Student Resources Careers Engineering Psychology Career Overview By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial process Kendra Cherry Fact checked by Fact checked by Emily Swaim on March 16, 2020 linkedin Emily is a fact checker, editor, and writer who has expertise in psychology content. Learn about our editorial process Emily Swaim on March 16, 2020 Print Kohei Hara / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Origins Overview Training & Education Salary Job Outlook Engineering psychology is an applied subfield that focuses on improving and adapting technology, equipment, and work environments to enhance human behavior and capabilities. It is highly related to the field of ergonomics, which is the science of arranging and designing things so that people can use them safely and efficiently. Engineering psychologists are interested in understanding the capabilities and limitations of human behavior and developing and adjusting systems to maximize these abilities and prevent errors. They often help design products, workspaces, and human-machine interactions to make them more user-friendly. Origins The field originated as an area within experimental psychology that grew increasingly important during World Wars I and II. Early military applications of this field focused on building weapons designed to minimize human errors and increase accuracy. Today, the field is growing significantly as people spend more and more time interacting and utilizing technology and equipment in their daily and work lives. How to Become an Experimental Psychologist Overview Engineering psychologists utilize psychological principles to solve real-world problems. People who work in this profession are able to help improve, and sometimes even save, human lives. By minimizing the risks of accidents and errors, engineering psychologists can make products, systems, and workplaces safer. These professionals can specialize in a number of different areas such as: Human-computer interaction Aerospace Usability Human performance Education and training Virtual reality Healthcare systems and technology Product design Workplace safety Environmental safety Egonomics Engineering psychologists are able to make the technology we use every day more reliable, useful, and safe. Some examples of products that they might work to design or improve include GPS systems, mobile phones, medical equipment, military equipment, aviation technology, traffic systems, and motor vehicles. Tasks Some tasks that an engineering psychologist might perform in this line of work include: Analyzing how people interact and use equipment and technology Exploring ways to make technology more accessible to people with disabilities Explaining workplace accidents and searching for ways to prevent accidents from happening again in the future Implementing user feedback into future iterations of product designs Surveying populations to learn more about user needs or to discover which products appeal to specific demographics Creating safe products and designs intended to minimize human errors Designing medical equipment to minimize the risks of medical mistakes Where They Work Engineering psychologists are employed in a range of different areas. The private sector, such as businesses and corporations, is the largest area of employment. Other employers might include colleges, universities and government agencies. Training and Educational Requirements The training and education needed to become an engineering psychologist can vary depending upon the specialty area in which you choose to work. Just a few of the main specialty areas include human factors, ergonomics, usability engineering, and human-computer interaction. A master's degree in a related field is generally considered the minimum needed for entry into the field, although opportunities and pay are often much higher for those with doctorate degrees. A number of universities offer graduate programs specifically in engineering psychology. Such programs include coursework in areas such as cognition, engineering, perception, statistics, research methods, and learning. Those who work in the field typically earn a Ph.D. in psychology with an emphasis in engineering psychology, a Ph.D. in engineering psychology, or a Ph.D. in human factors psychology. Salary Like most careers, salaries vary considerably depending upon factors such as the degree held, years of experience, and the area of employment. Starting salaries range between $48,000 and $75,367. At the doctorate-level, salaries range between $92,000 and $111,000. Doctoral-level engineering psychologists employed as private consultants report the highest earnings, with an average of $179,160 per year. The most recently available salary report by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) reported the following average yearly salaries for doctoral-level engineering psychologists: Those working in the for-profit private sector: $111,368 Those employed by government agencies: $107,314 Those working in academic settings: $92,614 For master's level engineering psychologists, the HFES reported the following average annual salaries: Those employed in business settings: $90,164 Those working in government settings: $90,500 Those employed by colleges or universities: $75,150 The Highest Paying Psychology Careers Job Outlook Since the majority of engineering psychologists are employed in the private sector, the performance and growth rate of companies has a strong influence on job growth and demand in this field. As corporations become increasingly aware of the valuable role that engineering psychologists can play in the design and development process, the demand for qualified professionals continues to grow. The American Psychological Association identifies engineering psychology as a post-grad growth area. The APA suggests that this is a rapidly growing area with a lot of potential opportunities to study and work with the interaction between humans, tasks, machines, and environments. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Packard, E. Postgrad growth area: Engineering psychology. gradPSYCH Magazine. American Psychological Association; 2007.