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Physiological Psychology

Types of Degrees Physiological Psychology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Physiological Psychology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	1
Bachelor’s Degree	1,347
Master’s Degree	55
Doctor’s Degree	20

What Physiological Psychology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Physiological Psychology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Physiological Psychology graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Physiological Psychology professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Physiological Psychology graduates include:

• Adjunct Psychology Faculty Member
• College Faculty Member
• Child Development Instructor
• School Psychology Professor
• Adjunct Psychology Professor
• Industrial Psychology Teacher
• Educational Psychology Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor
• Human Relations Professor
• Faculty Member
• Abnormal Psychology Teacher
• Industrial Psychology Professor
• Psychology Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Psychology Lecturer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	30.4%
Post-doctoral training	26.4%
Doctoral degree	17.1%
Master’s degree	12.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.2%
Postsecondary certificate	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.6%
Some college courses	1.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Physiological Psychology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75.9% of Physiological Psychology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,081	75.9%
Men	343	24.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	589	41.4%
Asian	346	24.3%
Hispanic or Latino	241	16.9%
Black or African American	75	5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Two or More Races	77	5.4%
Race Unknown	34	2.4%
International Students	58	4.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Physiological Psychology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Physiological Psychology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,814
4 years	$50,900
5 years	$59,985

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,985 — roughly 72% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Physiological Psychology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Physiological Psychology graduates earn a median of $50,900 four years after completion — roughly 34% 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
Research and Experimental Psychology	42.27
Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics	42.2701
Comparative Psychology	42.2702
Developmental and Adolescent Psychology	42.2710
Developmental and Child Psychology	42.2703
Experimental Psychology	42.2704
Personality Psychology	42.2705
Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology	42.2708
Psychopharmacology	42.2709
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other	42.2799
Social Psychology	42.2707
Applied Behavior Analysis	42.2814

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.