Approximately fifty million people in the U.S. alone suffer from mental health issues. Furthermore, a 13 percent increase in mental health issues and drug abuse disorders has occurred over the past decade.
Mental health is a significant issue throughout the world, but thankfully help is now just a click away for many.
If you are willing to get help, psychology professionals can connect you with the right therapy and medication to help you be more than you are feeling.
Psychology: a vast field.
Psychologists are doctors that treat the illness of the brain. The discipline of psychology encompasses a wide range of specialties, such as forensics, clinical, education, military, industrial, and organizational.
Each psychologist practices widely distinct approaches in various professional settings. Among all the different career paths offered by psychology, we will be discussing the most popular career paths.
Continue reading to learn more.
1. Clinical Psychologist
Clinical psychology offers the best employment opportunities than any other discipline. Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat many different types of mental illnesses, and they can work in both a group setting or a 1-on-1 private setting.
Furthermore, after getting their license, they can run their practice and work from their homes instead of a hospital or other privately-owned health care facility.
To become a successful clinical psychologist, it’s essential to have a master’s or doctoral degree as it ensures an annual salary bracket of $80k – $120k.
With a master’s degree, you can kick off your career at an entry-level position, and with a Ph.D., you can officially gain the license to work as a clinical psychologist.
Type in “top clinical psychology masters programs” on Google to know which institution offers the best clinical psychology program.
Clinical psychologists are equipped with the knowledge to address a variety of mental ailments such as overwhelming mood swings, addiction and recovery, and other troubling emotions.
2. Outpatient Care Center Psychologist
Outpatient psychologists conduct depression screenings, psychological assessments, diagnostic testing, medication management techniques, and family counseling with patients and their loved ones.
Some of the highest-earning psychologists work in outpatient treatment clinics, as according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, they can make up to $133,660 annually.
As a result of the Affordable Care Act’s new policies and regulations, the need for psychologists in outpatient care facilities is expected to rise.
Outpatient care clinics need their psychologists to have a clinical psychologist’s license and academic qualifications.
The most frequent degree for clinical psychologists is a doctorate in psychology.
3. Industrial and Organizational Psychologists
Psychologists specializing in industrial-organizational psychology apply their psychology and human behavior knowledge to understand workplace efficiency and production better.
Employee morale, workplace productivity, and work styles are all factors that companies pay attention to when hiring industrial-organizational psychologists.
According to the BLS, occupational psychologists earn an average annual compensation of $96,270, greater than all psychologists’ aggregate yearly median pay ($82,180).
To work as an Industrial-organizational psychologist, a master’s degree will suffice, and there’s no need to pursue a Ph.D.
4. Forensic Psychologist
They work with the legal justice system, including judges, lawyers, crime complainants, witnesses, and other legal experts in the criminal justice and legal systems, to explain, evaluate, and provide a psychological perspective to the case in a legal context.
They can benefit family, criminal, and civil lawsuits or judiciary cases by testifying as an expert witness. You need to have a doctoral degree in psychology to work as a forensic psychologist, but getting legal training is optional and is up to your choice.
An average forensic psychologist can make a salary bracket of $71,382-$120,000. An experienced forensic psychologist’s salary can reach well over $120k.
5. Military Psychologist
A military psychologist provides mental health services for military troops and their families, collaborating with other healthcare professionals.
If you’re an army psychologist and want to join a patient-service team on a base or in battle, you can! Psychologists in the military are often themselves members of the military. Because of their high academic standing, they’ve been promoted to the officer’s position.
The American Psychological Association (APA) states that the army gives incentives via its Health Professions Scholarship Program, covering tuition, textbooks, and fees for the last two years of a doctorate.
Rank, the branch of service, and length of service all factor in the typical military psychologist’s income. It’s possible to earn more than $70,000 a year, according to APA guidelines, in some cases.
6. Psychiatrist
The psychiatrist is the only psychologist who is licensed to practice medicine. This implies that only psychiatrists are allowed to prescribe drugs on this list.
They can undertake a wide range of treatments, including counseling and therapy, and work with patients to establish the correct pharmaceutical kind and dose and discuss how medicines affect them.
Psychiatrists make the most money of any psychological professional. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, the average annual salary for psychiatrists in the United States was more than $220k in 2018.
Psychiatrists are in high demand, and that demand is expanding at a somewhat quicker pace than the average for all occupations in the United States.
Several factors might affect an individual’s yearly salary, including the sort of business they work for and where they reside.
7. Neuropsychologist
Patients with brain or nervous system injuries are treated by neuropsychologists who specialize in the use of psychology.
When it comes to the workings of the brain and neurological system, these psychologists are significantly more knowledgeable than their clinical colleagues.
The job entails activities like monitoring brain activity and identifying and treating people who have cognitive problems.
Particle emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are two examples of neuropsychologists’ more advanced diagnostic tools.
Neuropsychologists in the United States make an average annual salary of about $91,000 due to the extensive nature of their job, while those with ten or more patients may expect to make an extra $15,000 a year.
The profession of neuropsychology has historically developed at a 10 percent annual rate. This suggests that the need for these professionals will increase over the next decade.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we discussed the seven most popular career paths in psychology. As a result of the diverse range of individuals served by each position, working in psychology offers various fulfilling career options.
You may find all the different sub-specialties of psychology overwhelming. Still, instead of mulling over the possibilities, it’s time to research prospective career paths to find the right fit for you.
