Students in the major who want to actually become a licensed psychologist (and work directly with people in private practice or hospital settings) should plan to go on for their Ph.D or MSW. The same goes for those interested in teaching on a collegiate level and independent research, the BLS states, though junior-level research positions are sometimes open to those with a master’s degree.

The prospects for remaining in the field armed only with an undergraduate degree, however, are less than encouraging.

“Very few job opportunities directly related to psychology will exist for bachelor’s degree holders,” the bureau states. “Some may find jobs as assistants in rehabilitation centers, or in other jobs involving data collection and analysis. Those who meet state certification requirements may become high school psychology teachers.”

But don’t despair. Most bachelor’s degree-holders branch out into other occupations anyway.
According to The College Majors Handbook, published by JIST Works, Inc., fewer than 25 percent of undergraduate-level psychology majors work in jobs that are closely related to their field of study. Many work, for example, work in fields that are only marginally related to psychology, including marketing research, social work, labor relations or management and productivity improvement. “They may work as research or administrative assistants or become sales or management trainees in business,” the BLS states.

Fully 50 percent of psychology graduates work for businesses and for-profit corporations, the Handbook notes. Another 16 percent work for the government, 14 percent work for educational institutions and 13 percent are self-employed. The remaining 9 percent work in the private, nonprofit sector including charitable organizations.
“A psychology degree can work in any type of job where you are working with people,” said Kambi Meier, 26, a 1998 graduate of Arizona State University. “What intrigued me about psychology is that it was the study of human behavior and organizational behavior and that’s what it’s all about.”

Meier, who now works as a communications specialist for a leading financial services firm, said she expects to return for a higher degree in something unrelated to psychology someday in the future. But she stressed her job opportunities don’t depend on it.

“Psychology absolutely helped me in understanding people and how they interact,” she said. “It’s come into play with what I do now.”

The job market for psychologists is expected to grow 10 percent to 20 percent through 2008, about as fast as the national average for all occupations, according to government data (especially in health psychology).

But the market for social workers, a common employment outlet for psychology majors, is expected to grow much faster at 36 percent or more during the same time period. Demand in the field is largely being driven by the aging population, which requires more mental and physical assistance. (Note: Higher degrees in social work, as well, are increasingly the norm.)

Salaries for those trained in psychology vary dramatically depending on the job title, geographic location and level of education.

Moving beyond starting salaries, however, the Handbook reports that psych graduates with only a bachelor’s degree earn roughly $44,600 a year, a level that is 9 percent lower than the average for all college grads. Thos who work in management and senior-level administrative positions earn the most, at $58,000 per year, followed by those employed under the broad category of insurance, securities, real estate and business services who earn an average of $56,000. Social workers and administrative record clerks earn the least at close to $30,000 per year.

“I’d say you can do anything you want to do with a psychology degree,” Brewer said. “We do alumni surveys of our undergraduates and I can tell you that there are firemen, marketing directors, ministers, teachers, pilots and business executives.”

Psych majors, he added, are especially well positioned in the job market because they are trained to think critically and creatively and are skilled in communications.

“That’s why psychology majors are so versatile,” Brewer said. “Those are the same skills that you’ll need as a business executive, architect, librarian or social worker. There are not many jobs that require skills that psychology majors don’t have.”