Bachelor’s degrees in psychology are some of the most common degrees earned today. Psychology is a remarkably popular field that is increasingly in demand across industries. Those who hold bachelor’s degrees in psychology are also well-equipped for future degrees, such as master’s degrees or doctoral degrees. But what if you want to get a job with just your Bachelor’s in Psychology? In that case, you have a lot of options. Today, let’s break down the best jobs for those with a Bachelor’s in Psychology.
Top Bachelor of Psychology Degree Jobs
Those with a Bachelor of Science or the Arts in Psychology have many career options. Here are some of the best jobs to consider. But keep in mind that they vary heavily in terms of salary, responsibilities, and career progression opportunities.
Teacher
Although many teachers have degrees in education or teaching, many also have degrees in psychology. A bachelor’s or higher degree in psychology equips learning professionals with the knowledge necessary to understand children’s behavior.
Indeed, many teachers benefit from degrees in psychology. Degrees in psychology train teachers to:
- Understand and anticipate the needs of their students
- Help students navigate interpersonal dynamics at school, especially with other kids
- Teach their students effectively using psychology (i.e., they’ll be an engaging teacher)
However, note that many teachers with bachelor’s degrees in psychology have additional certificates in teaching. Some school districts allow the hiring of teachers with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, but not all. Regardless, teachers have a lot of significant responsibilities. They have to prepare lesson plans, instruct their students, and assess them over time. They also have to ensure that their students test well enough to meet state benchmarks.
Both public school districts and private schools hire teachers. In general, private schools will be more likely to employ a teacher with just a bachelor’s degree in psychology. That’s because private schools have different educational goals than the public school system. Private schools also pay teachers more than public schools in most cases.
Teachers benefit from job stability and the possibility of tenure if they stick with the career for long enough. However, being a teacher isn’t for everyone. Some teachers receive low pay, and many teachers have to work in difficult school districts.
Most teachers earn average salaries of around $63,000 per year.
Career Counselor
Career counselors help individuals identify their strengths, skills, and career goals. They may work in schools and with children, but they work with adults more often.
For example, a career counselor may help an adult:
- Identify their strengths in their current industry or in general
- Find what classes or degrees they need to meet their goals
- Brainstorm ideas of the perfect career or field for their professional goals
- Figure out which steps they need to take to reach their career goals
- And more
Career counselors are vital for many, especially given these days’ increased choices. Depending on whether they work for an agency or by themselves, career counselors may:
- Provide skill assessments
- Perform necessary research for their clients
- Contact colleges or certificate organizations
- And more
If a career counselor works at a school, they will perform these duties with children. They may also help students identify whether they want to go to college or which colleges meet their goals. Many children don’t know what careers they want to pursue during school. Career counselors help them determine what occupations or industries may be best for their skill sets and interests.
Career counselors typically earn salaries of around $46,700 per year.
Parole Officer
Parole officers work in the criminal justice system. In a nutshell, they supervise individuals released from prison. Their job duties vary but usually consist of the following responsibilities:
- Checking in with parolees from time to time or on a schedule
- Ensuring parolees have information and support to live outside prison
- Supervising parolees
- Administering drug tests or other tests to parolees to make sure they don’t violate the terms of their parole agreements
- And more
It seems evident that parole officers can benefit from having a degree in criminal justice. Alternatively, they can get a certificate or concentrate on their psychology degree in criminal psychology. However, some mental justice organizations may employ parole officers with just a bachelor’s degree in general psychology.
Regardless, parole officers need to know how to connect with individuals released from prison. The most successful parole officers help their parolees stick to the terms of their parole agreements. They must also have unwavering moral centers. Parole officers must be just, upright, and honest at all costs.
Most parole officers earn about $60,500 per year.
Sports Coach
Sports coaches often have degrees in psychology. Why? Because the most successful coaches understand why players move and act on the field the way they do. A degree in psychology can help a sports coach:
- Better understand how their team dynamics operate
- Identify the best players
- Help struggling players
- Develop good teamwork dynamics or practices
- Motivate their players to achieve more
Sports coaching is more than just knowing a specific sport. It’s also about knowing players and how humans perform under high-stress situations. Sports coaches must also practice skills unrelated to psychology, including:
- Mastering the rules of their chosen game
- Planning practices and physical exercises
- Guiding athletes during events and matches
- Coming up with strategic moves for their teams
- Offering support for players
Some of the most successful sports coaches offer good mental and emotional support to their players because of their backgrounds in psychology.
Most sports coaches earn salaries of around $36,000 per year.
General Manager
General managers can work in all kinds of industries, ranging from tech to manufacturing to corporate finance and more. But no matter what, general managers ensure an entire department or business operates effectively.
A bachelor’s degree in psychology can help because all business relies on the human element regardless of the industry. A general manager with a psychology background will:
- Better understand their employees
- Increase understanding of their target audience or who they need to market to
- Know how to improve corporate morale across the board
- Hire new job candidates more effectively
- And more
General managers are frequently very successful if they are human-focused. They still need “hard” skills, such as skills in math or science, especially in terms of business. However, they need to understand their people in order to thrive in their niche.
