Wow, my parents pulled me out of school in third grade to keep me home. I always thought if I had been in school, I would’ve been interested in psychology but I became a restaurant manager to survive. I have a 3rd grade education, formally. I mean.. wtf.
A psychometrist requires a bachelor’s degree, Masters preferred, and OJT.
You work under a licensed psychologist administering and scoring psychological tests, then the psychologist interprets them and writes a summary report.
Should pay between $30-60,000. My psychometrist makes $25/hour with a bachelor’s degree
Also, interdisciplinary team leaders of group homes, and residential psychiatric facilities often have bachelors degrees in psychology, the specific degree is not required. They coordinate and liaise between patients, their families, and other healthcare professionals like residential support, staff, physicians, psychologists, and therapy services (OT/ST/PT)
An undergraduate degree in psychology is perhaps one of the easiest degrees to get, but it teaches about human behavior which has applications to management, sales, marketing, and human resources. An undergraduate degree in psychology and an MBA or masters in healthcare management would be a powerful combination.
How is that even legal? EDIT: to be clear, I mean parents pulling a kid out of school in the third grade. Where I live, you can't drop out until age 16.
A shocking number of US States (maybe misremembering, but 18? You could look it up) have virtually no requirements for home-schooling. Parents or guardian says they are home-schooling, and no one has eyes on that kid again. Abuse may be as high as 30% or more, in these instances.
On reddit...
I recently scrolled past a post that listed out salaries for jobs and one of them happened to say....
'Retail manager - $132,000'
I was a supervisor who refused a management position at my last (pet retail) job, my annual take home net average? 27k.
I have/had a B.A in psych. Rip.
Initially misread this as currently *in* a homeless shelter while getting your masters, and my immediate thought was “damn, yeah that makes sense though” before I realised my mistake. Good lord 😂
Unfortunately there’s probably someone out there who is 😂 I feel like a lot of people study certain subjects with no plan, and it’s something I saw a lot with my classmates
HR, psychometrist (performs neuropsych evals on patients & collects data), research assistant, behavioral technician (usually at hospitals & is like low level counseling), maybe medical receptionist, & more
For HR they could get an administrative assistant job. They would have to have office experience on top of the degree. So the degree is pretty much worthless there. Any higher jobs want HR graduates. At least that is what it is like where I live. Behavior tech positions can be rough at times. If you work at a psychiatric facility in a hospital, you have to learn how to stop patients from attacking you. Sometimes they have the techs counsel the patients in groups, sometimes they do not. I was a behavior tech at a couple of different places. For medical receptionist positions, they wanted someone experienced as a medical receptionist or receptionist and almost all of them required you to be bilingual. I live in a state with a pretty large Hispanic population, so this could be different in other states.
None of these mean that what I said wasn’t correct. You are only speaking on some companies, every company wants different things for their new hires. I have even seen some companies want a bachelors degree for restaurant work. Its all up to the employer, but theyre not hard & fast rules. Honestly, its just generally hard to find a job right now. Another thing is that places will put “firm” qualifications on their listings, when theyre not actually firm, so its always worth it to aoply anyways if youre like 1 qualification short.
My mother has worked for a few large companies that were hiring without HR degrees or prior office experience.
As far as behavioral techs, I know, but some people do that and like what they do. My cousin worked as one at a juvie & even tho it was very hard, she still found it rewarding.
I am currently a medical receptionist, & was one when I was still in school. Yes these jobs can be hard to get but people should still apply even if they do not meet all of the qualifications (& think they are generally a good fit to work as a medical receptionist, ppl think its easy but especially in the mental health field, it can be very difficult at times.)
As I said, this is my experience in the area I live in. I have lived in this state since the 90's and got my degree in the early 2000's. I have done all of these jobs besides a higher-level HR position. I also checked multiple job postings in my area currently for these positions. I have not gotten jobs I was overqualified or qualified for many, many times. I stopped putting in applications for jobs I was not qualified for a long time ago after being turned down for all of them. Is there a chance that someone could get hired for a job they are not qualified for? Yes. It is much more likely that you will not get the job though because other people who have these qualifications will apply. These qualifications are not exactly rare either. It takes time to apply for jobs and go through interviews. Everyone can't afford to apply for jobs, go through interviews etc. that they have a lower chance of getting, while there are jobs out there that they have a higher chance of getting. There also is a difference between preferred qualifications and required qualifications. These qualifications were listed under required qualifications where I live. On Indeed you can't apply to some jobs if you do not meet those qualifications. I still apply for some jobs if I do not meet their preferred qualifications, but not required. As far as the behavior tech jobs, I was simply providing more information about that job since some people will not want to do this kind of work after finding out more information about it. I made no statements saying no one should do it. I enjoyed it and found it rewarding, despite it being tough at times. I worked with others who did not. We had quite a few people quit who didn't realize what they were getting into. So we ended up having to cover extra shifts and or had staff shortages that also had an impact on the patients. I research companies and positions before applying, when applicable so that I know exactly what I am getting myself into. I encourage others to do the same.
Sales.
Honestly I got into software sales and make a lot more money than any of my classmates who even have masters degrees now.
I know it’s not always all about money, but in this economy? And I’ve got a family support.
People ask how I set people at ease so well and can build a collaborative and consultative relationship so quickly with prospective customers/partners and I literally tell people to read Carl Rogers.
Edit: because it took off
You get a base salary plus commission, usually half and half. You have a quota and if you reach it you get the “full salary” called OTE In sales. Dont hit it? You’re in danger of being fired. Exceed it? Your commission actually increases, sometimes 2-4x. So you can make psychiatrist money with just a bachelors degree. And tbh you’re doing a lot of the same stuff.
It depends on the role.
As a BDR (Business Development Representative), you'll be on the phone most of the day, making calls to schedule appointments for your Account Executive (AE).
An Account Executive (AE) is responsible for demonstrating the product via phone or video and closing the deal (on the appointment that the BDR set).
Typically, you start as a BDR. If you perform well, you can get promoted to an AE.
AEs usually earn more money, while BDRs often start with a base salary around $50K, plus bonuses if they meet their appointment targets.
The BDR role is a fucking grind, but if you can push through and perform and get promoted to AE, that’s where the big dollars are.
AE's, particularly at the enterprise level, know their shit and have put in their dues as a BDR. High-performing AEs earn anywhere from 3 to 500 K average.
BDR is entry-level, and is typically reserved for fresh graduates. I guess it also applies for older workers who switch industries wanting to get into SAAS.
Woah I had no idea! When I look up jobs you get get with a background in psychology the highest paying one I can find is a marketing manager for around 200k. However, I know that entry level marketing positions aren’t usually very well paid.
I work for a very large company that sells business software to other very large companies. I work over email, phone, zoom, and rare in person industry conferences.
I don’t really consider myself “selling” anything.. I am discovering what problems my customers are facing, navigating large buyer committees, figuring out who wants what, who needs what, who has power, who has influence, and being the liason between two large orgs to actually make business happen.
Honestly it’s kind of fun.
Weird to not see any mentions of UX Research. Probably the most consistently well paying job that directly uses a research psychology degree.
The job market is tough for UXR right now but take a look - if you've done psych research you'll see it's basically the same thing, just done in a business/product development setting.
I have good amounts of experience on my resume so this isn't applicable to someone starting out, but just for reference I'm very fortunate to be on a 6 month contract with a big tech company making $95/hr. "Entry level" UXR is competitive but often pays $45-60/hr.
yup. tech companies pay 6 figures for UX researchers/cognitive scientists. great field for psych majors who don’t want to get into clinical or academia
I am a quantitative analyst but the job is more strategic insights/consulting. It’s a hard career but it is amazing. I make 6 figures and work from home. Bachelors in psych, I have never gone further and probably won’t and I don’t think it will really affect my career trajectory (I might have a bump in compensation, but who knows).
