Guide to Careers in Psychology

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), psychology encompasses many subfields, including brain science, cognitive psychology, clinical, counseling, developmental, forensic, health, school, and industrial-organizational psychology. Within that broader landscape, some practice areas are also formally recognized by APA as specialties in professional psychology. When considering a career in psychology, it can help to think first about the population, setting, or type of work that interests you most.

If you are interested, for example, in the criminal mind, you may find yourself in forensic and public service psychology. If research is more your niche, you can consider quantitative or brain science psychology.

Subfield names follow the American Psychological Association's list of psychology subfields.

Psychologists who provide health services typically complete a doctoral program with an internship. Doctoral programs accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation must build competencies in research, ethical and legal standards, assessment, and intervention, along with discipline-specific knowledge such as the biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, and social aspects of behavior, research methods, and statistical analysis. In a small number of states, psychologists who complete advanced training in clinical psychopharmacology can also gain authority to prescribe medication—for example, through a prescribing psychologist license in Illinois or a prescription certificate in New Mexico.

When you choose a career in psychology, your day-to-day could be different from that of another psychologist. Some assess, diagnose, and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, while others may work with physically or developmentally disabled individuals only. The BLS occupational definitions show how much the work varies across the field:

• Clinical and counseling psychologists assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders, using observation, interviews, and psychological tests.
• School psychologists diagnose and carry out individual or schoolwide interventions for educational, behavioral, or developmental issues, and counsel students and families.
• Industrial-organizational psychologists apply psychological principles to workplace problems, including employee testing, selection, and training.

Careers with a Psychology Degree

A master's in psychology offers a variety of career options. Professionals can pursue many different paths after earning their graduate degrees.

According to the American Psychological Association's Monitor on Psychology, licensed master's-level psychology professionals work in settings including:

• Integrated health care systems
• Community mental health centers
• Schools
• Private practice

Securing a job after graduation may require additional internships, coursework, or licensure. As mentioned above, some careers also require doctoral degrees. Thus, prospective students must understand the limitations associated with master’s-level psychology degrees.

Requirements to practice independently as a psychologist are set state by state. The New York State Education Department, for example, requires a doctoral degree in psychology, two years of full-time supervised experience and a passing score on Part 1 of the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). California's Board of Psychology requires a qualifying doctoral degree, 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience and passing scores on the EPPP and the California Psychology Laws and Ethics Examination. In practice, that usually means earning either a Ph.D. or a Psy.D. in psychology. Under the APA Commission on Accreditation's Standards of Accreditation, Ph.D. programs place relatively greater emphasis on research training, while Psy.D. programs emphasize training for professional practice. Both paths include an internship.

Whether a master's degree can lead to a license also depends on the state. North Carolina, for example, licenses psychological associates who hold a master's or specialist degree in psychology. Under state law, they must be supervised when practicing psychology unless the state's psychology board has approved them for independent practice after 4,000 hours of post-licensure experience. Titles and scope for these roles vary by state, so check with your state's psychology licensing board.

For more information, see our guide on how to become a psychologist.

Deciding between a career in psychology or psychiatry? See our guide on the differences between psychiatrists and psychologists.

How to Pick a Career in Psychology

Choosing a career in psychology depends on your degree level, licensure goals, and the type of work setting or population you want to serve. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Standard Occupational Classification groups psychologists into four occupations: clinical and counseling psychologists, school psychologists, industrial-organizational psychologists, and all other psychologists. Organizing your options this way can make it easier to compare education requirements and wage data across the field.

Some common psychology career categories include:

• Clinical and counseling psychologists: Assess, diagnose, and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.
• School psychologists: Help students succeed academically, socially, and emotionally by addressing learning, behavioral, and developmental concerns in school settings and by consulting with families, teachers, and administrators.
• Industrial-organizational psychologists: Apply psychological principles to workplace issues such as employee selection, training, productivity, and organizational effectiveness.
• Psychologists, all other: This BLS category covers psychologists whose work does not neatly fit into the groups above, including those working in specialized research, applied, or emerging practice areas.

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

What is clinical and counseling psychology?

Clinical and counseling psychology are health service areas within professional psychology. APA describes clinical psychology as providing continuing and comprehensive mental and behavioral health care, with assessment and intervention at its core, while counseling psychology focuses on helping people improve their well-being across the lifespan.

What settings are common?

The U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET profile for clinical and counseling psychologists describes work in settings such as psychiatric centers and hospitals, community agencies, private firms, schools, and social service agencies. APA also describes roles for psychologists in integrated care, working alongside medical teams in hospitals, clinics, and community health centers.

What are the education requirements?

Clinical and counseling psychologists typically need a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in psychology, and accredited doctoral programs include an internship before the degree is awarded, according to the APA Commission on Accreditation's Standards of Accreditation. Licensure requirements vary by state.

How much can you earn?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, clinical and counseling psychologists had a median annual wage of $100,580 in May 2025.

To learn more, read our guide on How to Become a Health Psychologist. Weighing this path against master's-level counseling licensure? See Clinical Mental Health Counselor vs. Clinical Psychologist.

School Psychologists

What is school psychology?

APA describes school psychology as concerned with children, youth, families, and the schooling process. School psychologists address learning and behavior problems and may intervene at both the individual and system levels.

What settings are common?

School psychologists commonly work in K–12 schools and school districts; the BLS definition of the occupation centers on individual and schoolwide interventions and consulting with school staff. Under the National Association of School Psychologists' professional standards, specialist-level training includes a supervised internship of at least 1,200 clock hours, at least 600 of them in a school setting.