General managers may have many job duties, such as training staff, overseeing employees, and managing corporate budgets. Some general managers work for small to midsized organizations. Others may have control of their own companies. Still, more general managers work for large corporations or conglomerates. In such companies, they may oversee just a single department or branch rather than the whole company.
Many general managers earn salaries of around $57,500 per year with the potential for about $10,000 in cash bonuses.
Social Services Manager/Director
Social services managers or directors focus on social services for a particular population or community. Often, they work with social workers and volunteer specialists. Social services directors frequently work at nonprofit organizations, nursing homes, and similar locations.
Regardless, social services directors:
- Organize social services and community events
- Reach out to other organizations or at-risk individuals
- Decide which programs they want to fund and focus on to ensure benefits to their communities
- Implement programming or training for staff or members of the community
- And more
Social services managers have a lot of responsibilities. Degrees in psychology equip them with the knowledge necessary to understand human motivations and behaviors. Then they can develop effective programs or solutions for at-risk people in their target communities. Furthermore, a bachelor’s degree in psychology may prepare a future social services director to oversee more employees.
Most social services managers earn about $56,500 per year.
Human Resources Specialist
Human resources specialists work within large organizations and manage all the personnel needs for their companies. They emphasize human resources skills, such as communication, teamwork, and recruiting and hiring principles. Their job responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Hiring new job candidates and guiding them through the onboarding process
- Performing exit interviews for employees who are leaving an organization
- Handling complaints or other requests from current employees
- Assessing personnel needs for organizations
- Offering ongoing support to company employees
- Negotiating with employees on behalf of executives or management
- And more
Human resources specialists can earn salaries ranging from $30,000 a year to $60,000 year or more. It all depends on their seniority and what companies they work for. Generally, human resources specialists don’t oversee other employees. But they may eventually become human resources managers and lead entire departments.
Bachelor’s degrees in psychology help human resources specialists by:
- Teaching them what people need to feel inspired and productive at work
- Helping them learn communication strategies
- Teaching them how to communicate with multiple types of people
Human resources specialists earn around $52,600 per year.
Marketing Manager/Specialist
Marketing is the art of persuasion, which itself is a communication skill. The most effective marketers deeply understand human psychology, so a bachelor’s degree in psychology prepares professionals for these positions.
Marketing managers or specialists oversee marketing departments and teams. They primarily help companies:
- Market more effectively to their target audiences
- Identify their target audiences in the first place
- Change marketing campaigns to be more effective
- Conduct surveys or research projects to measure the target audience’s feelings or emotions about a brand
- And more
Marketing managers and specialists often do in-depth market tests and analyses. Therefore, their jobs blend the soft and hard sciences in many ways. Furthermore, marketing managers oversee teams of other marketing professionals. Thus, they need to know how to lead diverse groups of individuals who may have competing work styles.
Marketing managers and specialists also communicate with executives or leadership frequently. They need to know how to boil down complex topics into understandable answers. That way, executives can make accurate or effective business decisions for the whole organization.
Those interested in advertising effectively and getting into the minds of consumers through psychology would make good marketing managers or specialists.
Most marketing managers earn about $110,000 per year.
Mental Health Technician
Mental health technicians are not full psychiatrists nor mental health counselors. Those professions usually require a master's degree in psychology or a related field. However, mental health technicians only need bachelor’s degrees.
These techs help psychiatric patients or psychiatrists with daily tasks or needs. They primarily work in care facilities, clinics, and rehab centers. Depending on the exact position and responsibilities, job duties may include:
- Ensuring the safety of patients and employees
- Helping psychiatrists meet the needs of clients or patients
- Assisting patients with various tasks, such as eating, getting dressed, and more
- Working with clinic or care center staff members to provide ongoing support to clients/patients
Depending on career goals, some mental health technicians may work as techs temporarily. They study under a licensed psychiatrist or counselor. In doing this, they gain valuable real-world experience they can use before they acquire licensure as a counselor.
Most mental health technicians earn about $93,600 per year.
Public Relations Manager
Public relations managers leverage psychology skills to understand how the public views brands and how they respond to PR messaging. In a nutshell, a public relations manager:
- Communicates company messages or stances to the public
- Receives messages from the public
- Tries to understand how the public views the brand or recent developments
- Acts as a communicative bridge between the public and company executives
Furthermore, public relations managers often distribute press releases on behalf of their employing organizations. They frequently meet with media personnel or organizations and answer questions. They need to know how to speak, what looks good in front of a camera, and how to project confidence.
These are skills learned from a bachelor’s in psychology degree program. In some organizations, public relations managers may also handle PR crises. PR crises can occur if a company makes a marketing or manufacturing misstep and has to backtrack or apologize to the public.
The average salary for a public relations manager is $114,000.
