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Applied Psychology

Types of Degrees Applied Psychology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Applied Psychology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	52
Bachelor’s Degree	1,536
Master’s Degree	1,348
Doctor’s Degree	61

What Applied Psychology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Applied 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

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

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Applied 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	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Applied Psychology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite 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 Applied Psychology graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.1%
Post-doctoral training	25.2%
Doctoral degree	17.5%
Master’s degree	8.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.0%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%
Some college courses	2.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Applied Psychology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 79.5% of Applied Psychology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,384	79.5%
Men	614	20.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,339	44.7%
Asian	116	3.9%
Hispanic or Latino	481	16.0%
Black or African American	376	12.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.2%
Two or More Races	109	3.6%
Race Unknown	482	16.1%
International Students	76	2.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Applied Psychology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Applied Psychology 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	$54,756
4 years	$59,892
5 years	$67,036

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $67,036 — roughly 22% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Applied Psychology Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Applied 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	1	2
Bachelor’s	24	6
Master’s	15	4
Doctoral (Research)	3	0

^{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 Applied Psychology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Applied Psychology graduates earn a median of $59,892 four years after completion — roughly 58% 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
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology	42.28
Applied Behavior Analysis	42.2814
Clinical Child Psychology	42.2807
Clinical Psychology	42.2801
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology, Other	42.2899
Community Psychology	42.2802
Counseling Psychology	42.2803
Educational Psychology	42.2806
Environmental Psychology	42.2808
Family Psychology	42.2811
Forensic Psychology	42.2812
Geropsychology	42.2809

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.