Which Psychology Career Is Right for You?

Since you have a passion for helping others and enjoy one-on-one interactions, a career in school psychology might be a great choice. School psychologists work with individual students and groups of students to deal with behavioral problems, academic difficulties, disabilities and other issues. They also work with teachers and parents to develop techniques to deal with home and classroom behavior. Two to three years of graduate education in school psychology is usually necessary, but specific requirements can vary by state.

Average Salary: $67,000

THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment.

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Helping people is your passion, but you also want a career that pays well and offers plenty of opportunity for advancement. Clinical psychology is a career option that can fulfill both of these needs. Clinical psychologists assess, diagnose and treat clients suffering from psychological disorders. These professionals typically work in hospital settings, mental health clinics or private practices.

Clinical psychology is the single largest employment area within psychology, but there are still plenty of jobs available for qualified professionals. In order to become a clinical psychologist, you must have a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and most states require a minimum of a one-year internship. Most graduate school programs in clinical psychology are fairly competitive.

Average Salary: $81,000

THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment.

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You're a whiz at spotting relationships, connecting the dots and solving complex problems. You probably also love to watch crime dramas such as CSI and Criminal Minds, so it might come as no surprise that a career as a forensic psychologist might be the perfect choice for you!

Forensic psychology involves applying psychology to the field of criminal investigation and the law. Forensic psychologists are often involved in custody disputes, insurance claims and lawsuits. Some professionals work in family courts and offer psychotherapy services, perform child custody evaluations, investigate reports of child abuse and conduct visitation risk assessments.

Average Salary: $75,000

THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment.

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You have a strong interest in topics such as persuasion and perception, but you also enjoy analyzing behavior with statistics. If you love digging deeper into data, a career in consumer psychology might be perfect for you. Also known as marketing psychology, consumer psychology is a specialty area that studies how our thoughts, beliefs, feelings and perceptions influence how people buy and relate to goods and services.

Consumer psychologists often spend a great deal of time learning more about what makes shoppers tick so that companies can better market to certain demographic groups. If you are interested in becoming a consumer psychologist, focus on taking courses that will build your understanding of human behavior, advertising, marketing, social psychology, personality and culture. Consumer psychologists also study topics such as social influence, persuasion techniques, compliance and conformity.

Average salary varies greatly depending on which track you take.

THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment.

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Helping others, especially those who are the most vulnerable, is a top priority in your life. Because of your strong sense of compassion, commitment to others and empathy, a career in social work might just be the perfect fit for you.

The field of social work utilizes social theories to understand human problems, to help improve people's lives, and to improve society as a whole. Many people specialize in particular areas, such as helping children, assisting those with life-threatening problems or aiding people in overcoming addictions.

Social Workers:

• Act as advocates for their clients
• Educate clients and teach them new skills
• Link clients to essential resources within the community
• Protect vulnerable clients and ensure that their best interests are observed
• Counsel clients who need support and assistance
• Research social problems to look for remedies
• May work at places like government agencies, hospitals, mental health clinics and private practices.

Average Salary: $41,000

THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment.

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You love solving complex problems and you want to work in a job where you always get to tackle new challenges. One career that you might enjoy is industrial-organizational psychology, a field recently listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as the single fastest-growing career in the U.S. Industrial-organizational psychologists often work in government, business or private offices.

I-O psychologists generally hold at least a master's degree in industrial-organizational psychology. What exactly do I-O psychologists do? These professionals perform a variety of functions, including hiring qualified employees, conducting tests, designing products, creating training courses, and performing research on different aspects of the workplace.

Average Salary: $74,000

THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment.

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You are an incorrigible "people watcher." Whenever you find yourself in a social setting, you spend your time carefully observing how others behave and interact. If you love thinking about how and why people behave the way they do, you might enjoy a career in the field of social psychology.

Social psychology is a discipline that uses scientific methods to understand and explain how individuals are affected by each other and their social environments. Social psychology looks at a wide range of social topics including group behavior, social perception, leadership, nonverbal behavior, love and attraction, attitudes and prejudice.

Average Salary: $85,000

THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment.

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