Social Worker
Social workers are essential professionals who perform a wide range of services, including:
- Connecting at-risk individuals and their communities with mental health or survival resources, like shelters
- Counseling their clients through trauma or challenging experiences
- Offering career or schooling guidance
- Offering support to individuals and their communities
- Collaborating with other staff for various organizations to enact public health enterprises
Social workers have a lot of different jobs depending on where they are employed. They can find work at social centers, clinics, religious organizations, and nonprofit organizations. However, social workers typically do not earn very high salaries.
Nonetheless, a bachelor’s degree in psychology may prepare students for social work because this type of work relies on understanding human motivations and communication methods. The better a social worker understands psychology, the better they’ll be able to serve their communities.
Most social workers earn about $51,000 per year.
Sales Manager
Sales managers make heavy use of psychology. After all, sales rely on deeply understanding the human psyche and what motivates people to spend money. Sales managers work at corporations and organizations, both small and large, and across industries. They may handle duties including but not limited to:
- Heading marketing campaigns
- Identifying a brand’s target audience, or those most likely to shop at that brand
- Leading teams of sales associates or personnel
- Creating advertisements
- Adjusting marketing campaigns to reflect shifting consumer tastes
- Anticipating upcoming marketing challenges
Sales managers often take responsibility for companies’ entire marketing or sales efforts. They focus directly on selling products for maximum profitability. To this end, they may also use their psychological backgrounds to determine how much people will pay for products. Or they may use their skills to determine what products a company should make.
Sales managers earn about $123,500 per year.
Youth Job Readiness Counselor
Youth job readiness counselors bridge students in the educational system to the workforce. Specifically, they help teenagers and college students prepare for working in the modern market. They primarily work with individuals still in high school or those who may have dropped out of high school for one reason or another.
In most cases, youth job readiness counselors work at staffing agencies or publicly funded jobs organizations. Regardless, they perform duties like:
- Creating individualized job plans for their students and clients
- Helping students determine what jobs they will appreciate or what careers they are qualified for
- Showing students how to gain additional resources or skills for future career prosperity
They’re similar to school counselors, though they have a more specialized focus. Those with bachelor’s degrees in psychology who want to help at-risk teenage youths find stability will find this a rewarding career.
These professionals earn average salaries of around $27,000 per year.
Technical Writer
Technical writers are English-language masters who translate complex concepts into simplistic, understandable writing. For example, they may write a technical paper for a science firm that wants to spread their newest findings to the public. The technical writer reads the article, translates its scientific language to more digestible writing, and submits it.
Technical writers also perform invaluable services for companies in technical industries, such as the automotive or IT industries. They may write instruction manuals for parts, devices, or machines. Or they may write informative blog posts and tutorials for online websites.
Technical writers benefit from a psychology background because that background lets them understand how people interpret new information. They can use their psychology background to:
- Ensure corporate writing is digestible and friendly
- Write in a way that seems approachable
- Write for the layperson without seeming condescending or arrogant
These elements are important for technology companies or for products that can be tough to use at first.
Technical writers earn average salaries of $68,500 per year.
Journalist
Although many journalists have degrees in writing or communications, some have degrees in psychology. A good journalist must understand people, their motivations, and how individual interpretations can color stories. Therefore, a bachelor’s degree in psychology could provide many insights to become a skilled journalist.
Investigative journalists work in newspapers, online blogs, and other organizations. Their pay is often directly related to how much they write and what types of stories they uncover and are assigned.
Most journalists earn about $41,000 per year.
Child Care Worker
Child care workers are important individuals who provide safe, educational environments for children. These professionals use their psychology degrees to help children learn and grow appropriately. Most childcare workers find employment at preschools, childcare centers, or afterschool programs. These jobs are great for future teachers, too.
Childcare workers earn $35,000 a year on average.
Research Assistant
Lastly, some individuals with bachelor’s degrees in psychology become research assistants. These professionals help psychologists or teachers perform experiments. They may perform ancillary duties such as:
- Administering surveys
- Collecting and analyzing survey results
- Taking care of the paperwork for their supervisors
- And more
Most research assistants have these jobs only as temporary arrangements. They use these jobs to learn more about the psychology field and prepare for a graduate program.
Research assistants typically earn about $40,000 per year.
Average Salary for Jobs that Require a Bachelor in Psychology
The average salaries for individuals with bachelor’s degrees in psychology vary significantly. Some individuals earn as little as $20,000 per year, primarily underpaid teachers, childcare workers, or some social workers. ZipRecruiter indicates that the average salary for this degree holder is $48,000.
However, many earn much more than this. Some people with bachelor’s in psychology degrees earn over $60,000 or $80,000 per year.
Generally, seniority or working in a specialized position yield a higher pay rate. Less desirable positions, such as parole officers, also earn more money than more common positions like technical writers or sales managers.
Conclusion
As you can see, the sky’s the limit when it comes to getting employed with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. A Bachelor of Science in Psychology online will prepare you for work in many fields, ranging from writing to social work to mental health and more. However, you’ll also be ready to take on a graduate program in psychology or a related field.
That’s where GetEducated comes in. Our online school catalog has a complete listing of the best online master in psychology programs. These programs are accessible, affordable, and flexible to fit your schedule. Check out our list of online psychology programs today!