Getting your doctorate in psychology is no easy feat. After years of schooling and clinical experience, you want to make sure it pays off monetarily. If you’ve completed a PsyD program whether it be a PsyD online program or not, you’re almost at the finish line. In order to even get to this point, you had to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s degree, and now your PsyD. In order to get your psychology license in your respective state, you’ve still got a ways to go, but the education aspect of the process is over.
Now you have to put in long hours as clinical experience before you can sit for the two tests you need to pass in order to obtain your license to practice. Once that’s done, you need to apply for licensure, submit to background checks, fingerprinting, and other security measures. At the end of the tunnel, it’s all worth it. Becoming a psychologist is something you should be immensely proud of, but the intrinsic value of the degree isn’t all that you need. Now that you can, it’s in your best interest to pick the career that’s going to help you pay off those student loans the quickest. Here are the 11 most lucrative career paths with a PsyD degree according to Psydprograms.org.
1. Private Practice Psychologist
These psychologists make an average of $150,000 per year. Establishing their own practice allows them to see clients on their time and their price. Once the client base has been established, this can be a very lucrative path.
2. Engineering Psychologist
These psychologists make on average $108,000 per year. Their main purpose is to study how technology interacts with the daily lives of humans. They usually work for companies by eliminating safety concerns in the work environment and maximizing productivity.
3. Industrial Psychologists
These psychologists make $103,000 on average per year. This psychologist is very similar to an engineering psychologist except for her or she works closely with products and process rather than human interaction with the technology.
4. Administrative Hospital Psychologists
These psychologists make on average $95,000 per year. To become an administrative hospital psychologist, you have to work your way up in the ranks. These psychologists act as a manger to the other psychologists within the hospital.
5. Neuropsychologist
These psychologists make $91,000 per year on average. These professionals study different parts of the brain in order to find the most effective treatments for different patients.
6. Forensic Psychologists
These psychologists make about $85,000 per year on average. These professionals work to assess and treat criminals as well as aid in varying parts of criminal investigations.
7. Correctional Facility Psychologists
These psychologists make on average $85,000 per year. These professionals work with inmates at varying institutions in order to treat behavioral disorders and address mental concerns. Just like the forensic psychologist, these professionals can deal with less than ideal situations, making their income even higher.
8. Military Psychologist
These psychologists make an average of $80,000 per year. Many men and women that leave the military suffer from emotional trauma that can lead to many complications. Military psychologists are often specialized in disorders like PTSD.
9. Clinical Psychologist
These professionals make about $80,000 every year. This is one of the most common professions amongst people with PsyD degrees. It deals with assessing patients with behavioral issues and then devising treatment plans.
10. Counseling Psychologists
These psychologists make on average $73,000 per year. They often sit down with patients and advise them on how to improve their quality of life.
11. School Psychologist
These psychologists make approximately $70,000 each year. Often these professionals target specific students, or see the same student many times throughout the year. They monitor child performance, develop assistance plans, and may intervene when there are social problems with other children.