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Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy

Types of Degrees Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy Majors Are Earning

Those studying Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	3
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy Majors Need to Know

Programs in Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 5 / 5; level 6.9 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 5 / 5; level 6.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.7 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.6 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.6 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4 / 7
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Polaris Health Directions Polaris-MH	Medical software	—
B Sharp Technologies B Care	Medical software	—
Health Care Software HCS INTERACTANT	Medical software	—
UNI/CARE Pro-Filer	Medical software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
MedEZ behavioral healthcare and substance abuse software	Medical software	—
BlackHawk Canyon Publishers PracticianWorks	Medical software	—
Addison Health Systems WritePad EHR	Medical software	—
MS*Health Software/CMHC	Medical software	—
Blueberry Harbor Software Clinical Record Keeper	Medical software	—
Office Management Systems Mental Health Office All-in-One	Medical software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy graduates include:

• Counselor
• Psychoanalyst
• Family Psychologist
• Sexual Assault Response Coordinator
• Educational Psychologist
• Behavioral Psychologist
• Behavioral Therapist
• Assessment Coordinator
• Vocational Psychologist
• Elder Counselor
• Criminal Psychologist
• Counseling Psychologist
• Therapist
• Licensed Clinical Psychologist
• Eating Disorder Psychologist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-doctoral training	48%
Doctoral degree	44%
Master’s degree	8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 60% women and 40% men among Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3	60.0%
Men	2	40.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2	40.0%
Asian	1	20.0%
Race Unknown	2	40.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$46,066
4 years	$46,824
5 years	$52,641

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $52,641 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy graduates earn a median of $46,824 four years after completion — roughly 23% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	51.15
Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling	51.1506
Clinical/Medical Social Work	51.1503
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling	51.1504
Genetic Counseling/Counselor	51.1509
Hospice and Palliative Care	51.1512
Infant/Toddler Mental Health Services	51.1510
Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling	51.1505
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist	51.1511
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other	51.1599
Mental Health Counseling/Counselor	51.1508
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician	51.1502

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.