An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Field of degree: Psychology

PRINTER-FRIENDLY

Psychology field of degree. Employment: 3,418,420. Median annual wage: $53,000.

View Chart Data

Table 1. Psychology degree, 2021
Data	Psychology	All fields
Employment	3,418,420	59,687,450
Median wage	53,000	63,000
Percent employed part time	19	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	61	62
Percent with an advanced degree	49	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of psychology majors, 2021.

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Types of psychology, 2021
Psychology majors	Major share
Psychology	92%
Counseling Psychology	3
Miscellaneous Psychology	2
Clinical Psychology	1
Educational Psychology	1
Other	1
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a psychology degree, by occupational group, 2021.

View Chart Data

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a psychology degree, by occupational group, 2021
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	15%
Community and social service occupations	13
Educational instruction and library occupations	13
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	11
Office and administrative support occupations	9
Other	39
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a psychology degree.

View Chart Data

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a psychology degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2022–32	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2021	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2021
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors	18%	Bachelor's degree	2%	68%
Lawyers	8	Doctoral or professional degree	2	91
Social workers, all other	7	Bachelor's degree	3	44
Human resources specialists	6	Bachelor's degree	2	19
Registered nurses	6	Bachelor's degree	2	13
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors	5	Master's degree	2	62
Psychologists, all other	5	Master's degree	3	92
Postsecondary teachers, all other	4	Doctoral or professional degree	3	72
Managers, all other	3	Bachelor's degree	4	21
Elementary school teachers, except special education	1	Bachelor's degree	4	49
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Psychology,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/psychology/psychology-field-of-degree.htm (visited September 06, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023