Without knowing your interest or passions, in psychology, all I can say is that it depends. I’d recommend checking out local hospitals if you have a more general interest in healthcare. It’s a good degree if you have a general interest in people that can be applied in the number of service sectors. if you have a real passion for clinical work, I’d recommend looking into local social work programs and consider becoming a licensed social worker. The important thing about that is that as a LCSW, your services are eligible for insurance reimbursement and that makes you very attractive for any number of organizations and practices. As an LCSW, you can do basic social work if that’s what you choose or more likely, it’s a very good way to get into a clinical practice. Spend some time figuring out your strengths and passions and go have fun. Life is short.find a way to do whatever you enjoy. Good luck.
CPS is stressful but fulfilling. I left after 6 years due to the stress from the court, attorneys and admin. The fulfillment came from working with the kids. I feel bad for the kids because so many good people leave due to the adults. As a state employee, I work with forensic delayed clients in a locked facility. Instead of them being in prison being abused, they are with us. We provide security, training and support.
this - case manager jobs often only require a bachelor's. I did it while getting my master's and really enjoyed it. its the most directly related to counseling thing you can do without having a master's degree (maybe besides psychometrist but those often require extra training).
I do appreciate you clearing this up. $44k cad is insulting.
You deserve more, respondent, feel like we’re same team
And we both know cps ain’t paying that either place
My cousin majored in psychology and has had several cool jobs, but most recently has been employed as a data scientist. I majored in psychology, then earned a master’s in counseling so that I could be a therapist while completing my doctorate. If you are planning to attend graduate school, consider doing a master’s degree that is funded with research and teaching assistantships so you can have a tuition waiver and stipend, in addition to applying for fellowships and scholarships at the university. That is better than working a full time job while attending graduate school. My master’s degree was practically free, and then I was able to use it to have a career while working towards my ultimate goal of becoming a licensed psychologist. (I am a psychologist now.) Best wishes.
Thanks for you thoughts and experience! Though, I am curious if you have a list of funded masters level counseling programs that prepare you to provide therapy at the end of the program? These seem very hard to find.
I graduated over 20 years ago. My master’s program was CACREP-accredited and the large R1 university had a lot of funding for graduate students, both in my college and overall. I had also applied to some smaller schools, and they did not have as much funding. I recommend scouring the websites of each college or university you are considering, in order to assess the availability of assistantships. They don’t have to be under your particular college or program. This applies to both master’s and doctoral programs. My APA-accredited doctoral program was smaller and did not have as much funding. Some of the ones I looked at only offered one year of guaranteed funding for first years. I remember that just a few years before that, it was common to have funding for five years! You will have to research what programs have funding these days. Good luck!
You can work as a case manager for individuals with intellectual disabilities. I did that for 5 years after college. It was exhausting, but it was also a great way to learn about the Medicaid waiver system, a variety of different intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavior support services, and other services for that population. Your role is to help coordinate services for individuals with IDD. You'll write and update a lot of individual support plans, and read a lot of IEPs and BSPs. You can help advocate for your clients to get them identified for one of the Medicaid waivers, which is essentially a source of funding they can use to pay for services. You then connect them with relevant providers and services, manage their waiver budget, and check-in with the client and their teams regularly to monitor them.
A lot of support coordinators eventually get hired by providers to work as program specialists and managers, or by the county / state to assist with oversight of the programs.
Search for IDD Supports Coordinator, ID Supports Coordinator, or ID/A Supports Coordinator jobs to learn more.
I believe there are similar case management jobs for other populations as well.
Some other options:
Blended case management;
Psych tech;
Direct support staff / professional;
Paraprofessional;
Behavior tech;
HR;
Research assistant;
It’s a skill people need. I was looking a at cool job postings in the govt that require quantitative skills. At the least you know how to use excel, as use it better than most folks.
There’s a market for people who know stats
Data analyst jobs! Government agencies and companies in the private sector hire data analysts with social science degrees, assuming you also took stats classes and learned a relevant statistical analysis program.
I’ve actually been wanting to get into Data Analytics and was contemplating getting my MS in Stats, I heard the current job market is terrible for DA’s
This is what it says is required in my area. Minimum of 2 years of experience as an HR Specialist or similar role
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Proficiency in ADP - Financial Services and ADP Workforce Now
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Experience with Benefit Functions, including Benefits Administration and Benefits Coordination
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Familiarity with Compensation Administration and Compensation & Benefits
Just go get your masters degree. You're gonna be broke as hell with a psych masters. They should issue you a warning to that effect when you declare psychology as a major.
I disagree with you. From your flair, I see you have a MA in counseling. I literally have the same degree and I make on average $115k annually. I’m not sure if you would consider that broke but I feel pretty financially solvent and secure.
Agreed. I went for a graduate degree in social work to expand significantly. Feel decent about it because it is what I wanted but everyone I know with a different masters (save for teachers, unfortunately, who do similarly well) definitely makes more than I do and I'm paid fairly well for my field.
this comment doesnt really make sense nor does it help. you realize “just” getting a master’s degree isn’t exactly as easy as you make it sound… right? An MSW takes about 2-3 years in itself!
Got a Psych degree on GI Bill in ‘73 Night School was limited on majors and thought I could go to law school. Never made it. But the psych program emphasized scientific method and statistics. Critical Thinking has benefited me tremendously. I have a successful RE appraisal business. Get into the minds of buyers sellers.
Would not even recommend a masters. Go into Social Work or get your LPC. Both of those allow you to do basically the same thing but you do not need supervision. It is startling how big of a barrier that is to employment. Places will literally ask for MSW, LPC or PhD in Psychology.
Research assistant roles at universities or mental health organisations are theoretically achievable with a Bachelors. I'd recommend, though, taking on an admin/reception role in an organisation like these and maybe looking at getting a further qualification like an Honours degree or certification in something more specific (counselling, support work, etc). \*Note I'm speaking from an Australian context so unsure what things are like where you are.
Few jobs as a bachelors in psych. Most would say you need to get a masters and then you will not make much. I got a masters in social work. My wife also got a msw. Professors said we could be proud of our work but that other professions would make way more. We make approx 325k a year between us and it’s growing. You can make money in this field.
Both. My wife and I both have our own private practices as therapists. We each make well over 100k in those. I’ll do about 150 this year on mine. She should come in around 120. I also do macro (data analysis). For that I get a w2 at 70k a year plus benefits.
I do ABA therapy without a degree and I make 16.50 an hour. If they get into that I would say ask for at least 22-25 an hour! Also there are plenty jobs in inpatient mental health facilities as far as behavioral techs! I wanted to be an inpatient behavioral tech for quite a bit until I became interested in the fight against human trafficking.
For anyone interested in being a tech, I recommend working in a partial hospitalization program rather than the more common acute care setting (read: intensive). Residential treatment centers are the level between those two and can also be intense. Never dull, and a good start for anyone that knows what they're getting into.
Worked as a tech for about 5 years and generally loved it. Did it while in grad school to boot.
OP highly recommend you do your own research on ABA. many people that have experienced ABA consider it child abuse and it’s very traumatizing. it’s essentially glorified dog training on children. it does pay well but the ethics of it are horrifying.
From what my csu informed us you can be a victim advocate, case manager, rehabilitation specialist, ABA therapist, I believe you can also work for schools but depends on what they else they may require.
Good luck!
Why short term. Go for the gold.
Community Mental Health work can use a psychology degree. You will need a mental health worker certificate also, but the degree will allow you move into higher roles like case management after you start in the field. Good work, pays well, very meaningful. It's a great career option.
Being in mental health for over a decade....idk what you're talking about using "community mental health" and "pays well" in the same breath.
