Top 5 Highest-Paying Psychology Jobs to Pursue in 2024

Are you thinking about entering the field of psychology? According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics, a bachelor’s degree in psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate degrees among US learners, representing approximately 6 percent of all undergraduate degrees earned from 2020 to 2021 [1]. 

Learn more about the highest-paying psychology jobs you can get with a master’s degree to explore potential career paths. 

Psychiatrist 

Average annual salary (US): $206,621 [2]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 7 percent [3] 

Requirements: Medical degree; medical licensure; certification through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN)

As a psychiatrist,  you will specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses and the care of patients who need support to overcome conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, addiction, and eating disorders and associated difficulties. You will diagnose mental illnesses and treat them through methods such as individual counseling, psychoanalysis, medication, and if needed, hospitalization. 

As medical doctors, psychiatrists can prescribe medication to help neutralize suspected chemical imbalances in the brain and offer medical support to patients experiencing mental illness. The field of psychiatry is vast. In this role, you might work in a wide variety of settings and focus on subspecialties such as:

• Forensic psychiatry

• Geriatric psychiatry

• Child psychiatry

• Addiction

• Brain injury

Psychiatrists can work in private practice, group practice, mental health facilities, community health centers, hospitals, veterans association centers, and more.

This role might be a good fit: If mental illnesses and disorders that affect the brain interest you and you want to work as a medical professional who can prescribe medication to patients in addition to counseling. 

How to get the job: Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MD or DO) and must go through medical school to practice. The typical process for becoming a psychiatrist involves earning a bachelor's degree in psychology, passing the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), graduating from medical school, and completing a four-year residency program focusing on psychiatry.

Engineering psychologist 

Average annual salary (US): $109,135 [4]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 7 percent  [5]

Requirements: Master’s degree at a minimum

Because of the complexities involved in this role, an engineering psychologist is one of the high-paying psychology jobs with a minimum master’s degree requirement. As an engineering psychologist, you will work to understand and improve human and product relationships. Similar to ergonomics, the goal is to enhance technology to improve human capability and function. 

Engineering psychologists spend their time researching consumer needs and preferences concerning the products they use. They then work with engineers to create products that increase function and safety and decrease user error. Engineering psychologists also work to change existing products to make them more user-friendly and desirable.

Engineering psychologists can also study human engineering. These psychologists look at environments, such as the workplace, and create optimal conditions that encourage worker productivity. Engineering psychology specialists typically work for the government, teach, or work in academia. Other common fields include aviation, computer science, engineering, medical equipment, military equipment, and software development.  

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the goal of engineering psychology is “safer, more effective, and more reliable systems through improved understanding of the user's requirements and performance capabilities” [6].

This role might be a good fit: If you want to work in psychology or tech and want a role involving extensive knowledge of technology, interpersonal skills, research, and analytics. 

How to get the job: To work as an engineering psychologist, you must have a master’s degree or higher. However, psychologists in this field usually have a PhD. As with most careers, having a doctorate may afford more job opportunities and higher pay.

In addition to completing educational requirements, engineering psychology students must complete internships. These internships provide real-world experience and can help students choose a subspecialty within engineering psychology.

Neuropsychologist 

Average annual salary (US): $103,222 [7]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 7 percent  [5]

Requirements: Doctoral degree

As a neuropsychologist, you will study the relationship between behavior and the brain. Primarily, this work is diagnostic and requires advanced knowledge of the brain and its functions. Neuropsychologists work with patients suffering from memory loss, brain injuries, and neurological disorders relating to attention and developmental disabilities, to name a few.  These psychologists must have advanced knowledge of the brain and its workings. Neuropsychologists perform numerous tests on patients to determine their level of cognitive function. With the results of these tests, you can assess cognitive deficits and develop treatment and rehabilitation programs.

Neuropsychology is a clinical specialty. Due to the nature of their work, neuropsychologists frequently work in hospitals, mental health facilities, and pharmaceutical research companies. Other notable career paths for neuropsychologists are education and government research.

This role might be a good fit: If you enjoy research and analysis that helps people discover how their nervous system impacts their cognitive function. 

