Career Overview

In medical practice, psychology is the study of the human mind and of human behavior. Psychologists investigate the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of human behavior and provide mental health care by applying their knowledge and understanding of human behavior in a variety of settings, including hospital, clinical, school, business, industrial, governmental, and non-profit settings. Other psychologists also provide training, undertake research, and advocate psychology.

Psychologists are social scientists and they formulate hypotheses and collect data to test their ideas. Research is a very important process for their work in mental health care and they devise a number of different types of tests to collect data, whether it is relating to an individual or to a group. They may collect data using personality, performance, aptitude, and intelligence tests. They may also use observations, interviews, questionnaires, clinical studies, and surveys.

There are a number of different types of psychologists, including clinical psychologists, health psychologists, neuropsychologists, geropsychologists, counseling psychologists, school psychologists, industrial-organizational psychologists, developmental psychologists, social psychologists, and experimental or research psychologists.

Career Requirements

Most psychologists are required to have doctoral degrees, which require five to seven years of graduate study. Doctoral degrees are required for employment as independent licensed clinical or counseling psychologists. They are also required for most teaching, research, clinical, and counseling positions in universities, as well as health care services, schools, private industries, and government positions.

Positions mostly require internships of at least one year and registration and certification with state or federal governing bodies for the field.

That said, psychologists with master’s degrees can work as industrial-organizational psychologists. They can also work under the supervision of doctoral-level psychologists to conduct research or psychological evaluations.

A bachelor’s degree in psychology is enough to secure a position as a psychologist’s assistant or an assistant to other mental health professionals in community mental health centers, vocational rehabilitation offices, or correctional centers.

The American Psychological Association (APA) accredits doctoral training programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology. It also accredits institutions that provide internships for doctoral students studying these specializations of psychology.

The American Board of Professional Psychology or ABPP currently recognizes professional achievement by awarding specialty certification, primarily in clinical psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and counseling, forensic, industrial-organizational, and school psychology.

Job Outlook

The market for psychologists is expected to grow faster than average through 2014 due to the increased demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, social service agencies, mental health centers, substance abuse treatment centers, consulting firms, and private companies.

Career Track

The vast majority of psychologists work in private practices. Most are self-employed and offer a range of clinical and counseling services. They often set their own hours but many work some evenings and weekends to accommodate clients. Those employed in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities have to work evening and weekend shifts as well.

Advancement within the field is most accessible to those with advanced or specialist degrees. Employment is most readily available to psychologists with doctorate degrees and specialist degrees in areas such as clinical psychology or neuropsychology.

Compensation

Most psychologists earn between $42,000 and $72,000 per year, although about 10% earn less than $32,000 and another 10% earn more than $92,000. Earnings and earning potential depend upon experience and the precise nature of any given position. Additional benefits may include paid vacations, medical and dental insurance, and disability insurance.