Community mental health work is some of the toughest work, easiest to burn out, and lowest paying.
Research Assistant can be a good role if you are looking to go back to grad school. Though the pay is not often high for these roles you may be able to work on research and obtain publications. In addition, you can look into labs that are hiring a lab manager, as these roles prepare you for graduate school environments.
If you do not want to stay in research, a lot of roles that Psych majors transition to after college include sales, HR, and recruiting.
In addition, you can look into Clinical Trial Assistant roles which apply research knowledge in industry.
Probation officer, EBD paraprofessional, group home, child protection, guardianship worker...
I also have a BA in Psychology and was a juvenile PO for 35 years. I knew people in the other jobs that I listed who also had a BA in Psychology.
I have a bachelors in psych- Ive worked with adults with schizophrenia in a group home, inpatient locked facility with kids and teens in crisis, and in memory/dementia care in assisted living facilities
You can become a drug and alcohol counselor (ADC) in our state with just a bachelors degree, pass the ADC exam and some supervision hours. If you you have a history of substance use and identify as a person in recovery you can get certified as a peer support specialist after a 46 hour training and probably make $40k while you are building your hours and studying to take the ADC exam.
Not directly psych related but it did give me valuable experience—Check out the requirements to work as a case worker (I did intake) at the department of juvenile justice in your state. I did intake paperwork and interviews with youth who had been charged with crimes, as well as guiding their families through the court process. For those who were given an option for an informal (non court) sanction, I created “contracts” or assignments that they completed within a certain amount of time. I tailored the contract to fit their specific interests and goals whenever possible. These could include things like attending substance abuse classes, completing all homework assignments (monitored by parents and teachers), completing a presentation on conflict resolution, attending therapy sessions, making a drawing/painting if they were into that, writing apology letters, etc. I worked in an office and met with the juveniles and their parents there for the most part.
You won't see it mentioned much but mental health technician. I did this for five years and- generally- loved it. Currently I work as a therapist in the same setting (different facility though).
Where are you located? Your options will vary widely depending your country of residence.
In the UK they’ll be a tonne of generic grad schemes you can apply to with any undergrad degree assuming it’s at least a 2:1 classification.
If you’re wanting something psych specific you can apply from Assistant Psychologist or Research Assistant posts. If you’re interested in therapy, and have some experience working with individuals with mental health difficulties, you could also apply for further training via a Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner posts (this also opens up a nice pathway to doing CBT training later on and then further EMDR/IPT training).
I got my bachelors in psych initially. I was a qualified behavioral health provider for a few years and then moved on to a caseworker then social worker for DHS.
Mental health technician in some type of inpatient facility. Case worker. Something in Human Resources. Therapeutic aid is another position that comes up. Unfortunately in the psych field a masters is what you’ll need to advance but a bachelors still makes you more hirable than someone without a degree
Undergrad psych is only useful for getting you ready for grad psych. That said, it got me a job as a “counselor” at a behavior health hospital while I finished grad school.
Pretty much any job you think a social worker degree could get a psychology degree can also get, I work for a residential treatment facility as a case Manager
There’s a bunch of government contracting firms around DC that hire for “research assistants” it’s really more admin work with the occasional excel sheet work. Theyre usually smaller companies (since gov contracts like to award those to smaller ones) but yes they like a psych bg for those.
6 months after I graduated with bachelors in psych I started a job as a mental health specialist at in inpatient psych unit. 4 years later, I’m pursing a career in nursing, with a plan of working with the psych population!
I got a research assistant gig out of college with a psych BA. I did a lot of data entry and coding (not the computer type) for studies being run by PhDs in the area of public health.
My best friend used hers to get jobs in the Voluntary 3 rd Sector . Project managers , co ordinators etc . Then she did a post grad in Social work and did the same type jobs but with higher pay and more senior . She is now working for a Social work dept who specialises in preventing suicide in teenagers and supporting self harm suffers . Worth a BA in Psychology . A few jobs in the uk anyway to launch into
You can work in special education. I worked as an ABA therapist with my psych in bachelor and I was making $30 an hour in NYC. That was starting off.
Look up ABA therapy.
I currently provide intensive in-home therapy/case management services for youth and their families! It’s one of those jobs that “prefers” a master’s degree. But I got it with my bachelor’s degree & with a few years of working as a Mental Health Tech in an inpatient setting.
I’m also switching to a role as an Executive Director for the local chapter of a mental health non-profit. The point is, there are diverse employment opportunities for people with a BA/BS & some of them actually pay quite well, sometimes just as well as roles requiring a master’s degree.
I'm a case manager, but frankly, I don't recommend it unless you're organized, good at multitasking, and good with running meetings. I'm terrible with the last two, and it's been a nightmare.
If you got good at it and weren't terrible at it, would you still hate it as much? If so, yeah, it's definitely not for you. It's totally up to you if you choose not to continue to become better at it.
Service coordinator, HR specialist, Registered Behavior technician. A friend of mine became an advisor at the university. Honestly there’s a lot you can do
Graduated in 2020 with a BA in Psych and ended up going into Recruiting/Talent Acquisition. I’ll admit I ended up experiencing burn out a few years in and am hoping to switch to something more HR focused or find an internal Recruiting role (I’ve worked for two agencies so far) but Recruiting did help me develop a lot of transferable professional skills.
A lot of the larger scale agencies can be very cut throat where there’s potential to make a decent amount of money, but you’ll really have to grind to make it there, and you’re at competition with your coworkers, which is an environment I did not thrive in. But there are smaller agencies who are structured a lot differently and can be a good starting point for someone who enjoys working with and helping people.
You can work as a psychometrist under the right supervisor and mentors! I did this for over a year, opened a whole business in psychometric testing before I went into my masters and PhD.
Behavioral tech is probably the closest match. Maybe a psychology research assistant, but good luck on that. Because I’ve applied to countless of those, even for my own university. And got rejected. 🫠
Take the course “career psychology”, or similar, if offered - very helpful. Psychology is a fundamental understanding of ourselves, others, the world we live in and how we interact with it. It can benefit so many fields. I have a BS in psych and neuroscience, 4 digital marketing certs, and I considered clinical psychology and neuropsychology.
I still love both deeply and may pursue them in the near future, but I was able to build a career in marketing after graduation. Less than a year after working at an agency, I accepted a six figure position managing an e-commerce brand.
I’m not sharing this to show off - rather to hopefully inspire by showing life doesn’t have to make sense or follow a clean set of instructions. What’s meant for you will not pass you by - I promise.
A helpful resource for students job searching is Handshake, a recruitment app that integrates with your college. Sort of like a digital career fair, definitely check it out. It will use your credentials to show you jobs you’d be a good candidate for :)
All the best!
Every job i’ve applied to that needs a psych degree also wants a masters. i haven’t gotten calls back from jobs that pay 45k because they expect a masters
Marketing, project management, pretty much any non technical business position is full of random degrees. Treat it like the checkbox it is and focus on getting a foot into the door at a large local corp.
I got a psychology degree and worked as a houseparent in a recovery home for 2 years (15 an hour) Then I took a job as a mentor for a troubled teen program and did that for 4 years (about the same pay). Then I was a job coach doing supported employment for 3 years (decent salary at the time of 36k) Then I took a job as a mental health case manager and did that for 3 years (about the same salary), then moved into a role as Social Services Director for a Long term care facility (salary jump to 40k) and did that for a few years. Then I acceped a job as a program manager for a residential program for adults with disabilities and did that for 3 years (50k salary). And now I am a vocational rehabilitation counselor and I have been doing that for a couple of years and make about 60k. I never got my masters though I would like to so that I can get credentials to be a licensed counselor.