What are the education requirements?

The National Association of School Psychologists' 2020 Professional Standards set a specialist-level program as the minimum credential for school psychologists: at least 3 years of full-time study and at least 60 graduate semester hours, including the internship. Many school psychologists also earn doctoral degrees, and state certification or licensure requirements vary.

How much can you earn?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, school psychologists had a median annual wage of $95,990 in May 2025.

Learn more about working in a school setting in our comparison guide, School Counselor vs. School Psychologist.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

What is industrial-organizational psychology?

APA describes industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology as the scientific study of human behavior in organizations and the workplace. These psychologists apply that research to workplace problems such as employee selection, training, and assessment.

What settings are common?

APA's description of the specialty lists business, industry, labor, public and nonprofit, academic, community, and health organizations as the settings where I-O psychologists apply their work.

What are the education requirements?

Graduate training in I-O psychology is offered at both the master's and doctoral levels; the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) outlines the core competencies typically covered in MS and PhD programs.

How much can you earn?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, industrial-organizational psychologists had a median annual wage of $193,950 in May 2025. It is a small occupation: BLS estimated employment of 790.

Psychologists, All Other

What is “psychologists, all other”?

This is BLS’s catchall category for all psychologists not listed separately in the clinical and counseling, school, or industrial-organizational groupings. In practice, it may include psychologists working in specialized areas recognized by APA, such as forensic, rehabilitation, clinical neuropsychology, or health-related specialties.

What settings are common?

Work settings vary widely by specialty.

What are the education requirements?

Education requirements vary across this category. Many specialized psychology paths require doctoral training, and practicing independently as a psychologist requires a state license; licensing boards such as California's Board of Psychology require a doctoral degree for it.

How much can you earn?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychologists in the all other category had a median annual wage of $110,840 in May 2025.

Which Field of Psychology Should You Concentrate in?

Deciding which subfield to practice in is a matter of personal interest. For example, you may be interested in studying neuropsychology if you have an interest in how the brain impacts human behavior, or you may decide to pursue forensic psychology if you have an interest in the legal system. Of course, there may be other factors to consider when deciding on a specialty in professional psychology.

The American Psychological Association's Center for Workforce Studies (APA CWS) maintains an interactive database tool, Degrees in Psychology, that visualizes Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data on master's degrees in psychology from 2010 to 2024 (American Psychological Association, 2024). The following information is pulled from that source:

Master’s Degrees awarded in Health Service Psychology

APA organizes degree subfield data into Health Service Psychology (HSP), which encompasses clinical, counseling, school, and applied psychology subfields focused on direct assessment, treatment, and mental health service delivery to individuals and groups.

Master’s Degrees awarded in Research Psychology

APA organizes data into Research Psychology, which encompasses cognitive, developmental, social, experimental, industrial-organizational, and other psychology subfields emphasizing empirical research, theory development, and knowledge generation rather than direct clinical service provision.

Between 2010 and 2024, according to APA's Center for Workforce Studies, psychology master's degrees were distributed across demographic categories as follows: Counseling Psychology and General Psychology accounted for 52% of all degrees awarded, women earned 81% of master's degrees, Hispanic students earned 15%, Black students earned 14%, and American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian, and multiracial students each earned 5% or fewer of degrees.

Explore more psychology careers with our Psychology Career Guide.

Psychologist Wages in the US (May 2025)

Wages vary considerably by specialty. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychologists had a median annual wage of $99,110 in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $59,080, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $163,380.

Among the four psychologist occupations, industrial-organizational psychologists had the highest median annual wage at $193,950, followed by psychologists, all other, at $110,840, clinical and counseling psychologists at $100,580, and school psychologists at $95,990.

^{Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national estimates. Occupation codes follow the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification.}

Psychology Career FAQs

How long does it take to become a psychologist?

There is no single timeline, but the minimums add up. Accredited doctoral programs require at least three full-time academic years of graduate study plus a one-year full-time (or two-year part-time) internship before the degree is awarded, under the APA Commission on Accreditation's Standards of Accreditation.

Licensure then adds supervised experience and examinations set by each state. The New York State Education Department requires two years of full-time supervised experience, no more than one year of which may be completed before the doctoral degree, and California's Board of Psychology requires 3,000 hours, at least 1,500 of them after the doctorate. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards reports that all 66 of its member jurisdictions require the EPPP.

Is a psychologist a doctor?

Psychologists who practice independently usually hold a doctoral degree in psychology, such as a Ph.D. or Psy.D., since state licensing requirements, such as New York's, call for one. They are not medical doctors, however. The BLS definitions place psychiatrists in a separate occupation, as physicians who diagnose, treat, and help prevent disorders of the mind.

The Final Word on Education Requirements for a Career in Psychology

Educational pathways in psychology are diverse, and understanding the requirements for your specific career goal is essential. Licensure as a psychologist requires a doctoral degree in states such as New York and California, so a master's degree alone will not qualify you for roles that require that license. Before committing to a graduate program, research the licensure and credentialing requirements for your target role, as these vary by specialty, state, and employer. Aligning your educational trajectory with your career objectives will position you for success and prevent costly delays in your professional development.

Whether you pursue further doctoral study or enter the workforce with a master's credential, keep in mind that a degree is educational preparation, not permission to practice: check which credential your target role requires and what your state's licensing board requires to earn it.