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A psychology career may be among the most fulfilling paths if you are fascinated with how the human mind functions. The best thing about psychology is that it is diverse, meaning a degree in psychology can get you working in a diverse range of fields, and that’s not all. Remuneration can also be quite attractive. However, in most cases, you must match up your degree with other courses.
This guide highlights some of the most lucrative careers a psychology degree can offer you. If you are not convinced, this guide may be the only nudge you need to make up your mind, so keep reading.
Psychiatrist
Psychiatry is arguably the best-paying psychology-based career. However, becoming a psychiatrist requires rigorous educational training starting with a four-year undergraduate degree course in medicine and four years of residency.
So, a psychiatrist must have at least eight years of training. Their role involves diagnosing and treating mental illness, mostly at mental health institutions. A psychiatrist can make upwards of $200,000 a year, a relatively good salary considering an average psychologist’s salary is under $100,000. But it also depends on the years of experience and level of education.
Industrial-organizational psychologist
Employers and business owners are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of their employee’s psychology on productivity. As a result, the demand for industrial-organizational (O/I) psychologists has increased significantly in recent years. The roles of O/I psychologists include candidate selection, developing market research, assessing employee morale and developing strategies for solutions, etc.
A master’s degree in psychology is often the bare minimum for an O/I psychologist, but you will be in a better position to get a job if you have a doctorate. On average, an I/O psychologist makes $105,000, which is also a good salary, considering only 18 percent of Americans take home over $100,000.
Neuropsychologist
Neuropsychologists specialize in cognitive science and the study of the brain. Their job descriptions include performing cognitive tests, running brain scans, and accessing people suffering from brain injuries. They also specialize in studying the effect of drugs and substance abuse on the nervous system.
The basic educational requirement for becoming a neuropsychologist is an undergraduate degree in neuropsychology or clinical neuropsychology. Neuropsychologists can work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, colleges, universities, and pharmaceutical labs. On average, neuropsychologists take home $90,000 a year.
Clinical psychologists
Clinical psychology employs more workers than any other field of psychology. A clinical psychologist’s job description includes diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental illness. In most states, a doctorate in psychology and two years of residency is the bare requirement for becoming a clinical psychologist.
Clinical psychologists can work in mental health institutions, hospitals, and educational institutions. The starting salary for a clinical psychologist is around $60,000, but the median salary is around $80,000 a year. There isn’t much difference between clinical psychologists and counseling psychologists. Their job descriptions are the same, with the main difference being that counseling psychologists work on the more severe cases of mental illnesses.
Forensic psychologists
Forensic psychologists work in the legal sector, with their core responsibility being to analyze the psychological aspects of criminal and civil cases. This means they have to work with the police, judges, lawyers, and victims of crimes. Their responsibilities include child custody evaluation, evaluation and intervention programs, and expert witness testimonies in court.
To become a forensic psychologist, you must have a doctorate in psychology. Having some basic legal training is an added advantage for securing a job as a forensic psychologist. A forensic psychologist takes home $59,000 a year, which is still around the median wage in America.
Final words
There’s quite a wide range of careers to choose from if you are interested in psychology. As highlighted above, different paths require different educational qualifications, so it is up to you to choose based on where you want to go and the effort you are willing to put in.
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