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Psychology

Types of Degrees Psychology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Psychology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	194
Associate’s Degree	18,923
Bachelor’s Degree	143,144
Master’s Degree	43,906
Doctor’s Degree	7,430

What Psychology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Psychology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Psychology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Psychology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Psychology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Psychology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Psychology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Psychology graduates include:

• Assistant Professor
• Associate Professor
• Teacher
• Faculty Member
• Professor
• Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• University Faculty Member
• College Professor
• Lecturer
• Adjunct Psychology Instructor
• Adjunct Psychology Faculty Member
• Applied Psychology Teacher
• Human Relations Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.7%
Post-doctoral training	21.9%
Doctoral degree	17.4%
Master’s degree	10.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.0%
Postsecondary certificate	2.4%
Some college courses	2.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Psychology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 80.4% of Psychology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	171,769	80.4%
Men	41,899	19.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Psychology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	101,654	47.6%
Asian	14,063	6.6%
Hispanic or Latino	49,657	23.2%
Black or African American	22,670	10.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	925	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	398	0.2%
Two or More Races	9,805	4.6%
Race Unknown	7,721	3.6%
International Students	6,775	3.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Psychology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Psychology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,592
4 years	$47,020
5 years	$54,091

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $54,091 — roughly 40% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Psychology Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Psychology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	90	56
Bachelor’s	228	254
Master’s	234	143
Doctoral (Research)	52	29

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Psychology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Psychology graduates earn a median of $47,020 four years after completion — roughly 24% 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.}

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.