80+ Psychology-Related Careers to Consider

80+ Psychology-Related Careers to Consider October 30, 2019 More in Student Resources Careers APA Style and Writing Study Guides and Tips So youve decided to major in psychology, but what exactly do you plan to do after you graduate? Competition for many jobs has increased dramatically and in order to compete in todays market, it pays to carefully consider your career options and select a field that is in high demand. One exercise you may find helpful is to look through a list of psychology careers to see what your options are and then narrow down the list to those in which you are most interested in. There are also lots of career paths in psychology beyond some of the typical options such as  clinical  or  counseling psychology. In fact, some of the most interesting job options might be those that you do not hear much about such as aviation psychology or traffic psychology. Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell Obviously, the best job is the one that you truly love, whether it involves providing therapy, conducting research, or solving real-world problems. Before you decide on a career, spend some time thinking about what really interests you and the type of work setting you would most likely enjoy. As of 2019, the demand for psychologists is expected to grow by 14 percent through the year 2026. While this is not a comprehensive list of every single psychology career out there, the following are just a few of the psychology-related jobs  that have a strong projected employment outlook or are considered an up-and-coming field with opportunity for growth. We highlight a few of these careers to help convey the enormous variety of employment opportunities within the field of psychology. Some of these career options are specifically in psychology while others are less related but still rely on the knowledge and skills acquired while earning a psychology degree. Psychology Careers Consider some of these options as you plan your career path. Art Therapist Art therapists  utilize the expressive and creative arts to help clients cope with psychological distress and to enhance emotional well-being. People who work in this field are trained in both psychotherapy and art. By using art, clients can communicate feelings, express creativity, explore different aspects, of personality, and cope with stress. Art therapy is often used in a variety of situations, including: Adults suffering from chronic or severe stressChildren with disabilitiesPeople who have suffered brain injuriesPeople who have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event   Aviation Psychologist Aviation psychology is a relatively little-known sub-specialty area of  human factors psychology  that involves the study of pilots, air traffic controllers, and other flight crew members. People who work in this field perform a number of different duties including: Evaluating prospective employeesDesigning flight decksSelecting and training pilotsAssessing cabin safetyInvestigating aviation accidentsConducting research on aviation safety Career or Vocational Counselor Thanks to the rapidly changing job market, many people are searching for a new job in their chosen field or even changing careers entirely.  Career counselors  help individuals make career decisions and utilize tools including personality assessments, interest inventories, and other evaluation measures. They often start by looking at a clients interests, job history, education, skills, and  personality  characteristics in order to determine which careers are a good match. They also help clients work on building skills, practicing interviews, improving resumes, and locating job openings. Assisting clients who are dealing with job loss or employment-related stress is also common. Clinical Psychologist Clinical psychologists  assess, diagnose and treat clients suffering from psychological disorders. These professionals typically work in hospital settings, mental health clinics, or private practices. Clinical psychology  is the single largest employment area within psychology, but there are still plenty of jobs available for qualified professionals. In order to become a clinical psychologist, you must have a doctoral-level degree in clinical psychology and most states require a minimum of a one-year internship. Most graduate school programs in clinical psychology are fairly competitive. Consumer Psychologist In a struggling economy where retailers and businesses are concerned with attracting new customers, the need for psychologists to research consumer behavior and to develop effective marketing campaigns has grown.  Consumer psychologists  not only study how and why people purchase goods and services, they also analyze how family, friends, culture, and media messages affect buying behavior. Some tasks that a consumer psychologist might perform include: Working with consumer focus groups to determine how appealing a particular product might beDeveloping advertising and marketing campaigns to appeal to a target audienceConducting theoretical research on shopping and buying behavior Counselor Counselors help people with a wide variety of problems, including marriage, family, emotional, educational, and substance abuse issues. While requirements vary, almost all states require at least a masters degree in order to become a licensed counselor. Typical work settings include K-12 schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, mental health clinics, and private practice offices. Engineering Psychologist Engineering psychologists  use psychology to investigate how people interact with machines and other technology. These professionals use their understanding of the human mind and behavior to help design and improve technology, consumer products, work settings, and living environments. For example, an engineering psychologist might work as part of a team to redesign a product to make it more efficient and easier to use in a work situation. Those working in academic settings report the lowest earnings, while those working in the private sector report higher salaries.?? Experimental Psychologist Do you love creating psychology experiments?  