What Can You Exercise With a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology?

| Nina Chamlou Modified on April 6, 2022

What Can You Do With a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology?

Are you ready to discover your college program?

The power to sympathise human relationships, recall critically, sympathise with others, and communicate well are merely some of the skills you learn during your undergraduate studies in psychology. And employers are well aware of their value.

"Workers with high EQ [emotional intelligence] tend to make better decisions, maintain their cool under pressure and stress, deftly resolve conflicts, respond positively to effective feedback, work well with others, and demonstrate leadership abilities," Jack Kelly, CEO of Compliance Search Group, wrote in an article for Forbes.

If you lot're approaching college graduation, y'all may exist wondering, "What can I do with a bachelor'due south in psychology?" Whether you plan to enter the job market place immediately or you are open up to farther higher education, a number of paths are open up to you.

How to Become a Psychologist

Many people acquaintance the study of psychology with therapy. But only a small fraction of students who pursue psychology in their undergraduate studies decide to take this path. In most states, to become a clinical psychologist, you need a bachelor's caste, a doctoral degree, plus i-2 years of training and licensing.

Featured Online Bachelor's Psychology Programs

What Else Tin Y'all Do With a Bachelor's in Psychology?

A bachelor'southward degree in psychology primes you for unlike career paths in diverse industries. Note that this is not an exhaustive listing. Yous may discover other ways to leverage your psychology degree to your reward.

Marketing

Psychology majors are well-suited for careers in marketing. The courses you take in your undergraduate studies, such as social psychology, human behavior, inquiry blueprint, and U.South. Bureau of Labor Statisticss, direct apply to many roles within the umbrella of marketing.

Creative roles in advertising benefit from an understanding of the culture, such as common or popular attitudes or beliefs. Roles in market place research require knowledge of how to conduct inquiry and interpret findings. Roles in sales crave a high level of empathy and good listening skills for success.

Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Manager
Lowest 10% Median Almanac Bacon Highest ten% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$68,940 $141,490 $208,000 10%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Journalism or Public Relations

Y'all don't need to written report English or journalism to become a author. In fact, a knowledge base in psychology can work to your advantage. Your ability to interpret example studies and research can requite y'all the belittling skills necessary for reporting on complex topics. And a high level of empathy can make you a ameliorate interviewer. Non to mention, the many academic papers you wrote during your undergraduate studies count toward your writing feel.

Psychology majors are also typically diplomatic and adept communicators, a crucial attribute of public relations (PR) specialists. In PR, you demand stiff networking skills and the ability to maintain positive relationships with journalists, managers, and clients.

Journalist
Lowest ten% Median Annual Bacon Highest ten% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$25,510 $49,300 $127,370 half dozen%
Source: U.South. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Public Relations Specialist
Lowest ten% Median Annual Bacon Highest ten% Projected Growth Charge per unit (2020-2030)
$35,350 $62,810 $118,210 11%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Government Worker

The government needs employees who understand psychology for various positions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation hires psychology majors as special agents and forensic psychologists. Police precincts hire them equally officers because of their skills in mediating and de-escalating situations.

Psychology majors besides brand slap-up parole officers, helping parolees notice employment and bargain with substance misuse.

Special Agent
Lowest ten% Average Annual Salary Highest ten% Projected Growth Charge per unit (2020-2030)
$41,000 $65,940 $118,000 Not available
Source: Payscale as of October 2021
Forensic Psychologist
Lowest 10% Average Annual Bacon Highest 10% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$39,000 $71,950 $100,000 Not available
Source: Payscale as of October 2021
Police Officer
Lowest 10% Median Annual Salary Highest 10% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$39,130 $67,290 $113,860 seven%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist
Lowest 10% Median Annual Bacon Highest x% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$36,990 $55,690 $98,510 4%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

UX Designer

UX designers make products and services more than intuitive, enjoyable, and streamlined for users — frequently in a digital environment, like a business'due south website or app. Every bit a UX designer, you find connections between data and blueprint. For case, yous may notice that people are visiting a client's website just get out speedily. UX designers discover why and adjust the design to increase users' curiosity virtually the production or service.

An agreement of psychology fits well with this profession. Concepts similar memory limitation, cerebral load, and the psychology of colors all make for a better designer. You may consider getting a certificate specific to UX design or attend a bootcamp to brand yourself a more competitive candidate. These programs are fairly short, ranging from 10 weeks to 6 months.

UX Designer
Lowest 10% Average Annual Bacon Highest 10% Projected Growth Charge per unit (2020-2030)
$51,000 $74,870 $109,000 Non bachelor
Source: Payscale as of October 2021

Human Resources

Human resources (HR) professionals hire chore applicants, manage them during their time at an organization, and let employees go when necessary, amongst other tasks. While some colleges and universities offer a major in 60 minutes, some do not.

Many students report psychology with the intention of pursuing a career in Hr. Concepts learned during your psychology studies, like the reward system and motivational factors, contribute to forming more constructive, empathetic HR managers.