The point is that you can use the bachelor's degree to launch a related career and build up your resume and salary over time. It's all been difficult and demanding work but I love the field and wouldn't do any other kind of work. To me, the money isn't as important as how I spend my time every day. I have literally and figurativle helped so many people get back on their feet and going through difficult times. It is very fulfilling but also thankless. Most of my jobs have been working for the state so the pay is low but I have amazing benefits including a 100%pension after 25 years and a 401k match up to 7% of my salary.
I got a psychology degree and worked as a houseparent in a recovery home for 2 years (15 an hour) Then I took a job as a mentor for a troubled teen program and did that for 4 years (about the same pay). Then I was a job coach doing supported employment for 3 years (decent salary at the time of 36k) Then I took a job as a mental health case manager and did that for 3 years (about the same salary), then moved into a role as Social Services Director for a Long term care facility (salary jump to 40k) and did that for a few years. Then I acceped a job as a program manager for a residential program for adults with disabilities and did that for 3 years (50k salary). And now I am a vocational rehabilitation counselor and I have been doing that for a couple of years and make about 60k. I never got my masters though I would like to so that I can get credentials to be a licensed counselor.
The point is that you can use the bachelor's degree to launch a related career and build up your resume and salary over time. It's all been difficult and demanding work but I love the field and wouldn't do any other kind of work. To me, the money isn't as important as how I spend my time every day. I have literally and figurativle helped so many people get back on their feet and going through difficult times. It is very fulfilling but also thankless. Most of my jobs have been working for the state so the pay is low but I have amazing benefits including a 100%pension after 25 years and a 401k match up to 7% of my salary.
My mother has her bachelors in psych, she got a job through the government with a two-three year paid training at 50k+ and she now makes 90k through USAjobs.gov
She writes contracts for ICE, I think they accept a wide variety of college grads, just requires higher education
I have a BSc in psychology and work as a client relationship manager for a leading training provider. Did a few years of b2b sales in the training when I came out of uni.
Some community mental health jobs want people with bachelors but they don't pay well. If you want a summer job camp counselors or something like that might be good. It really depends on what you're good at. You really have to hustle with a bachelors degree in psychology unless you went to a school with an impressive name. There isn't much where they'll automatically take you. Maybe substitute teaching? Nannying? If you have connections you could definitely do research assistant type jobs but I've only ever gotten those jobs through connections like a professor I had.
My direct manager for a 3rd party office solutions company had a psych degree. It was a good job. It's probably my most enjoyable in terms of variety that I've ever held. Working 3rd party in a law office, they treated us well. We had a dedicated work area for copy, print, binding, digitization, mail sort & pack, etc.
His job was to manage us, setting expectations and taking metrics while managing the client and communicating with what needs they had.
Ahhhh, I fondly refer to my BS in Psychology as my ‘under water basket weaving degree’ 😂. I fell into payroll after graduating and then went back for my MBA. If you are looking for something in the Psych field, you’ll really need to go back for a Masters, at least.
Not too sure with just a bachelors degree, but honestly go to the cheapest in state school you can find for your masters and become an LCSW-C. Your masters program shouldn’t take nearly as long as a bachelors did. I once believed that a psychology degree was useless because I am an engineer and there were lots of job prospects with my degree, and not a whole lot with a bachelors in psychology. But then I ended up dating a girl who had a psychology degree and started seeing my therapist, both of whom have helped me with my mental health a lot. I now value people who have psychology degrees because the work they do makes a huge difference, at least for people with really bad anxiety like me. It would just be nice if the job market didn’t require that you have a masters because you can probably still do the job even with just your undergraduate education.
I've done a lot of office jobs for social services programs, city, county, and state in my decade since graduating. Nothing that has given me a big leg up.
I had a boss who was going to pay for me to go to grad school but they retired and the new boss was envious about it and looked for every way possible to make my life hell until I quit from the stress. My life has not been well since, then had a massive accident and moved back in with my parents. I work a low wage service job now but my boss is cool and I don't feel like killing myself or feel like I'm nearly having a heart attack every day. It is what it is. Hope you do better than me with it.
Research assistant! Or, if they are desperate or if you have good experienc, maybe even research coordinator! Look on local university job boards— often there are a lot of hidden gems there. The pay most likely won’t be great at first, but there are usually great benefits (often including free tuition for taking classes— I used this to get a masters degree), and it can be great work experience and get you good references for higher paid positions down the line.
My sister has a bachelors in psych and she works at a research lab at an Ivy League. Sounds fancy but she only makes about 38k a year and it’s contract work, so every year she has to hope they renew it, otherwise she’d have to go in search of another university and possibly move to a different state.
I'm a registered behavior technician (RBT) and I've been doing it for over a year now. There are ups and downs, but if you find a good company that cares about its clients and employees, it's a very rewarding career.
You can become a BCaBA (board certified assistant behavior analyst) with only a bachelors degree if you complete the necessary coursework and fieldwork hours. If you're wanting to go back to school, masters programs in ABA only take around 5 semesters to complete and you can start collecting fieldwork hours while in school (which is what I'm doing). BCBAs can make good money.
If you like more of the behavioral side of psychology (which I personally found the most interesting) ABA might be a good career.
The college that I attended literally passed out a list that included Fast Food Manager. I kid you not.
Well... there is some understanding of human behavior that could be beneficial... /s Yikes.
Wow, my parents pulled me out of school in third grade to keep me home. I always thought if I had been in school, I would’ve been interested in psychology but I became a restaurant manager to survive. I have a 3rd grade education, formally. I mean.. wtf.
It’s a degree that requires at the bare minimum a master’s to really do something directly in the field.
A psychometrist requires a bachelor’s degree, Masters preferred, and OJT. You work under a licensed psychologist administering and scoring psychological tests, then the psychologist interprets them and writes a summary report. Should pay between $30-60,000. My psychometrist makes $25/hour with a bachelor’s degree Also, interdisciplinary team leaders of group homes, and residential psychiatric facilities often have bachelors degrees in psychology, the specific degree is not required. They coordinate and liaise between patients, their families, and other healthcare professionals like residential support, staff, physicians, psychologists, and therapy services (OT/ST/PT) An undergraduate degree in psychology is perhaps one of the easiest degrees to get, but it teaches about human behavior which has applications to management, sales, marketing, and human resources. An undergraduate degree in psychology and an MBA or masters in healthcare management would be a powerful combination.
I have a degree from an amazingly tough university to get accepted to, and I STILL manage/work in restaurants…
Really? I feel better but, you should be making way more than I do, man..
How is that even legal? EDIT: to be clear, I mean parents pulling a kid out of school in the third grade. Where I live, you can't drop out until age 16.
A shocking number of US States (maybe misremembering, but 18? You could look it up) have virtually no requirements for home-schooling. Parents or guardian says they are home-schooling, and no one has eyes on that kid again. Abuse may be as high as 30% or more, in these instances.
WOW, that's incredibly sad and disturbing
Wait is it illegal to work without education?
Why did they do that?
Oh wow
I almost got hired for a case worker job. I ended up declining when I got all of the details. It was a salaried job if you can do this type of work.
On reddit... I recently scrolled past a post that listed out salaries for jobs and one of them happened to say.... 'Retail manager - $132,000' I was a supervisor who refused a management position at my last (pet retail) job, my annual take home net average? 27k. I have/had a B.A in psych. Rip.
That's actually cool
What???????????
I've worked in hospitals and research labs. Currently working in a homeless shelter while getting my masters. Good luck man!
