Student Resources Careers Career and Training of Social Psychologists By Kendra Cherry Kendra Cherry Facebook Twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author and educational consultant focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial process Updated on April 08, 2020 Fact checked Verywell Mind content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by James Lacy Fact checked by James Lacy LinkedIn James Lacy, MLS, is a fact-checker and researcher. Learn about our editorial process Print Andy Ryan/Stone/Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents What They Do Work Environment Salary Education and Training Differences Job Outlook Social psychologists "study how social influence, social perception, and social interaction influence individual and group behavior." Learn more about what social psychologists do, the training and educational requirements and the job outlook in this brief overview of careers in social psychology. What They Do Some social psychologists focus on conducting research on human behavior. These professionals might work in a university setting or they might be employed by businesses or government agencies. Other social psychologists are interested in discovering solutions to real-world problems. Applied social psychologists might help businesses hire and train employees, evaluate educational programs to determine if intervention strategies are working, search for ways to encourage people to reduce pollution or offer advice to businesses or employees who need help with conflict mediation. Work Environment Because social psychologists are trained to combine their knowledge of human behavior with scientific research methods, job options and work settings can be very diverse. Many social psychologists choose to work in educational environments such as colleges and universities where they conduct research, teach classes and run social psychology laboratories. Other social psychologists work for government offices, non-profit organizations, hospitals, social service offices, and private corporations. Salary According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, typical salaries for psychologists vary based on education, experience, specialty area, and work setting. An APA report cites a median salary of $85,000 for people whose highest degree is in social psychology. Education and Training While some social psychologists find work with a masters degree, most opt to earn a doctorate degree. In most cases, students interested in becoming a social psychologist should start by earning an undergraduate degree in psychology. The next step is to enroll in a graduate program in social psychology. Some programs follow a two-step process by first awarding a master's degree in social psychology and then a doctorate, but other programs may skip the terminal master's degree and go straight to the Ph.D. For most students, it will take at least four to five years of graduate study in order to earn a Ph.D. in Social Psychology. How Social Psychologists Differ While social psychology shares some similarities with personality psychology, there are important differences that distinguish the two areas. Personality psychologists generally focus on individual differences between people, while social psychologists are more interested in how situational variables influence the behaviors of groups and individuals. Social psychology is sometimes confused with sociology, but the two (while somewhat related) are not the same. Social psychologists tend to focus on the behavior of individual people or small groups of people while sociologists look at very large populations such as entire social groups or cultures as a whole. Job Outlook While ads seeking social psychologists may make up a smaller percentage of psychology job listings, it is important to remember that social psychologists work in a wide variety of job areas, so individuals with a Ph.D. in social psychology are frequently able to find work in related areas. Social psychologists who are looking for work can start by checking out job listings posted by the American Psychological Association on their PsycCareers website or reviewing the job postings on the Social Psychology Network’s job forum. For more information on psychology careers and which might be the best fit for you, take our psychology careers quiz. 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 3 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. American Psychological Association. Psychology: Science in Action. Social psychology studies human interactions. American Psychological Association. Psychology: Science in Action. Pursuing a career in social psychology. American Psychology Association. How much do today's psychologists make?