What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s in Psychology?

HomeFAQsWhat Can You Do With a Bachelor’s in Psychology?

Earning an accredited bachelor’s degree in psychology provides an understanding of human cognition, motivation, and behavior.

Those enrolled in bachelor’s of psychology programs can see what specializations pique their interest through coursework that covers a wide range of psychology-related topics. Course offerings in undergraduate psychology programs can cover certain populations (e.g., children and adolescent development), activities (e.g., sports psychology), diseases (e.g., the psychology of addiction), human processes (e.g., personality development), or practical applications (e.g., counseling process and techniques).

Students can pursue a bachelor’s of science (BS) in psychology for a math- and science-focused perspective on psychology or they can pursue a bachelor’s of art (BA) in psychology, which will provide a more humanities-focused perspective on the discipline.

Bachelor’s degrees in psychology are offered on campus and in online or hybrid (blended) formats. A hybrid program combines on-campus and distance-based learning. In-person components may include orientations, immersions, internships, or residencies. Online and hybrid bachelor’s in psychology programs are best suited to disciplined and self-motivated students who can independently manage their learning.

The potential jobs for psychology graduates are as broad as what one can study in psychology. New psychology graduates could find themselves on the clinical side of psychology, assisting licensed mental health professionals, researchers, counselors, or psychologists. Jobs for those with a bachelor of psychology could also be more administrative, requiring them to manage people, teams, or customers. It’s also possible that those with bachelor’s of psychology degrees may find their knowledge of the human mind best suits them for jobs like sales and marketing.

While some psychology jobs require formalized training beyond the bachelor’s level, many jobs are available to those fresh out of an undergraduate program. The following are examples of jobs that someone who has a BA or BS in psychology is qualified to pursue directly following graduation. For those interested in becoming clinicians or licensed counselors, read the section entitled “Psychology Jobs Beyond the Bachelor’s in Psychology.”

Featured Counseling & Psychology Programs
George Mason University	MPS - Applied Industrial and Organizational Psychology	Program Website
Southern New Hampshire University	Online BA in Psychology	Program Website
Southern New Hampshire University	Online BA in Psychology - Addictions	Program Website
New York University	Online MA - Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness	Program Website
Northwestern University	Online MA - Counseling	Program Website
Walden University	BS - Psychology	Program Website
Walden University	BS - Psychology: Addiction	Program Website
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Become a Health Educator

Health educators develop and implement educational interventions for individuals, groups, and communities that foster healthy behaviors and lifestyles. They immerse themselves in the community where they’re working to develop relevant and timely programming for community members and the providers who serve them. They teach people how to prevent negative health outcomes or manage existing health conditions.

Health educators also refer clients to relevant or needed healthcare information, providers, or services, when needed. To ensure that programming is effective and relevant, they collect and analyze data regarding their programming and their communities to consistently improve programming, services, and offerings.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023) predicts that between 2022 and 2032, there will be 7 percent growth in openings in this field nationally. That growth is more than double the average anticipated growth rate for all professions during that time (3 percent) and will add 4,400 jobs to the market. In May 2022, the average salary for a health educator was $66,710 per year (BLS May 2022).

Become a Human Resources Specialist

A human resources specialist focuses on how employees flow through a company. They are often responsible for creating, improving, and sometimes even implementing structures for recurring, screening, interviewing, and placing workers within an organization or company.

This requires the HR specialist to consult divisions, departments, or managers to understand company needs; find and recruit candidates with the right skills and cultural fit; perform background checks on candidates; and ensure the candidate is flowing through the interview process promptly. Following hiring, HR specialists may also be responsible for training, employee relations, determining compensation, administering benefits, and training and orientation.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2022), human resources specialists earned, on average, $73,080 per year in May 2022. The anticipated growth for human resources specialists according to the BLS (2023) is 6 percent, double the anticipated growth for all occupations nationally between 2022 and 2032. In that period, there will be a predicted 51,400 new human resources specialists jobs added to the labor market.

Become a Probation Officer or Correctional Treatment Specialist

Those interested in rehabilitating formerly incarcerated or probated populations can begin working as a probation officer or correctional treatment specialist.

Probation officers and CTSs are responsible for determining, evaluating, documenting, and assisting someone on probation or parole with implementing the best possible pathway to rehabilitation. CTSs may also do this work for actively incarcerated people who are on the path toward release. Toward this end of rehabilitation, the probation officer or CTS will assess progress in a case by speaking with the rehabilitating person, that person’s community, and any other professionals assisting or serving the probationer, parolee, or inmate.

When needed, a parole officer or CTS will administer drug testing and will connect parolees or those on probation to the services required to assist with adequate rehabilitation. Parole officers and CTSs may also be required to testify on behalf of their clients.

According to the BLS (2023), community-level corrections are often more financially viable than incarceration, so demand for positions such as these should continue growing. That said, at 3 percent predicted growth between 2022 and 2032, the BLS’s predicted growth for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists is as fast as the national 3 percent. The average annual salary for this occupation in May 2022 was $64,920.

