WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY?

You cannot be a practicing psychologist without an advanced degree in psychology, you may be able to work in the field of psychology in a support or staff-type position. Although we typically advise students that they should plan on pursuing a graduate degree if they want to work in the field of psychology, you may be surprised at the variety of career opportunities available to the student with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

According to the 1994-1995 Psychology Baccalaureate Survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology are in the following general areas of employment.

Employment Area	% of Graduates entering area
Education and Teaching	15%
Consulting and Statistical Analyses	6%
Administration & Clerical	19%
Professional Services	19%
Sales	5%
Health and Health-Related Services	23%
Research and Development / Research and Development Management	9%
Other Management	5%

The National Science Foundation (1995) surveyed students who graduated in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and found the following employment data.

Employment Status	% of graduates
Employed	70%
Enrolled Full-Time in Graduate Programs	23%
Unemployed or Not Enrolled in Graduate Programs Full-Time	7%

There is very little data pertaining to the amount of compensation a graduate with a psychology degree may expect. However, the data that is available indicates a rather large range because of the variety of employment positions involved. According to Taylor and hardy (1996), the compensation range also tends to be $4000 to $8000 higher in the eastern and western coastal states.

Degree Earned	Approximate Salary Range
Associates Degree From a Two-Year College	$9600 - $14000
Bachelor’s Degree	$15000 - $30000

Source: Landrum E. R. & Davis S. F. (2003). The Psychology Major: Career Options and Strategies for Success, 2^nd ed., Pearson Education Inc.: Upper Saddle river, NJ.