What Can You Do With a Psychology Degree? The Ultimate Career Guide for Psychology Majors

Getting a bachelor’s degree in psychology does not automatically qualify you for a career in clinical psychology. Students with a psychology degree may decide to seek graduate studies and become a certified psychologist. However, there are also many non-clinical career options for psychology majors.

A psychology degree is broadly applicable in many industries, so there are truly endless career opportunities for psychology degree holders.

Here we will cover some of the most popular clinical psychology, non-clinical psychology, and non-psychology careers for psychology degree graduates.

PBA’s community psychology degree can be completed in a flexible online format and provides the rigorous training needed to create effective programs and interventions. Graduates of community psychology programs often go on to develop violence prevention programs, multicultural programs, and programs for the elderly. A community psychology degree is also a great choice for students interested in doing research in areas like social psychology and public health.

There are some roles within the field of psychology that bachelor’s degree holders will be qualified for. 

Behavioral Support Technician

A behavioral support technician works under the supervision of a behavioral analyst. They offer mental health support services to clients and patients, including tasks such as administering medication, home visits, and conducting assessments

• Average Salary: $37,330 per year
• Career Projection: 9% growth over the next decade

Non Clinical Social Worker

Working as a non-clinical social worker requires only a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field, such as psychology. 

• Average Salary: $55,350 per year
• Career Projection: 7% growth over the next decade

Community Psychologist

Community psychology involves the consideration of problems at a societal level and the physical well-being of people in the community.

• Average Salary: $46,190 per year
• Career Projection: 14% growth over the next decade

The following careers in psychology typically require at least a master’s degree in psychology as well as any relevant clinical qualifications. 

Clinical/Counseling Psychologist

A clinical psychologist works with patients who are dealing with a variety of difficulties in their life, including mental, physical, or relational difficulties. 

• Average Salary: $85,330 per year
• Career Projection: 6% growth over the next decade

Educational Psychologist

Educational psychologists work with children’s development and learning processes. They often help support students with learning disabilities or behavioral difficulties.

• Average Salary: $84,940
• Career Projection: 6% growth over the next decade

Research Psychologist

Research Psychologists spend their time conducting research and publishing their findings in academic journals. These psychologists often work for universities or external funding agencies. 

• Average Salary: $68,230 per year
• Career Projection: 13% growth over the next decade

Environmental Psychologist

An environmental psychologist studies how people interact with their environments and how their environment impacts them. This can include someone’s natural environment or “built” environment such as their work or home space. 

• Average Salary: $85,330 per year
• Career Projection: 6% growth over the next decade

Neuropsychologist

A neuropsychologist studies how brain injuries and brain conditions affect the way that people work, move, and feel. They assess issues with the brain and support patients by providing treatment plans.

• Average Salary: $102,000 per year
• Career Projection: 6% growth over the next decade

Sport Psychologist

Sports psychologists work with players, coaches, and teams to assess their performance and communication strategies. 

• Average Salary: $106,413 per year
• Career Projection: 7% growth over the next decade

Organizational Psychologist

Organizational psychologists work with the behavior of employees and the culture within a workplace. They work to improve the work environment and create strategies for effective communication.

• Average Salary: $147,420
• Career Projection: 5% growth over the next decade

A psychology degree is useful in many fields outside of psychology. Here are some of the most popular non-psychology careers for psychology majors.

Teaching

Teachers help children learn through a range of pedagogical techniques. Psychology majors make great teachers and can pivot to a teaching career quite easily.

• Average Salary: $61,620 per year
• Career Projection: 1% growth over the next decade

Human Resources

Human resource specialists work in administration, recruitment, and training of employees. Psychology majors have skills that are very applicable to human resource careers.

• Average Salary: $130,000 per year
• Career Projection: 5% growth over the next decade

Marketing and Advertising

Marketing and advertising involve understanding people’s behavior and motivations. Psychology majors can make the switch to marketing and use their skills to succeed in the marketing industry.

• Average Salary: $138,730 per year
• Career Projection: 6% growth over the next decade

Fundraising

Fundraising involves working for an organization and being responsible for raising money through events, applying for grants, and encouraging others to make donations.

• Average Salary: $61,190 per year
• Career Projection: 5% growth over the next decade

Admissions Counseling

Admissions counselors help recruit students to a college or university and support them as they apply and enroll. Psychology majors are great at encouraging students as they find their perfect degree program.

• Average Salary: $99,940 per year
• Career Projection: 4% growth over the next decade

Public Relations

Public relations professionals are responsible for managing the relationship between an organization and the public and media.

• Average Salary: $67,440 per year
• Career Projection: 6% growth over the next decade

UX Design

UX (user experience) designers create services, products, or websites that improve the experience of the user. Understanding people and what they want is a big part of UX design.

• Average Salary: $80,730 per year
• Career Projection: 16% growth over the next decade

Law Enforcement

There are many careers within law enforcement that are perfect for psychology majors.

• Average Salary: $69,160 per year
• Career Projection: 3% growth over the next decade

Criminal Justice

Criminal behavior is an important area of human psychology. All careers in criminal justice can benefit from a thorough understanding of human motivation and decision-making processes.

• Average Salary: $59,860 per year
• Career Projection: 3% growth over the next decade\

Sport Coaching

Modern sports coaches are increasingly asked to be aware of the mental health and well-being of their players. A background in psychology can help sports coaches develop cohesive groups and confident athletes.

• Average Salary: $44,890 per year
• Career Projection: 9% growth over the next decade

Technology

A degree in psychology can help you understand aspects of technology such as user experience. Psychology students will also have some experience with data analysis.

• Average Salary: $102,240 per year
• Career Projection: 10% growth over the next decade

Psychology is a broad field that contains many sub-fields and areas of emphasis. A psychology degree will overview areas such as learning, human development, abnormal behavior, marriage and family, perception, clinical practice, community psychology, addiction, research methods, and trauma. While clinical psychotherapy is an important part of psychology, there are many other topics in psychology that can broaden your perspective on the world. One of the benefits of a psychology major is the broadly applicable nature of many of the classes.

Community psychology is the part of psychology that seeks to understand human experience at the level of the community. Community psychology provides a perspective on the way individuals make up communities and how communities shape individuals. Because there are many factors that influence community development, community psychology takes a holistic multidisciplinary approach. If you are passionate about changing the world, PBA’s degree in community psychology can prepare you to make a positive impact. 

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