Human Resources Specialist
Lowest 10% Median Annual Salary Highest 10% Projected Growth Charge per unit (2020-2030)
$37,710 $63,490 $109,350 x%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Alternative Graduate Programs for Psychology Majors

In 2017, nigh iii.v million people in the U.S. held a available's caste in psychology. Of those, 14% as well held graduate degrees in psychology. However, nearly xxx% held graduate degrees in other fields, such as educational activity, health, and social services, co-ordinate to the American Psychological Association.

While y'all can certainly enter the workforce with an undergraduate degree in psychology, pursuing a master'south degree can requite you a more specialized skill set and boost your income potential. Here are some alternative graduate programs for psychology majors.

Counseling

If y'all're looking for a style to help individuals reach their goals in a one-on-1 context, but you don't desire to pursue a doctoral caste to become a clinical psychologist, consider a career in counseling. You can specialize in dissimilar areas, including mental health, school, career, grief, marriage, and substance utilise counseling.

An undergraduate caste in psychology can prepare you for graduate school programs in counseling. All types of counselors will be in loftier demand in coming years.

School and Career Counselor
Everyman x% Median Annual Bacon Highest 10% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$35,620 $58,120 $97,910 11%
Source: U.Due south. Agency of Labor Statistics
Substance Corruption, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor
Lowest ten% Median Annual Bacon Highest 10% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$xxx,590 $47,660 $78,700 23%
Source: U.Southward. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Wedlock and Family Therapist
Lowest 10% Median Almanac Salary Highest ten% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$33,140 $51,340 $92,930 16%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Law

You might think that law and psychology don't share much in common. Just they're actually quite continued. Psychologists seek to understand human behavior, while the law aims to regulate information technology.

If you concord a bachelor'south degree in psychology, you authorize for admission to many law programs. The Police School Admission Test was once a universal requirement to qualify. Just at present, many reputable institutions, including Harvard and the University of Arizona, only require the Graduate Tape Examinations.

Traditional constabulary school typically takes 3 years to complete, although many institutions offer two-year fast-runway programs. And so, y'all could practice law in but a few years if yous already accept an undergraduate degree in psychology under your belt.

Lawyer
Lowest 10% Median Annual Bacon Highest 10% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$61,490 $126,930 $208,000 ix%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Teaching

You don't demand an undergraduate degree in didactics to become a school teacher. A liberal arts didactics provides an excellent background for teaching. Merely the theory and skills you gain by majoring in psychology, specifically, volition assistance you be more compassionate toward students and model positive advice styles.

Not every state requires a master'due south degree to become a teacher. But fifty-fifty in states that do not, holding a master's degree is near an unwritten rule for eligibility. It also qualifies you for a higher salary.

Look for primary'due south degree programs in teaching or instruction. With teaching, you can specialize in a particular subject and gain expertise in effective teaching. An didactics caste besides qualifies you to teach, just it equips you to influence alter in school policies and curricula.

Kindergarten and Elementary School Instructor
Everyman ten% Median Annual Salary Highest 10% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$40,030 $threescore,660 $100,480 seven%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Centre School Teacher
Lowest 10% Median Almanac Bacon Highest 10% Projected Growth Charge per unit (2020-2030)
$40,930 $60,810 $98,840 7%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Loftier Schoolhouse Instructor
Lowest 10% Median Annual Salary Highest 10% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$41,330 $62,870 $102,130 8%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Audiologist or Spoken language Language Pathologist

Psychology directly relates to the medical field, as mental wellness contributes to one's overall well-being. You don't demand a degree in medicine or scientific discipline to start a career in healthcare.

The need for audiologists and voice communication linguistic communication pathologists will profoundly increase in coming years. Demand for audiologists will increase 16% between 2020 and 2030, while need for voice communication pathologists will increment 29% over the same flow.

Audiologists identify, assess, and manage hearing disorders. Speech language pathologists treat people with communication and swallowing disorders. These two professionals sometimes piece of work together. Both require graduate degrees, which typically take 2-3 years to complete.

Audiologist
Lowest 10% Median Annual Bacon Highest 10% Projected Growth Charge per unit (2020-2030)
$56,550 $81,030 $128,160 16%
Source: U.Southward. Agency of Labor Statistics
Spoken language Language Pathologist
Lowest 10% Median Annual Bacon Highest x% Projected Growth Charge per unit (2020-2030)
$50,370 $80,480 $122,790 29%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Public Administration

Graduate programs in public assistants prepare students to bear out authorities policy. If y'all enjoy planning, organizing, and making improvements, you might consider a career in public administration.

To work in this area, you need a strong understanding of social psychology, communication, urban planning, and social scientific discipline research methods. These skills help you to design, implement, and measure the touch of government programs.

Graduates with a master'due south degree in public policy can work for government agencies, nonprofits, or private policy groups. You lot tin can discover work in different industries, such as healthcare, natural resources management, or social justice.

Your chief duties will include conducting research, analyzing programs' performance and efficacy, and possibly managing other employees and projects.

Administrative Services and Facilities Manager
Lowest 10% Median Annual Salary Highest 10% Projected Growth Rate (2020-2030)
$56,080 $98,890 $169,930 9%
Source: U.South. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Boosted Resources for Psychology Students

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