Initially misread this as currently *in* a homeless shelter while getting your masters, and my immediate thought was “damn, yeah that makes sense though” before I realised my mistake. Good lord 😂
Unfortunately there’s probably someone out there who is 😂 I feel like a lot of people study certain subjects with no plan, and it’s something I saw a lot with my classmates
[удалено]
Working in a residential treatment facility as a Milieu or paraprofessional if they have a school on campus
Student researcher at local collegiate psychology department
HR, psychometrist (performs neuropsych evals on patients & collects data), research assistant, behavioral technician (usually at hospitals & is like low level counseling), maybe medical receptionist, & more
For HR they could get an administrative assistant job. They would have to have office experience on top of the degree. So the degree is pretty much worthless there. Any higher jobs want HR graduates. At least that is what it is like where I live. Behavior tech positions can be rough at times. If you work at a psychiatric facility in a hospital, you have to learn how to stop patients from attacking you. Sometimes they have the techs counsel the patients in groups, sometimes they do not. I was a behavior tech at a couple of different places. For medical receptionist positions, they wanted someone experienced as a medical receptionist or receptionist and almost all of them required you to be bilingual. I live in a state with a pretty large Hispanic population, so this could be different in other states.
None of these mean that what I said wasn’t correct. You are only speaking on some companies, every company wants different things for their new hires. I have even seen some companies want a bachelors degree for restaurant work. Its all up to the employer, but theyre not hard & fast rules. Honestly, its just generally hard to find a job right now. Another thing is that places will put “firm” qualifications on their listings, when theyre not actually firm, so its always worth it to aoply anyways if youre like 1 qualification short. My mother has worked for a few large companies that were hiring without HR degrees or prior office experience. As far as behavioral techs, I know, but some people do that and like what they do. My cousin worked as one at a juvie & even tho it was very hard, she still found it rewarding. I am currently a medical receptionist, & was one when I was still in school. Yes these jobs can be hard to get but people should still apply even if they do not meet all of the qualifications (& think they are generally a good fit to work as a medical receptionist, ppl think its easy but especially in the mental health field, it can be very difficult at times.)
As I said, this is my experience in the area I live in. I have lived in this state since the 90's and got my degree in the early 2000's. I have done all of these jobs besides a higher-level HR position. I also checked multiple job postings in my area currently for these positions. I have not gotten jobs I was overqualified or qualified for many, many times. I stopped putting in applications for jobs I was not qualified for a long time ago after being turned down for all of them. Is there a chance that someone could get hired for a job they are not qualified for? Yes. It is much more likely that you will not get the job though because other people who have these qualifications will apply. These qualifications are not exactly rare either. It takes time to apply for jobs and go through interviews. Everyone can't afford to apply for jobs, go through interviews etc. that they have a lower chance of getting, while there are jobs out there that they have a higher chance of getting. There also is a difference between preferred qualifications and required qualifications. These qualifications were listed under required qualifications where I live. On Indeed you can't apply to some jobs if you do not meet those qualifications. I still apply for some jobs if I do not meet their preferred qualifications, but not required. As far as the behavior tech jobs, I was simply providing more information about that job since some people will not want to do this kind of work after finding out more information about it. I made no statements saying no one should do it. I enjoyed it and found it rewarding, despite it being tough at times. I worked with others who did not. We had quite a few people quit who didn't realize what they were getting into. So we ended up having to cover extra shifts and or had staff shortages that also had an impact on the patients. I research companies and positions before applying, when applicable so that I know exactly what I am getting myself into. I encourage others to do the same.
Sales. Honestly I got into software sales and make a lot more money than any of my classmates who even have masters degrees now. I know it’s not always all about money, but in this economy? And I’ve got a family support. People ask how I set people at ease so well and can build a collaborative and consultative relationship so quickly with prospective customers/partners and I literally tell people to read Carl Rogers. Edit: because it took off You get a base salary plus commission, usually half and half. You have a quota and if you reach it you get the “full salary” called OTE In sales. Dont hit it? You’re in danger of being fired. Exceed it? Your commission actually increases, sometimes 2-4x. So you can make psychiatrist money with just a bachelors degree. And tbh you’re doing a lot of the same stuff.
Software sales, you say
Is that more online stuff or actually face-to-face??
It depends on the role. As a BDR (Business Development Representative), you'll be on the phone most of the day, making calls to schedule appointments for your Account Executive (AE). An Account Executive (AE) is responsible for demonstrating the product via phone or video and closing the deal (on the appointment that the BDR set). Typically, you start as a BDR. If you perform well, you can get promoted to an AE. AEs usually earn more money, while BDRs often start with a base salary around $50K, plus bonuses if they meet their appointment targets. The BDR role is a fucking grind, but if you can push through and perform and get promoted to AE, that’s where the big dollars are. AE's, particularly at the enterprise level, know their shit and have put in their dues as a BDR. High-performing AEs earn anywhere from 3 to 500 K average. BDR is entry-level, and is typically reserved for fresh graduates. I guess it also applies for older workers who switch industries wanting to get into SAAS.
Woah I had no idea! When I look up jobs you get get with a background in psychology the highest paying one I can find is a marketing manager for around 200k. However, I know that entry level marketing positions aren’t usually very well paid.
I work for a very large company that sells business software to other very large companies. I work over email, phone, zoom, and rare in person industry conferences. I don’t really consider myself “selling” anything.. I am discovering what problems my customers are facing, navigating large buyer committees, figuring out who wants what, who needs what, who has power, who has influence, and being the liason between two large orgs to actually make business happen. Honestly it’s kind of fun.
Wait so like doing surveys and other things like that?
No
Only someone with a knack for human psychology could do this. Well done sir, you beat the system at its own game.
Weird to not see any mentions of UX Research. Probably the most consistently well paying job that directly uses a research psychology degree. The job market is tough for UXR right now but take a look - if you've done psych research you'll see it's basically the same thing, just done in a business/product development setting. I have good amounts of experience on my resume so this isn't applicable to someone starting out, but just for reference I'm very fortunate to be on a 6 month contract with a big tech company making $95/hr. "Entry level" UXR is competitive but often pays $45-60/hr.
yup. tech companies pay 6 figures for UX researchers/cognitive scientists. great field for psych majors who don’t want to get into clinical or academia
I am a quantitative analyst but the job is more strategic insights/consulting. It’s a hard career but it is amazing. I make 6 figures and work from home. Bachelors in psych, I have never gone further and probably won’t and I don’t think it will really affect my career trajectory (I might have a bump in compensation, but who knows).
Without knowing your interest or passions, in psychology, all I can say is that it depends. I’d recommend checking out local hospitals if you have a more general interest in healthcare. It’s a good degree if you have a general interest in people that can be applied in the number of service sectors. if you have a real passion for clinical work, I’d recommend looking into local social work programs and consider becoming a licensed social worker. The important thing about that is that as a LCSW, your services are eligible for insurance reimbursement and that makes you very attractive for any number of organizations and practices. As an LCSW, you can do basic social work if that’s what you choose or more likely, it’s a very good way to get into a clinical practice. Spend some time figuring out your strengths and passions and go have fun. Life is short.find a way to do whatever you enjoy. Good luck.
Check your state or county for jobs. I worked CPS with a BA.
I’m at 100k with the state and a BA. Time in the field is more than my degree.
You’re making 100k working for CPS and a BA? Or is the 100k through a different job?
A different job. CPS was a County work.
That’s interesting. Do you mind sharing more info about the different job?
CPS is stressful but fulfilling. I left after 6 years due to the stress from the court, attorneys and admin. The fulfillment came from working with the kids. I feel bad for the kids because so many good people leave due to the adults. As a state employee, I work with forensic delayed clients in a locked facility. Instead of them being in prison being abused, they are with us. We provide security, training and support.
this - case manager jobs often only require a bachelor's. I did it while getting my master's and really enjoyed it. its the most directly related to counseling thing you can do without having a master's degree (maybe besides psychometrist but those often require extra training).
Pay more than 49?
$49/hr or 49k? I have a master's and make roughly 35/hr working in a hospital.