Experimental psychologists  use scientific methods and design research studies that explore many different topics within psychology. Social behavior, cognitive processes, personality, and human development are just a few of the topics that experimental psychologists might investigate. People working in this field often specialize in a particular area such as cognitive psychology, educational psychology, or personality psychology. They may also be employed in a variety of settings ranging from universities, government agencies, research centers, and nonprofit organizations. Forensic or Criminal Psychologist Forensic psychologists  apply psychology to the fields of criminal investigation and law. This has rapidly become one of the hottest psychology careers thanks to numerous portrayals in popular movies, television programs, and books. While the field may not be as glamorous as it is depicted in the media, forensic psychology is still an exciting career choice with a lot of potential for growth. Forensic psychologists often work with other experts to resolve child custody disputes, scrutinize insurance claims, perform child custody evaluations, and investigate suspected child abuse. If you are interested in this area of psychology, you might want to also consider the related field of criminal psychology.  Criminal psychologists  perform a variety of duties such as developing psychological profiles of criminal suspects, assessing convicted criminals to determine their risk of re-offending, and helping law enforcement catch online predators. Genetics Counselor Genetics counselors  help provide information about genetic disorders to couples and families. These professionals typically have graduate training in both genetics and counseling, and many have undergraduate degrees in areas such as psychology,  social work, biology, nursing, and public health. Genetics counselors often work with a team of medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and geneticists to offer support, guidance, and assistance to families who have a family member with a genetic disorder or who may be at risk of passing down an inherited disorder to their offspring. Geropsychologist As the population of older adults continues to grow, the demand for professionals to attend to their mental health needs also increases. According to the Pew Research Center, the year 2050, 19 percent of the population will be age 65 or older. Geropsychologists do everything from keeping older adults mentally and physically healthy and vibrant to working with those who are frail and have cognitive impairments, explains Deborah DiGilio, director of APAs Office on Aging.?? Geropsychologists can work in a wide range of areas, from providing mental health services to aging adults to designing products that make life easier for the elderly. Health Psychologist Health psychologists  are focused on helping people living healthier lives. They study how psychological, biological, and social factors influence health. Two important areas of health psychology include helping people avoid illness and promoting healthy behaviors. Educating people about the causes of illness and teaching healthier habits are just two things that a health psychologist might do on a regular basis. These professionals often work in settings such as hospitals, universities, health care centers, and government agencies. Some of the job duties they may perform include helping people to lose weight, stop smoking, eat healthily, and decrease stress. Industrial-Organizational Psychologist Industrial-organizational psychologists  focus on workplace behavior, often using psychological principles to increase worker productivity and select employees that are best-suited for particular jobs. There are several different specialty areas  within industrial-organizational psychology. For example, some I-O psychologists train and assess employees, while others evaluate job candidates. While there are some job opportunities at the masters degree level, those with a doctoral-level degree in industrial-organizational psychology are in greater demand and  command significantly higher salaries. One sub-specialty area of the field involves working in human resources management to screen and hire job applicants. These professionals are often involved in designing and administering employment screening tests and selecting job candidates that are the best fit for particular positions within a company. School Psychologist School psychologists  work in educational settings to help children deal with emotional, academic, and social problems. Thanks to increased interest in the mental health of children and federal education legislation, school psychology has rapidly become one of the fastest growing fields. The demand for qualified school psychologists exceeds the number of candidates available, which means that job opportunities are plentiful. Special Education Teacher While slightly outside of a traditional psychology career, the field of special education offers a great deal of