Psychologists

Career Overview

Psychologists will evaluate, diagnose, and treat mental illnesses.

Education

A doctorate in psychology is usually required to do this work. There are opportunities to do similar work with a master's degree, but there will be more opportunities for those who have a doctorate. A doctorate may take an additional four-five years to earn after first earning a four-year bachelor’s degree, depending on the specific program. Generally, someone must obtain a doctorate to be a "psychologist".

Future Outlook

Overall employment of psychologists is projected to grow 3 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Employment growth will vary by occupation. Employment of clinical, counseling, and school psychologists is projected to grow because of greater demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, mental health centers, and social service agencies.

Work Environment

Psychologists (in general) work in schools, mental health facilities, clinics, rehab centers, and in private practice.

Recommended High School Courses

Biology
Algebra
Communication
Computer Applications
English
Statistics
Social science

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Counsel clients on mental health or personal achievement.
Diagnose neural or psychological disorders.
Confer with clients to exchange information.
Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
Advise others on healthcare matters.
Collect information from people through observation, interviews, or surveys.
Collect archival data.
Administer standardized physical or psychological tests.
Design psychological or educational treatment procedures or programs.
Direct medical science or healthcare programs.
Review professional literature to maintain professional knowledge.
Supervise trainees.
Develop educational programs.
Plan social sciences research.

Schools

Abilene Christian Univers...

Adams State University

Adelphi University

Alabama State University

Alaska Pacific University

Alfred University

Alvernia University

American International Co...

American University

Anna Maria College

Appalachian State Univers...

Arcadia University

Arizona State University

Arkansas Tech University

Assumption College

Azusa Pacific University

Ball State University

Baptist College Of Florid...

Barry University

Bethel University

Boise State University

Boston University

Bowling Green State Unive...

Bradley University

Brandeis University

Brenau University

Brescia University

Cal Poly Pomona

California Baptist Univer...

California Lutheran Unive...

California State Universi...

California University- Pe...

Canisius College

Capella University

Carlow University

Central Connecticut State...

Central Methodist Univers...

Chapman University

Charleston Southern Unive...

Clarion University

Clark University

Cleveland State Universit...

Colorado Christian Univer...

Columbia International Un...

Concordia University- Irv...

Concordia University-chic...

Corban University

Cuny John Jay College Of...

Dallas Baptist University

Depaul University

Drexel University

Duquesne University

East Carolina University

East Tennessee State Univ...

Eastern Illinois Universi...

Eastern Michigan Universi...

Eastern New Mexico Univer...

Eastern University

Edinboro University

Emory University

Emporia State University

Evangel University

Fairfield University

Fairleigh Dickinson Unive...

Faulkner University

Florida Agricultural And...

Florida Atlantic Universi...

Florida Institute Of Tech...

Florida International Uni...

Florida State University

Fordham University

Fort Valley State Univers...

Framingham State Universi...

Franciscan University At...

Frostburg State Universit...

Gannon University- Erie C...

George Washington Univers...

Georgia Southern Universi...

Georgia State University

Goddard College

Golden Gate University

Gonzaga University

Gwynedd Mercy University

Hampton University

Harvard University

Henderson State Universit...

Hofstra University

Hope International Univer...

Illinois State University

Indiana State University

Indiana University Of Pen...

Indiana University- North...

Indiana University- South...

Indiana University-bloomi...

Jackson State University

Jacksonville State Univer...

Jacksonville University

James Madison University

John Brown University

Johnson And Wales Univers...

Judson University

Keiser University- Fort L...

Lasalle University

Lee University

Lesley University

Letourneau University

Lewis University

Lock Haven University

Loma Linda University

Louisiana State Universit...

Louisiana Tech University

Loyola Marymount Universi...

Loyola University - Maryl...

Marietta College

Marist College

Marshall University

Mcneese State University

Mercer University

Merrimack College

Messiah University

Middle Tennessee State Un...

Midwestern State Universi...

Minnesota State Universit...

Missisippi State Universi...

Missouri Baptist Universi...

Monmouth University

Montana State University-...

Montclair State Universit...

Moravian College

Morehead State University

Murray State University

New Mexico State Universi...

New York University

North Carolina Central Un...

North Dakota State Univer...

Northwest Nazarene Univer...

Northwest University

Nova Southeastern Univers...

Old Dominion University

Our Lady Of The Lake Univ...

Pennsylvania State Univer...

Pepperdine University

Point Park University

Post University

Prescott College

Princeton University

Providence College

Purdue University- Northw...

Regent University

Rider University

Roberts Wesleyan College

Rochester Institute Of Te...

Rowan University

Saint Louis University-ma...

Saint Mary's College Of C...

Saint Michael's College

Sam Houston State Univers...

San Diego State Universit...

Saybrook University

Seton Hall University

Siena Heights University

Slippery Rock University...

South Dakota State Univer...

Southeastern Oklahoma Sta...

Southern Arkansas Univers...

Southern University And A...

Southwestern Assemblies O...

Spring Arbor University

St. John's University- Qu...

Suny At Albany

Suny At New Paltz

Suny At Oswego

Suny Plattsburgh

Tennessee Tech University

Texas A & M University- C...

Texas Tech University

Texas Women's University

Trevecca Nazarene Univers...

Trinity University- San A...

Troy University

Truett Mcconnell Universi...

University Of Alaska

University Of Alaska Anch...

University Of Arkansas- L...

University Of California-...

University Of Colorado- C...

University Of Denver

University Of Detroit Mer...

University Of Hawaii- Hil...

University Of Houston- Cl...

University Of Illinois At...

University Of Lynchburg

University Of Michigan- A...

University Of Minnesota-...

University Of Missouri- K...

University Of Missouri- S...

University Of Montana

University Of Nebraska- K...

University Of Nebraska- O...

University Of New Haven

University Of North Carol...

University Of North Flori...

University Of North Texas

University Of Northern Co...

University Of Northern Io...

University Of Oregon

University Of Pennsylvani...

University Of Phoenix

University Of Saint Franc...

University Of Scranton

University Of South Alaba...

University Of Southern Ma...

University Of Southern Mi...

University Of Texas- Aust...

University Of Texas- Perm...

University Of Texas- Tyle...

University Of The Pacific

University Of Toledo

University Of Tulsa

University Of Utah

University Of Vermont

University Of West Georgi...

University Of Wisconsin-...

Valparaiso University

Virginia Commonwealth Uni...

Walden University

Washington University- St...

Webster University

Western Michigan Universi...

Wheaton College- Illinois...

Xavier University

Yale University

Yeshiva University

Youngstown State Universi...

Acadia University

Athabasca University

Mcgill University

Mcmaster University

Mount St. Vincent Univ...

Queen's University- Ki...

Simon Fraser Universit...

Universite De Montreal...

Université Laval

University Of Alberta

University Of British...

University Of Lethbrid...

University Of Ottawa

University Of Prince E...

University Of Quebec-...

University Of Toronto-...

University Of Waterloo

Western University

Yorkville University-...

York University- Glendon...

Potential Scholarships

5 Strong Scholarship

Agnes M. Lindsay Scholars...

Approx Salary Expectation

Currency:

Low End:

$45,380.00 /yr

Avg/Med:

$78,200.00 /yr

High End:

$132,070.00 /yr

Related Careers

Veterinary Technologists and Techs

Occupational Therapist Assistant

Optometrist

Orthotists and Prosthetists

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
WorkBC's Career Trek, http://www.careertrekbc.ca/.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.