Become a Social and Human Service Assistant

An SHSA’s main function is to assist licensed health professionals who are providing services and interventions to clients in the community. SHSAs may work with clients directly to assess what kind of help is needed, provide health interventions (bathing, eating, etc.), or engage in client follow-up care.

SHSAs may also serve in administrative functions where they coordinate care, act as a liaison between clients and providers, research available social services, or speak with clinicians to help clinicians develop treatment plans. Because some SHSA positions only require a high-school diploma, students currently enrolled in a bachelor’s of psychology program could potentially begin a position like this while in school to start gaining practical experience in the field.

According to the BLS (May 2022), the average annual salary for social and human service assistants in 2022 was $41,600. Positions in this occupation are predicted to grow 9 percent nationally between 2022 and 2032, adding 35,600 jobs in that period. This growth rate is three times the predicted 3 percent for all occupations during this time.

Become a Training and Development Specialist

A training and development specialist (TDS) is tasked with training employees already hired. Those working in this role will find themselves engaged in research, assessment, design, implementation, review, and improvement of programs that develop internal talent.

A TDS conducts assessments via interviews or surveys with employees, managers, and other stakeholders. Based on findings, a TDS will identify or create training materials, determine the best method for dissemination, create and manage programs within established budgets, and implement training directly or delegate training responsibility to the most appropriate internal party or third party. A TDS will also determine the training modality (online, in person, etc.), and ensure that the training is accessible based on that modality.

In May 2022, the average annual salary for a training and development specialist was $69,870 nationwide. The BLS predicted that this occupation will experience a 6 percent growth rate between 2022 and 2032, adding 24,200 new jobs nationally during that time period. This growth rate is double the average nationwide predictions for occupational growth.

Become a Marketing Research Analyst

A marketing research analyst can apply their knowledge of psychology to help companies understand what products people want, need, and will buy.

Best suited to a tech-savvy graduate whose bachelor’s in psychology included coursework in statistics and research methods, this occupation is highly analytical. A marketing research analyst will design data intake forms, prepare reports, run software analyses, and help companies understand the viability of or improve a product idea by looking at human behavior through the lens of demographics, buying habits, and preferences.

In addition, marketing research analysts will examine the sales pipelines of competitors, including factors like market, price, sales, and marketing methods. Based on their knowledge of the market, competition, and the consumer, marketing research analysts’ work may also contribute to how a company advertises, educates, or otherwise disseminates information regarding the product.

According to the BLS (May 2022), the average annual salary for a marketing research analyst was $78,880. As a result of the increasing use of data across all markets, the BLS predicts that this occupation will grow by 13 percent between 2022 and 2032, more than four times faster than the growth anticipated for all occupations during this time period (3 percent). It is predicted that within this decade, 116,600 marketing research analyst jobs will be added to the job market in the US.

Become a Technical Writer

Also known as technical communicators, technical writers prepare journal articles, how-to guides, instruction manuals, and other supporting documents to communicate technical and complex information more easily. Technical writers also develop, gather, and disseminate technical information through an organization’s communications channels.

These professionals must be able to understand and discuss complex information with people of diverse occupational backgrounds, as they often work with computer support specialists, software developers, and computer hardware engineers to manage the flow of information among project workgroups during testing and development.

According to the BLS (May 2022), the average annual salary for a technical writer was $86,760 in Mat 2022. The BLS predicts that this occupation will grow by 7 percent between 2022 and 2032, more than two times faster than the growth anticipated for all occupations during this time period (3 percent). It is predicted that within this decade, 3,700 technical writer jobs will be added to the job market in the US.

Psychology Jobs Beyond the Bachelor’s in Psychology

Many undergraduates choose psychology because they’re interested in becoming psychologists, counselors, or therapists. To gain the ability to practice with licensure, most states require that a professional have a minimum of a master’s degree.

The following jobs are for those with a bachelor’s in psychology who are open to continuing their formalized training into the master’s or doctoral levels.

Become a Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, or Mental Health Counselor

Counselors in this subfield of human services work with clients to develop treatment plans for alcoholism and drug addiction, behavioral interventions for issues like eating disorders, and strategies to help clients overcome or manage mental health issues in healthy and constructive ways.

Counselors providing services like these will evaluate clients to assess the state of their issue, chat with clients and families to understand the ecosystem creating the conditions for the issue,, and work together with clients to create treatment plans that will help them cope and possibly recover.

Some clinicians of this type will work alone in private practice; others will work in therapist groups; and some will provide specialized knowledge and skills to supplement care being delivered by other social services or healthcare providers. Counselors like these will also engage in the documentation of interventions and will refer or connect clients with needed services related to recovery.

Although the BLS says it is possible to work in this arena with a bachelor’s degree, most state licensure requirements have a master’s degree as the minimum required for formalized training.

As states look to alternatives to incarceration for drug offenders, the BLS (2023) predicts that the need for this occupation will rise by 18 percent between 2022 and 2032 — which is six times the predicted rate for average nationwide occupational growth (3 percent). With 71,500 new jobs predicted during this time period, the BLS predicts a total of 459,600 counselors will be employed in this arena by 2032. The annual annual substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselor salary in May 2022 was $56,230 annually.

