So, these are the 21 opportunities available with a psychology degree, and I hope this has answered your question about what you can do with a psychology degree. Moreover, the salary mentioned is an estimate and may fluctuate according to your skills and experience.
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How Long Does it Take to Get a Psychology Degree?
It depends on your career goal and the level of education you want to attain. In many countries, it’s not mandatory to have an associate degree.
- With bachelor’s degree, 3 to 4 years.
- If you want to continue and pursue a master’s in psychology, it will take an additional 2 years to complete.
- After that with doctorate degree, add another 4 to 7 years.
- In total, obtaining a higher degree, such as a doctorate, can take anywhere from 9 to 13 years.
However, a bachelor’s or master’s degree allows you to begin your career much sooner.
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Final Words
This concludes what you can do with a psychology degree and the various opportunities it provides. Whether you’re interested in clinical practice, research, education, or business, a psychology degree can open numerous doors for you to fulfill your dream and have an impactful career.
We have covered everything you need to know about psychology degrees and what can you do with a psychology degree, from career options to how long it takes to get one. A psychology degree provides you with versatile skills that give you leverage in many fields, such as critical thinking, communication, and understanding human behavior.
With the right approach, interest, and continuous learning, you can leverage your psychology degree to achieve personal and professional success.
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FAQs
Ans:
Yale University, Columbia University, Harvard, and the University of Amsterdam are some of the renowned universities to pursue your psychology degree.
Ans: No, a psychologist cannot be considered a medical expert doctor. They rarely have Ph.D., and according to the International Medical Council, only MBBS or BDS degrees can be considered doctors.
Ans: In today’s competitive world, if you want to have a better experience and improve your intellectual mindset, then you should go for a master’s degree.
Ans: If you have a deep interest in understanding the human brain and its cognitive function, then you should get into this field.
Ans: Psychology offers numerous career opportunities because it deals with the functioning of the human brain. There are numerous options, including human resources, teachers, forensic psychologists, and others. Additionally, it also contributes to the cognitive development of a person.
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