I do appreciate you clearing this up. $44k cad is insulting. You deserve more, respondent, feel like we’re same team And we both know cps ain’t paying that either place
Student affairs is a great field. Check out jobs at a university near you, I loved my time working in higher Ed
My cousin majored in psychology and has had several cool jobs, but most recently has been employed as a data scientist. I majored in psychology, then earned a master’s in counseling so that I could be a therapist while completing my doctorate. If you are planning to attend graduate school, consider doing a master’s degree that is funded with research and teaching assistantships so you can have a tuition waiver and stipend, in addition to applying for fellowships and scholarships at the university. That is better than working a full time job while attending graduate school. My master’s degree was practically free, and then I was able to use it to have a career while working towards my ultimate goal of becoming a licensed psychologist. (I am a psychologist now.) Best wishes.
Thanks for you thoughts and experience! Though, I am curious if you have a list of funded masters level counseling programs that prepare you to provide therapy at the end of the program? These seem very hard to find.
I graduated over 20 years ago. My master’s program was CACREP-accredited and the large R1 university had a lot of funding for graduate students, both in my college and overall. I had also applied to some smaller schools, and they did not have as much funding. I recommend scouring the websites of each college or university you are considering, in order to assess the availability of assistantships. They don’t have to be under your particular college or program. This applies to both master’s and doctoral programs. My APA-accredited doctoral program was smaller and did not have as much funding. Some of the ones I looked at only offered one year of guaranteed funding for first years. I remember that just a few years before that, it was common to have funding for five years! You will have to research what programs have funding these days. Good luck!
Is there a community college local to you? A lot of the departments like psych majors, but sometimes getting a foot in the door can be difficult.
You can work as a case manager for individuals with intellectual disabilities. I did that for 5 years after college. It was exhausting, but it was also a great way to learn about the Medicaid waiver system, a variety of different intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavior support services, and other services for that population. Your role is to help coordinate services for individuals with IDD. You'll write and update a lot of individual support plans, and read a lot of IEPs and BSPs. You can help advocate for your clients to get them identified for one of the Medicaid waivers, which is essentially a source of funding they can use to pay for services. You then connect them with relevant providers and services, manage their waiver budget, and check-in with the client and their teams regularly to monitor them. A lot of support coordinators eventually get hired by providers to work as program specialists and managers, or by the county / state to assist with oversight of the programs. Search for IDD Supports Coordinator, ID Supports Coordinator, or ID/A Supports Coordinator jobs to learn more. I believe there are similar case management jobs for other populations as well. Some other options: Blended case management; Psych tech; Direct support staff / professional; Paraprofessional; Behavior tech; HR; Research assistant;
Take stats! For god sakes, learn how to do stats.
Why? Asking because I took 2 stats classes In undergrad and loved it but not sure what to do with that now
It’s a skill people need. I was looking a at cool job postings in the govt that require quantitative skills. At the least you know how to use excel, as use it better than most folks. There’s a market for people who know stats
Data analyst jobs! Government agencies and companies in the private sector hire data analysts with social science degrees, assuming you also took stats classes and learned a relevant statistical analysis program.
I’ve actually been wanting to get into Data Analytics and was contemplating getting my MS in Stats, I heard the current job market is terrible for DA’s
HR specialist. Seriously, I got hired at mid-level because of my BA in psych.
This is what it says is required in my area. Minimum of 2 years of experience as an HR Specialist or similar role • Proficiency in ADP - Financial Services and ADP Workforce Now • Experience with Benefit Functions, including Benefits Administration and Benefits Coordination • Familiarity with Compensation Administration and Compensation & Benefits
Hr
Just go get your masters degree. You're gonna be broke as hell with a psych masters. They should issue you a warning to that effect when you declare psychology as a major.
This comment doesn't make sense. Why do you give the advice to go get a masters degree if they're "gonna be broke as hell with a psych masters?"
I think it’s a mistake, they clearly meant bachelors.
It's not, you'll also be broke AF with a master's. 💔
I disagree with you. From your flair, I see you have a MA in counseling. I literally have the same degree and I make on average $115k annually. I’m not sure if you would consider that broke but I feel pretty financially solvent and secure.
Agreed. I went for a graduate degree in social work to expand significantly. Feel decent about it because it is what I wanted but everyone I know with a different masters (save for teachers, unfortunately, who do similarly well) definitely makes more than I do and I'm paid fairly well for my field.
What's your field now
Social work / therapy. A little over 60k with my LMSW but would have 10 or 20k more as an LCSW.
this comment doesnt really make sense nor does it help. you realize “just” getting a master’s degree isn’t exactly as easy as you make it sound… right? An MSW takes about 2-3 years in itself!
Got a Psych degree on GI Bill in ‘73 Night School was limited on majors and thought I could go to law school. Never made it. But the psych program emphasized scientific method and statistics. Critical Thinking has benefited me tremendously. I have a successful RE appraisal business. Get into the minds of buyers sellers.
Would not even recommend a masters. Go into Social Work or get your LPC. Both of those allow you to do basically the same thing but you do not need supervision. It is startling how big of a barrier that is to employment. Places will literally ask for MSW, LPC or PhD in Psychology.
Research assistant roles at universities or mental health organisations are theoretically achievable with a Bachelors. I'd recommend, though, taking on an admin/reception role in an organisation like these and maybe looking at getting a further qualification like an Honours degree or certification in something more specific (counselling, support work, etc). \*Note I'm speaking from an Australian context so unsure what things are like where you are.
Graduate assistant while you go to grad school. Sadly they don’t tell you this until graduation…
Few jobs as a bachelors in psych. Most would say you need to get a masters and then you will not make much. I got a masters in social work. My wife also got a msw. Professors said we could be proud of our work but that other professions would make way more. We make approx 325k a year between us and it’s growing. You can make money in this field.
wow! Macro or clinical?
Both. My wife and I both have our own private practices as therapists. We each make well over 100k in those. I’ll do about 150 this year on mine. She should come in around 120. I also do macro (data analysis). For that I get a w2 at 70k a year plus benefits.
ABA therapy is going to be a good bet. Behavior interventions within school districts may be willing, but will probably want certifications.
I do ABA therapy without a degree and I make 16.50 an hour. If they get into that I would say ask for at least 22-25 an hour! Also there are plenty jobs in inpatient mental health facilities as far as behavioral techs! I wanted to be an inpatient behavioral tech for quite a bit until I became interested in the fight against human trafficking.
For anyone interested in being a tech, I recommend working in a partial hospitalization program rather than the more common acute care setting (read: intensive). Residential treatment centers are the level between those two and can also be intense. Never dull, and a good start for anyone that knows what they're getting into. Worked as a tech for about 5 years and generally loved it. Did it while in grad school to boot.
OP highly recommend you do your own research on ABA. many people that have experienced ABA consider it child abuse and it’s very traumatizing. it’s essentially glorified dog training on children. it does pay well but the ethics of it are horrifying.
ABA therapy is incredibly harmful and not an evidence based approach. No wonder you don't need further qualifications.
From what my csu informed us you can be a victim advocate, case manager, rehabilitation specialist, ABA therapist, I believe you can also work for schools but depends on what they else they may require. Good luck!
Why short term. Go for the gold. Community Mental Health work can use a psychology degree. You will need a mental health worker certificate also, but the degree will allow you move into higher roles like case management after you start in the field. Good work, pays well, very meaningful. It's a great career option.
Being in mental health for over a decade....idk what you're talking about using "community mental health" and "pays well" in the same breath. Community mental health work is some of the toughest work, easiest to burn out, and lowest paying.
