How Well Will a Masters Degree Work For Me?
If you’re thinking about masters degree work in psychology, chances are you want to improve the lives of others in some way, but which way? How well will a masters degree work?
Is a master’s degree in psychology worth it?
In a word? Yes. With a Master’s degree in psychology, you can work as a psychologist in a variety of ways, or you’ve set a foundation for continuing on to your doctorate if your ultimate goal is working in academia or research.
What can I do with a master’s in psychology?
Positions that you can do with a master’s degree in psychology vary widely, as psychology is a diverse and complex field. Depending on what suits you best, you may find positions working independently or on teams. You may work in private or public sectors. You may in work with a variety of other types of professionals, including policymakers, lobbyists, lawyers, business executives, nonprofit directors, doctors, engineers, and schoolteachers, and board members.
Some psychologists are primarily interested in research or teaching while others are practitioners in a variety of fields. Yet others are both; scientist-practitioners.
A few of the jobs you can do with a master’s in psychology include:
- Employee trainer
- Instructor at a community college
- Market researcher
- Intervention advocate
- Family services worker
- Health project coordinator
- Human resource manager
- Project coordinator/manager
- Research assistant
- Data analyst/manager
- Social service manager
- Organizational consultant
Possible career settings include:
- Local, state, or federal governments
- Nonprofit organizations
- Community colleges
- Schools
- Child and family service organizations (e.g., day care agencies, after-school programs within schools and communities, Head Start programs, or early childhood education programs)
- Group homes
- Healthcare agencies
- Law enforcement agencies
- Religious organizations
- Private practice
- Consulting from home
What are some of the benefits of a master’s degree in psychology?
- Higher Salary: Wages for psychologists tend to be quite good. The median salary for someone in the field of psychology is $64,000. With just a bachelor’s in psychology, the median wage is $33,000.
- Schedule Flexibility: Many psychology professionals work from home or in positions that allow for flexible schedules. This is especially true for private practice psychologists and consultants.
- Teach: With a master’s degree in psychology, you can teach students in two-year schools and some four-year schools. To teach higher level classes, a Ph.D. is required.
- People-oriented Profession: If you love working with people, psychology is for you! Psychology is all about people, the mind, how people interact with each other and their environments, and so many other aspects. Whatever interests you about people, you’ll find a job that deals with that.
- Demands Respect: Psychologists have a certain intrigue and demand a certain amount of respect, perhaps due to the fact that they study the mind and how it works. Perhaps people are concerned with having all their secrets found out!
Psychology is a thought-provoking, formidable, inspiring and thrilling field. People working in this field will work hard, but will find the work rewarding and well worth the effort. With a masters degree work will always be inspiring!