If you are reading this book for a college course, then you are likely taking an undergraduate-level course in psychology, and perhaps you are planning to earn an undergraduate degree. Many students begin their journey by obtaining a two-year associate’s degree, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution. A bachelor’s degree in psychology is a great step toward understanding the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It can prepare you to enter a graduate program, or it may serve as the foundation for your career. The psychology bachelor’s degree is exceptionally popular, with over 97,000 awarded in 2010–2011 (Snyder & Dillow, 2011), which could mean substantial competition in the job market. This is one place where the decision between entering the workforce or attending graduate school becomes important. TABLE b.1 gives you a sense of the types of jobs you can obtain with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
| Psychology Focus | Median Annual Salary | Business Focus | Median Annual Salary | Other Focus | Median Annual Salary |
| Caseworker | $28,000 | Administrative assistant | $35,000 | Child-care employee | $19,000 |
| Correctional treatment specialist | $47,000 | Advertising sales agent | $45,000 | Clergy | $48,000 |
| Foster-care home supervisor | $28,000 | Airline reservations employee | $33,500 | Community service manager | $58,000 |
| Group home supervisor | $28,000 | Customer relations | $30,000 | Health services manager | $84,000 |
| Probation officer | $47,000 | Employment counselor | $56,000 | High school teacher | $53,000 |
| Residential treatment center employee | $27,000 | Insurance agent | $47,000 | Law enforcement | $55,000 |
| Social services director | $58,000 | Human resources | $53,000 | Parks and recreation worker | $22,000 |
| Substance abuse counselor | $38,000 | Public relations | $57,500 | Security officer | $24,000 |
| A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY PREPARES YOU FOR MANY TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. HERE, WE SEE HOW THIS TYPE OF DEGREE IS NOT LIMITED TO THE FIELD OF PSYCHOLOGY. FOR MORE UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, LOG ONTO LAUNCHPAD AT HTTP://WORTHPUBLISHERS.COM/LAUNCHPAD/LICHT. | |||||
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SOURCE: ADAPTED FROM LANDRUM (2001) AND LLOYD (1997, JULY 16). SALARY INFORMATION FROM BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS (2012–2013). |
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When it comes to earning potential, education level matters. People with bachelor’s degrees earn an estimated $2.3 million over the course of a lifetime. Contrast that with $1.3 million lifetime earnings for those with only high school diplomas. Higher-level degrees generally lead to the most lucrative positions. The average lifetime salary for someone with a master’s degree is $2.7 million. People with doctoral degrees earn approximately $3.3 million over the course of their careers (Carnevale, Rose, & Cheah, 2011).
Earning an undergraduate degree in psychology is a great accomplishment. Yet, many students find that they want an even deeper understanding of a particular field in psychology, which they can only get a taste of as an undergraduate. Other students decide to take a break after finishing their course of study for a bachelor’s degree; but as the years pass following graduation, they start to realize they want to further their education and a career in psychology. In either case, the next step might be a graduate degree, which is an important decision that requires a great deal of research and effort. Opportunities abound in terms of the type of graduate degree and the colleges and universities that offer them. The American Psychological Association (APA) publishes a great resource for students thinking about this next step, Graduate Study in Psychology (American Psychological Association, 2013a). This guide, which is routinely updated, includes approximately 600 psychology graduate programs offered in the United States and Canada, and information about them, such as the number of applications they receive, deadlines for applications, employment information for their graduates, and tuition costs.
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