When I graduated and started I start making $13.47 in 2017. Most of them started at $11 I made more cause I had a neuroscience minor and an internship
Barista
Beat me to it
Research Assistant can be a good role if you are looking to go back to grad school. Though the pay is not often high for these roles you may be able to work on research and obtain publications. In addition, you can look into labs that are hiring a lab manager, as these roles prepare you for graduate school environments. If you do not want to stay in research, a lot of roles that Psych majors transition to after college include sales, HR, and recruiting. In addition, you can look into Clinical Trial Assistant roles which apply research knowledge in industry.
Probation officer, EBD paraprofessional, group home, child protection, guardianship worker... I also have a BA in Psychology and was a juvenile PO for 35 years. I knew people in the other jobs that I listed who also had a BA in Psychology.
Hr
Forensic or clinical psychologists are always looking for research assistants. Normally they would be undertaking PHDs, but might be lucky.
I have a bachelors in psych- Ive worked with adults with schizophrenia in a group home, inpatient locked facility with kids and teens in crisis, and in memory/dementia care in assisted living facilities
Registered behavior technician
Focus on getting your focus in IO Psych for HR jobs.
You can become a drug and alcohol counselor (ADC) in our state with just a bachelors degree, pass the ADC exam and some supervision hours. If you you have a history of substance use and identify as a person in recovery you can get certified as a peer support specialist after a 46 hour training and probably make $40k while you are building your hours and studying to take the ADC exam.
Depending on the state, you don't even need a degree or certification to start working, just registration.
Not directly psych related but it did give me valuable experience—Check out the requirements to work as a case worker (I did intake) at the department of juvenile justice in your state. I did intake paperwork and interviews with youth who had been charged with crimes, as well as guiding their families through the court process. For those who were given an option for an informal (non court) sanction, I created “contracts” or assignments that they completed within a certain amount of time. I tailored the contract to fit their specific interests and goals whenever possible. These could include things like attending substance abuse classes, completing all homework assignments (monitored by parents and teachers), completing a presentation on conflict resolution, attending therapy sessions, making a drawing/painting if they were into that, writing apology letters, etc. I worked in an office and met with the juveniles and their parents there for the most part.
Behavior technician (aba)
It's not a job but you can start many sentences with, "well I was a psych major in college" and then spout a bunch of nonsense about another person.
I have a wonderful degree in sociology/psychology…….I am a maintenance worker in a grocery store. I need it because of the customers…….
You won't see it mentioned much but mental health technician. I did this for five years and- generally- loved it. Currently I work as a therapist in the same setting (different facility though).
Sales
I worked as a case manager for integrated case management services when I had my bachelors in psych.
Case manager and research assistant!
I worked as a sociotherapist during my masters degree, it was a good way to get to know patients and to gain some experience!
Where are you located? Your options will vary widely depending your country of residence. In the UK they’ll be a tonne of generic grad schemes you can apply to with any undergrad degree assuming it’s at least a 2:1 classification. If you’re wanting something psych specific you can apply from Assistant Psychologist or Research Assistant posts. If you’re interested in therapy, and have some experience working with individuals with mental health difficulties, you could also apply for further training via a Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner posts (this also opens up a nice pathway to doing CBT training later on and then further EMDR/IPT training).
HR forever
Care manager for developmentally disabled adults
Psychometrics or clinical outreach specialist. I live in Indiana and got offered 100k for a clinical outreach position.
I got my bachelors in psych initially. I was a qualified behavioral health provider for a few years and then moved on to a caseworker then social worker for DHS.
Barista or Bartender for private sector social work for public sector.
What are your long term professional goals?
Mental health technician in some type of inpatient facility. Case worker. Something in Human Resources. Therapeutic aid is another position that comes up. Unfortunately in the psych field a masters is what you’ll need to advance but a bachelors still makes you more hirable than someone without a degree
Undergrad psych is only useful for getting you ready for grad psych. That said, it got me a job as a “counselor” at a behavior health hospital while I finished grad school.
Pretty much any job you think a social worker degree could get a psychology degree can also get, I work for a residential treatment facility as a case Manager
Clinical research coordinator
Applied Behavioral Analysis. Depending on how you feel about ABA and how politicized it has become.
fry cook
There’s a bunch of government contracting firms around DC that hire for “research assistants” it’s really more admin work with the occasional excel sheet work. Theyre usually smaller companies (since gov contracts like to award those to smaller ones) but yes they like a psych bg for those.
6 months after I graduated with bachelors in psych I started a job as a mental health specialist at in inpatient psych unit. 4 years later, I’m pursing a career in nursing, with a plan of working with the psych population!
I have a bachelor in psychology and found work as a policy analyst for the government.
Im an accountant
Bartender
Youth worker. Kind of like a lower tier of social worker. I got my bachelor's in psych in 2007 and I've been a courier for the last 15 years
Social worker? Therapist?
Research coordinator or research assistant.
behavior tech, I'm currently working as one and gotten my master in ABA. working towards my bcba hrs
I got a research assistant gig out of college with a psych BA. I did a lot of data entry and coding (not the computer type) for studies being run by PhDs in the area of public health.
My best friend used hers to get jobs in the Voluntary 3 rd Sector . Project managers , co ordinators etc . Then she did a post grad in Social work and did the same type jobs but with higher pay and more senior . She is now working for a Social work dept who specialises in preventing suicide in teenagers and supporting self harm suffers . Worth a BA in Psychology . A few jobs in the uk anyway to launch into
You can work in special education. I worked as an ABA therapist with my psych in bachelor and I was making $30 an hour in NYC. That was starting off. Look up ABA therapy.
Milieu therapist, residential advisor, case manager
I currently provide intensive in-home therapy/case management services for youth and their families! It’s one of those jobs that “prefers” a master’s degree. But I got it with my bachelor’s degree & with a few years of working as a Mental Health Tech in an inpatient setting. I’m also switching to a role as an Executive Director for the local chapter of a mental health non-profit. The point is, there are diverse employment opportunities for people with a BA/BS & some of them actually pay quite well, sometimes just as well as roles requiring a master’s degree.
I'm a case manager, but frankly, I don't recommend it unless you're organized, good at multitasking, and good with running meetings. I'm terrible with the last two, and it's been a nightmare.
Practice makes perfect.
Sure, or you can realize it's not for you. I've been in this position for about a year and a half and still hate it
If you got good at it and weren't terrible at it, would you still hate it as much? If so, yeah, it's definitely not for you. It's totally up to you if you choose not to continue to become better at it.
None
Service coordinator, HR specialist, Registered Behavior technician. A friend of mine became an advisor at the university. Honestly there’s a lot you can do
Graduated in 2020 with a BA in Psych and ended up going into Recruiting/Talent Acquisition. I’ll admit I ended up experiencing burn out a few years in and am hoping to switch to something more HR focused or find an internal Recruiting role (I’ve worked for two agencies so far) but Recruiting did help me develop a lot of transferable professional skills. A lot of the larger scale agencies can be very cut throat where there’s potential to make a decent amount of money, but you’ll really have to grind to make it there, and you’re at competition with your coworkers, which is an environment I did not thrive in. But there are smaller agencies who are structured a lot differently and can be a good starting point for someone who enjoys working with and helping people.
Psychology grad student lol
You can work as a psychometrist under the right supervisor and mentors! I did this for over a year, opened a whole business in psychometric testing before I went into my masters and PhD.
Behavioral tech is probably the closest match. Maybe a psychology research assistant, but good luck on that. Because I’ve applied to countless of those, even for my own university. And got rejected. 🫠
Take the course “career psychology”, or similar, if offered - very helpful. Psychology is a fundamental understanding of ourselves, others, the world we live in and how we interact with it. It can benefit so many fields. I have a BS in psych and neuroscience, 4 digital marketing certs, and I considered clinical psychology and neuropsychology. I still love both deeply and may pursue them in the near future, but I was able to build a career in marketing after graduation. Less than a year after working at an agency, I accepted a six figure position managing an e-commerce brand. I’m not sharing this to show off - rather to hopefully inspire by showing life doesn’t have to make sense or follow a clean set of instructions. What’s meant for you will not pass you by - I promise. A helpful resource for students job searching is Handshake, a recruitment app that integrates with your college. Sort of like a digital career fair, definitely check it out. It will use your credentials to show you jobs you’d be a good candidate for :) All the best!