opportunity for those who enjoy helping children. Special education teachers work with students with a variety of disabilities. In order to become a special education teacher, you must have at least a bachelors degree and complete a teacher training program in special education. Because of the increased enrollments in special education programs and a shortage of qualified teachers, job demand is strong and expected to grow. Sports Psychologist Sports psychologists  focus on the psychological aspects of sports and athletics, including topics such as  motivation, performance, and injury. The two major areas within sports psychology are centered on helping to improve athletic performance or using sports to improve mental and physical health. Sports psychologists work in a wide variety of settings including universities, hospitals, athletic centers, private consulting practices, and research facilities. Traffic Psychologist Traffic psychology is an emerging field that involves applying psychological principles to understanding driver behavior. Some areas in this field include: Studying the relationship between driver behavior and traffic accidentsDesigning vehicles that are safer and more ergonomicSearching for ways to improve traffic safety and prevent auto accidentsResearching how people use transportation Traffic psychology often involves a multidisciplinary approach, combining fields such as social psychology, behavioral psychology, and  cognitive psychology. For example, traffic psychologists might assess how perception and cognition influence performance during a driving task. They might also look at how individual personality affects a drivers  emotions,  attitudes, and risk-taking behavior while driving. More Psychology Career Options Did one of the careers highlighted above catch your eye? Or are you still looking for something that matches your interests and goals? After earning your psychology degree, the specific career you pursue will depend largely on your educational background. Some entry-level jobs are open to those with an undergraduate  degree in psychology, while others require advanced or graduate-level study. The following are just some of the many psychology-related job titles that you might want to explore. Some are directly in the field of psychology, while others require additional training in another field or specialty area. In either case, having a solid understanding of the human mind and behavior can be beneficial in any of these careers. Academic CounselorAdvanced Psychiatric NurseAdvertising AgentAnimal TrainerAnimal ResearcherAviation PsychologistCase WorkerChild Care WorkerChild PsychologistCollege Admissions CounselorComparative PsychologistCommunity CounselorCounseling PsychologistCorrectional Treatment SpecialistCriminal InvestigatorCrisis CounselorCognitive PsychologistCollege Admissions OfficerCollege RecruiterCustomer Service AgentDevelopmental PsychologistEditorEducation AdministratorEducational PsychologistElementary School TeacherEmployment InterviewerEmployment RecruiterEnvironmental PsychologistExperimental PsychologistFamily and Marriage TherapistFinancial Aid CounselorGrief CounselorGuidance CounselorHuman Factors PsychologistHuman Resources AdvisorHuman Resources ManagerJournalistLawyerLibrary AssistantMarket ResearcherMental Health CoordinatorMilitary PsychologistMusic TherapistNeurologistOccupational TherapistPhysicianPolice OfficerPublic Opinion SurveyorProbation OfficerPsychiatric Social WorkerPs ychiatric TechnicianPsychosocial Rehabilitation WorkerPublic Relations AgentPublishing AgentPsychiatric AidePsychiatristRecreational TherapistRehabilitation CounselorResearch AssistantSchool CounselorSecondary School TeacherScience WriterSocial PsychologistSocial Services SpecialistSocial WorkerStatisticianSubstance Abuse CounselorTechnical WriterUniversity Psychology ProfessorVocational Rehabilitation CounselorYouth Counselor What to Consider Before Choosing a Career in Psychology Based upon this list of psychology careers, you can see that employment opportunities can be quite diverse. Some careers require only a bachelors degree in psychology, while others will require more advanced degrees such as a masters or doctorate. Spend some time researching different options and learn more about what you will have to do to enter those fields. Ask yourself if you have the commitment and resources to pursue the educational training you will need. As you examine the variety of psychology careers that are available, think about some of the following questions. How well does the career fit your personality?What kind of training and education are required to enter the field?Are the average salaries in a particular field satisfactory?What kinds of things do people in that particular career path do on a daily basis?Does the career sound interesting, challenging and rewarding? Finding the right career in psychology takes some careful planning. It is important to start thinking about what you might want to do early on. This way you can start planning your educational map in order to achieve your vocational goals. A Word From Verywell The jobs options listed in this article are just a few of the many different career paths that are available within psychology.  Do you feel like youve spotted your dream job? Or are you disappointed that your chosen specialty area isnt on this list? Either way, just remember that no list of predicted hot jobs can ever highlight all of the many options that are available within psychology. The important thing is to pick a career that is right for you, your interests, and your long-term goals in life.