Become a Rehabilitation Counselor

The goal of a rehabilitation counselor is to foster independence in the lives of people with emotional, physical, mental, or developmental disabilities. A rehabilitation counselor can work with people of all ages to overcome structural, social, and personal barriers to employment, independent living, and autonomy.

Rehab counselors will engage in evaluation, working with clients to create treatment plans, coordinating with the client’s team of caretakers for best outcomes, connecting clients to needed programs or services, and maintaining documentation for progress-tracking, care coordination, and adherence to regulations.

They may work with clients one-on-one or with groups in outpatient or in-home care settings. Rehabilitation counselors may also engage in advocacy for their clients, education with their clients, and education for employers and caretakers who work regularly with their clients. Common clients of a rehabilitation counselor include veterans, the elderly, and students.

With 1,600 new positions anticipated between 2022 and 2032, the BLS (2023) predicts that this occupation will grow by 2 percent in that decade. This growth rate is slightly below the average anticipated national growth rate for all occupations (3 percent). The average annual salary for rehabilitation counselors in May 2022 was $46,020.

Become a School Counselor

School counselors guide students, which enables them to find success in schooling. To this end, school counselors evaluate a student’s aptitude and interests, identify any barriers to success, and create comprehensive plans that bring a student to their desired outcome. They can work at the elementary, middle, or high school levels.

A school counselor’s work generally happens one-on-one with students and may also happen at systemic levels through recommendations for programming, services, offerings, or educational interventions implemented by teachers, administrators, or in large group settings for the whole school.

School counselors may be proactive in their work by helping students pursue the correct coursework and develop the best possible study and decision-making skills to propel them toward college and/or their chosen career. They may also be reactive in their work, helping troubled, truant, or struggling students to overcome social, behavioral, or motivational struggles regarding their schooling.

With a growing population of school-aged students, the BLS (2023) predicts that positions in school counseling will grow by 5 percent between 2022 and 2032, adding 18,400 jobs. The average annual salary for a school counselor in May 2022 was $64,200.

Become a Psychologist

For graduates of bachelor of psychology programs who want to take their study and understanding of the discipline to the next level, becoming a psychologist is one pathway toward mastery. There is a wide range of psychologist positions to choose from, including (but not limited to):

Clinical and counseling psychologists work with individuals
Developmental psychologists work to understand changes throughout the human lifecycle
Forensic psychologists work in the criminal justice system
Industrial-organizational psychologists work with businesses or organizations
Rehabilitation psychologists work with disabled populations
School psychologists work with schools

Regardless of position or setting, psychologists’ main purpose is to understand and explain human behavior to improve behaviors and the processes that mediate behavior. Except industrial/organizational psychologists, those who wish to become psychologists will need doctoral-level training.

The job outlook for psychologists between 2022 and 2032 is predicted to be quite good. According to the BLS, psychologists will see occupational growth of 6 percent during this time period, which is twice the predicted growth for all occupations across the nation (3 percent). With the expected addition of 12,000 jobs by 2032, there will be a total of 208,000 psychologist positions nationally by 2032. The average annual salary for different psychologist positions is as follows:

Position	Annual Average Salary
Industrial-organizational psychologists	$144,610
Clinical and counseling psychologists	$102,740
School psychologists	$87,550
Psychologists, all other	$99,560

Apply to An Accredited Master’s Program in Psychology

For those students looking to become more competitive in the job market, expand their training and skills, or increase their earning capacity, an accredited master’s program in psychology can be a wise investment. Those with a bachelor’s degree in psychology are qualified to apply for a wide range of master’s programs in various branches of psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, counseling, and more.

Prerequisites to enter into a master’s program will vary considerably depending on the program. Before choosing to apply to a master’s program, it is essential that prospective students become familiarized with the admissions requirements for each program by visiting a program’s admission page or by speaking directly with an admission counselor. The general requirements that one can expect for a master’s program are as follows:

Minimum undergraduate GPA threshold (varies, but can be as low as 2.5)
Official transcripts from all universities attended
Resume or CV
Letters of recommendation (possibly academic and professional)
Statement of purpose or admissions essay
Application fee
GRE scores (less frequent)
Work experience (less frequent)
Interview (less frequent)

When thinking about which programs to choose, it’s important for a prospective student to consider accreditation. Accreditation is a voluntary process where universities or programs agree to provide proof that they provide relevant and high-quality education by adhering to standards created and adjudicated by a third-party organization. In addition, if a student wants to become a licensed clinician or certified professional, graduation from an accredited program is almost always required.

In the case of psychology, specifically, the major educational accrediting body—the American Psychological Association (APA)—only accredits graduate education at the doctoral level. Because specific programmatic accreditation is not available for master’s in psychology programs, a prospective student should make sure the university has regional or national accreditation as awarded by the Department of Education’s Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Becca Brewer, MEd

Writer

Becca Brewer is building a better future on a thriving earth by healing herself into wholeness, divesting from separation, and walking the path of the loving heart. Previously to her journey as an adventurer for a just, meaningful, and regenerative world, Becca was a formally trained sexuality educator with a master of education.