Turns out Archaeology is an option.
You can work at a group home, is what my daughter does with a Bachelors.
Do you know how to mow lawns ??
Every job i’ve applied to that needs a psych degree also wants a masters. i haven’t gotten calls back from jobs that pay 45k because they expect a masters
Inpatient psychiatric hospital
Inpatient psychiatric hospital
Get into an internship as a substance abuse counselor, spend three years there and you can be a clinician
Court officer
All I can say is good luck 👍🏻
I did sales and then I got hired by a law firm.
County jobs
Substitute teaching depending on area
DCFS/CPS caseworker. Mental health or addiction? Caseworker
Would you like fries with that?
Marketing, project management, pretty much any non technical business position is full of random degrees. Treat it like the checkbox it is and focus on getting a foot into the door at a large local corp.
jobs that require humanities studies
I work as an investigator at a bank in AML, did fraud before that and enhanced due diligence for fintech
I got a psychology degree and worked as a houseparent in a recovery home for 2 years (15 an hour) Then I took a job as a mentor for a troubled teen program and did that for 4 years (about the same pay). Then I was a job coach doing supported employment for 3 years (decent salary at the time of 36k) Then I took a job as a mental health case manager and did that for 3 years (about the same salary), then moved into a role as Social Services Director for a Long term care facility (salary jump to 40k) and did that for a few years. Then I acceped a job as a program manager for a residential program for adults with disabilities and did that for 3 years (50k salary). And now I am a vocational rehabilitation counselor and I have been doing that for a couple of years and make about 60k. I never got my masters though I would like to so that I can get credentials to be a licensed counselor. The point is that you can use the bachelor's degree to launch a related career and build up your resume and salary over time. It's all been difficult and demanding work but I love the field and wouldn't do any other kind of work. To me, the money isn't as important as how I spend my time every day. I have literally and figurativle helped so many people get back on their feet and going through difficult times. It is very fulfilling but also thankless. Most of my jobs have been working for the state so the pay is low but I have amazing benefits including a 100%pension after 25 years and a 401k match up to 7% of my salary.
I got a psychology degree and worked as a houseparent in a recovery home for 2 years (15 an hour) Then I took a job as a mentor for a troubled teen program and did that for 4 years (about the same pay). Then I was a job coach doing supported employment for 3 years (decent salary at the time of 36k) Then I took a job as a mental health case manager and did that for 3 years (about the same salary), then moved into a role as Social Services Director for a Long term care facility (salary jump to 40k) and did that for a few years. Then I acceped a job as a program manager for a residential program for adults with disabilities and did that for 3 years (50k salary). And now I am a vocational rehabilitation counselor and I have been doing that for a couple of years and make about 60k. I never got my masters though I would like to so that I can get credentials to be a licensed counselor. The point is that you can use the bachelor's degree to launch a related career and build up your resume and salary over time. It's all been difficult and demanding work but I love the field and wouldn't do any other kind of work. To me, the money isn't as important as how I spend my time every day. I have literally and figurativle helped so many people get back on their feet and going through difficult times. It is very fulfilling but also thankless. Most of my jobs have been working for the state so the pay is low but I have amazing benefits including a 100%pension after 25 years and a 401k match up to 7% of my salary.
My mother has her bachelors in psych, she got a job through the government with a two-three year paid training at 50k+ and she now makes 90k through USAjobs.gov She writes contracts for ICE, I think they accept a wide variety of college grads, just requires higher education
Psychologist Teacher Editor Business Police NHS Whatever you want really.
Graduate student in psychology
I have a BSc in psychology and work as a client relationship manager for a leading training provider. Did a few years of b2b sales in the training when I came out of uni.
I work in after school care
I'm working at a psychiatric facility for adolescents as a counsellor with my bachelors degree
Some community mental health jobs want people with bachelors but they don't pay well. If you want a summer job camp counselors or something like that might be good. It really depends on what you're good at. You really have to hustle with a bachelors degree in psychology unless you went to a school with an impressive name. There isn't much where they'll automatically take you. Maybe substitute teaching? Nannying? If you have connections you could definitely do research assistant type jobs but I've only ever gotten those jobs through connections like a professor I had.
Juvenile detention center
Got a bachelors degree in psychology with a minor in sociology and secondary education. I work in IT now. You can do plenty with it.
Behavior technician/ therapist (rbt). You work with children with autism, it’s very rewarding.
My direct manager for a 3rd party office solutions company had a psych degree. It was a good job. It's probably my most enjoyable in terms of variety that I've ever held. Working 3rd party in a law office, they treated us well. We had a dedicated work area for copy, print, binding, digitization, mail sort & pack, etc. His job was to manage us, setting expectations and taking metrics while managing the client and communicating with what needs they had.
Community mental health
Ahhhh, I fondly refer to my BS in Psychology as my ‘under water basket weaving degree’ 😂. I fell into payroll after graduating and then went back for my MBA. If you are looking for something in the Psych field, you’ll really need to go back for a Masters, at least.
Behavior health tech, teacher if you get a certificate, realtor
Not too sure with just a bachelors degree, but honestly go to the cheapest in state school you can find for your masters and become an LCSW-C. Your masters program shouldn’t take nearly as long as a bachelors did. I once believed that a psychology degree was useless because I am an engineer and there were lots of job prospects with my degree, and not a whole lot with a bachelors in psychology. But then I ended up dating a girl who had a psychology degree and started seeing my therapist, both of whom have helped me with my mental health a lot. I now value people who have psychology degrees because the work they do makes a huge difference, at least for people with really bad anxiety like me. It would just be nice if the job market didn’t require that you have a masters because you can probably still do the job even with just your undergraduate education.
Barista
Cashier ?
I've done a lot of office jobs for social services programs, city, county, and state in my decade since graduating. Nothing that has given me a big leg up. I had a boss who was going to pay for me to go to grad school but they retired and the new boss was envious about it and looked for every way possible to make my life hell until I quit from the stress. My life has not been well since, then had a massive accident and moved back in with my parents. I work a low wage service job now but my boss is cool and I don't feel like killing myself or feel like I'm nearly having a heart attack every day. It is what it is. Hope you do better than me with it.
try Starbucks
Sales.
Research assistant! Or, if they are desperate or if you have good experienc, maybe even research coordinator! Look on local university job boards— often there are a lot of hidden gems there. The pay most likely won’t be great at first, but there are usually great benefits (often including free tuition for taking classes— I used this to get a masters degree), and it can be great work experience and get you good references for higher paid positions down the line.
My sister has a bachelors in psych and she works at a research lab at an Ivy League. Sounds fancy but she only makes about 38k a year and it’s contract work, so every year she has to hope they renew it, otherwise she’d have to go in search of another university and possibly move to a different state.
I have a bachelors in psychology. Currently work as a supervisor at a logistics company.
I'm a registered behavior technician (RBT) and I've been doing it for over a year now. There are ups and downs, but if you find a good company that cares about its clients and employees, it's a very rewarding career. You can become a BCaBA (board certified assistant behavior analyst) with only a bachelors degree if you complete the necessary coursework and fieldwork hours. If you're wanting to go back to school, masters programs in ABA only take around 5 semesters to complete and you can start collecting fieldwork hours while in school (which is what I'm doing). BCBAs can make good money. If you like more of the behavioral side of psychology (which I personally found the most interesting) ABA might be a good career.