How to get the job: Aspiring neuropsychologists must first get a bachelor’s degree in psychology or another related field. Next, it’s encouraged (though not required) to get a master’s degree in neuropsychology. Following a master’s degree, you must complete a doctoral degree in clinical psychology or neuropsychology. After completing your doctorate, you’ll need to complete a postdoctoral fellowship. During this fellowship, you’ll get the supervised clinical hours you need to qualify for licensure. Before beginning your own practice, you must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).

While neuropsychologists do not have to attend medical school, becoming a practicing psychologist takes 10 to 13 years of education and supervised experience [8].

In addition to completing a doctoral degree, neuropsychologists must complete a supervised clinical internship and specialized postdoctoral training. The American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology offers an optional certification. Though this is not required to practice, earning this certification proves your specialty in the field.

Industrial-organizational psychologist 

Average annual salary (US): $75,527 [9]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 7 percent [5]

Requirements: Master’s degree at minimum; doctoral degree recommended 

As an industrial-organizational psychologist, you unlock the potential of individuals, teams, and organizations to create a more successful and productive work environment. These psychologists use their understanding of human behavior to identify and solve challenges in the workplace, enabling everyone to reach their highest potential. 

Industrial-organizational psychologists are researchers at the core. They take an in-depth look at human organizational issues in the workplace and apply that research to find solutions that will improve performance. Examples include:

• Determining worker productivity

• Developing criteria to complete performance evaluations

• Identifying training needs and implementing training programs

• Improving workplace communication

• Increasing quality of the workplace

Industrial-organizational psychologists can apply their skill sets in all types of workplace settings. Typically, you’ll find employment with corporations, labor unions, health care facilities, government agencies, manufacturing companies, recruitment centers, schools, colleges, and universities. 

This job might be a good fit: If you’re passionate about helping businesses solve some of their workforce and employee relations challenges by applying psychological principles to various scenarios.

How to get the job: Employment is available in industrial-organizational psychology jobs with a master’s degree as a minimum requirement. A doctoral degree affords many more opportunities if your focus is more related to statistics and research than hands-on work and a higher salary. On average, industrial-organizational psychologists spend six to eight years on education and training [10]. 

Some IO psychology graduate and doctoral programs may require candidates to participate in a practicum. These experiences allow students to work alongside professionals in the field. Learners may also consider partaking in internships to gain relevant experience. 

Forensic psychologist 

Average annual salary (US): $112,470 [11]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 7 percent [5]

Requirements: Doctoral degree; state licensure 

As a forensic psychologist, you aid attorneys, judges, and other legal workers in understanding the psychological aspects of their cases. You may provide testimony as an expert witness. In addition to serving as expert witnesses, forensic psychologists can work in family courts, offering psychotherapy and child custody evaluations, investigating child abuse/neglect, and performing visitation risk assessments. You might also find employment with civil courts, which need professionals to provide psychotherapy to crime victims and offer psychological opinions to legal teams. Criminal courts also employ forensic psychologists to evaluate accused criminals' mental competency and ability to stand trial. These psychologists can also provide criminal profiling services. 

Forensic psychologists can provide services in various settings, including hospitals, corrections facilities, police departments, and courtrooms. It is also common for forensic psychologists to spend their time working at a computer, conducting research, or teaching at a university

This job might be a good fit: If you enjoy analysis and have a keen skill for noting human behavior. This job is ideal if you have knowledge of psychology and want to work in varying environments within the legal system. 

How to get the job: To become a forensic psychologist, you need extensive education, including a doctoral degree in psychology and additional education in forensics post-doctorate. Becoming a forensic psychologist takes around 10 years of higher education, including four years for an undergraduate degree, two years for a graduate-level degree, and four additional years for a doctoral degree [12].

In addition to completing the required education, forensic psychologists must complete at least one year of supervised practice in forensic psychology before becoming eligible for state licensure. 

Getting started on Coursera

The highest-paying psychology jobs offer variety in the scope of practice. With the right education, you could begin a career as a psychiatrist, engineering psychologist, neuropsychologist, industrial-organizational psychologist, or forensic psychologist. 

Ready to take the first step towards landing one of these top-paying psychologist jobs? Whether you’re interested in completing an undergrad program, ready to knock out your master's degree, or need continuing education credits, consider finding your next psychology course on Coursera. 

For example, you can learn the basics by taking Introduction to Psychology from Yale. You can also explore Rice University’s Mindfulness and Well-Being Specialization on Coursera.