The psychology major prepares students for careers in a variety of psychology-related settings including research laboratories, mental health agencies, hospitals, academic institutions, business, industry, and public organizations. Obtaining a bachelor degree in psychology from an accredited 4-year University should prepare you for graduate training in fields such as experimental, clinical, and counseling psychology, teaching, social work, medicine, law, business and management, and public administration.
Careersinpsychology.org is a website with lots of good information about career options for people with degrees of any type (associate’s, bachelors, masters, and doctoral).
Here is another article with good information about what you can do with a degree in psychology. Key statistic: Only about 25% of people with an undergraduate psychology degree work in a career that is closely related to the field. Yes, that may not seem that great, but that doesn’t mean you will necessarily be unemployed. Instead, people can adapt their understanding of psychology and apply it to a WIDE range of career choices, some closely related to psychology (like Public Relations or Human Resources Counselors) and some seemingly not but nonetheless make heavy use of your understanding of human behavior and emotion (like sales!).
Realistically, if you want to “do psychology” you really need to consider going to graduate school. However, there are many careers where your knowledge of psychology will be helpful. The following is a list of 100 occupations from the Department of Occupational Titles (DOT) that are appropriate for people with degrees in psychology (note: several of these require additional degrees beyond the BA or BS). Note that this list is not exhaustive, but hopefully gets your creative juices flowing and shows you what options are available for someone with a degree in psychology.
- Academic Counselor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107010.html
- Advertising Sales Representative http://www.occupationalinfo.org/25/254357014.html
- Alumni Director http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/090117014.html
- Animal Trainer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/15/159224010.html
- Applied Statistician http://www.occupationalinfo.org/02/020167026.html
- Art Therapist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/076127010.html
- Benefits Manager http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/166167018.html
- Career Information Specialist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/24/249367014.html
- Caseworker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195107010.html
- Chief Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107046.html
- Child Development Specialist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195227018.html
- Child Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045061010.html
- Child Welfare/Placement Caseworker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195107014.html
- Claims Supervisor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/24/241137018.html
- Clinical Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107022.html
- Coach http://www.occupationalinfo.org/15/153227010.html
- College/University Professor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/090227010.html
- Community Organization Worker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195167010.html
- Community Worker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195367018.html
- Comparative Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045061018.html
- Computer Programmer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/03/030162010.html
- Conservation Officer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/37/379167010.html
- Correctional Treatment Specialist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195107042.html
- Corrections Officer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/37/372667018.html
- Counseling Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107026.html
- Criminal Investigator (FBI, etc) http://www.occupationalinfo.org/37/375167042.html
- Customer Service Representative Supervisor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/23/239137014.html
- Data Base Administrator http://www.occupationalinfo.org/03/039162010.html
- Data Base Design Analyst http://www.occupationalinfo.org/03/039162014.html
- Delinquency Prevention Social Worker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195107026.html
- Department Manager http://www.occupationalinfo.org/29/299137010.html
- Developmental Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045061010.html
- Dietician http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/077117010.html
- Educational Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045067010.html
- Elementary School Teacher http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/092227010.html
- Employee Relations Specialist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/166267042.html
- Employment Counselor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/166257010.html
- Employment Interviewer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/166267010.html
- Engineering Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045061014.html
- Experimental Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045061018.html
- Family Counselor/Caseworker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195107018.html
- Financial Aid Counselor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/169267018.html
- Fund Raiser I http://www.occupationalinfo.org/29/293157010.html
- Fund Raiser II http://www.occupationalinfo.org/29/293357014.html
- Group Worker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195164010.html
- Guidance Counselor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107010.html
- Health Care Facility Administrator http://www.occupationalinfo.org/18/187117010.html
- High School Teacher http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/091227010.html
- Human Resource Advisor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/166267046.html
- Industrial/Organizational Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107030.html
- Information Specialist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/10/109067010.html
- Job Analyst http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/166267018.html
- Lawyer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/11/110107010.html
- Loan Officer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/18/186267018.html
- Management Analyst http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/161167010.html
- Market Research Analyst http://www.occupationalinfo.org/05/050067014.html
- Marriage and Family Counselor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107054.html
- Medical Social Worker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195107030.html
- Mental Retardation Aide http://www.occupationalinfo.org/35/355377018.html
- Military Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107030.html
- Minister, Priest, Rabbi, Chaplain, etc. http://www.occupationalinfo.org/12/120107010.html
- Music Therapist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/076127014.html
- Neurologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/070101050.html
- Neuropathologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/070061010.html
- Neurosurgeon http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/070101094.html
- News Writer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/13/131262014.html
- Nurse http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/075364010.html
- Occupational Analyst http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/166067010.html
- Occupational Therapist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/076121010.html
- Optometrist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/079101018.html
- Patient Resources and Reimbursement Agent http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195267018.html
- Pediatrician http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/070101066.html
- Penologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/05/054067014.html
- Personnel Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107030.html
- Personnel Recruiter http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/166267038.html
- Pharmacologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/041061074.html
- Physiatrist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/070101070.html
- Physical Therapist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/079364018.html
- Physician http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/070101022.html
- Police Officer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/37/375263014.html
- Polygraph Examiner http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/199267026.html
- Preschool Teacher http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/092227018.html
- Probation/Parole Officer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195107046.html
- Psychiatric Aide/Attendant http://www.occupationalinfo.org/35/355377014.html
- Psychiatric Social Worker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195107034.html
- Psychiatric Technician http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/079374026.html
- Psychiatrist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/070107014.html
- Psychological Anthropologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/05/055067010.html
- Psychological Stress Evaluator http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/199267026.html
- Psychometrist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045067018.html
- Public Health Director http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/079117014.html
- Public Relations Representative http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/165167014.html
- Purchasing Agent http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/162157038.html
- Real Estate Agent http://www.occupationalinfo.org/25/250357018.html
- Recreation Leader http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195227014.html
- Recreation Supervisor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/18/187167238.html
- Recreational Therapist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/076124014.html
- Research Assistant http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/199364014.html
- Retail Salesperson http://www.occupationalinfo.org/27/279357054.html
- School Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107034.html
- School Social Worker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195107038.html
- Social Group Worker http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195107022.html
- Social Psychologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045067014.html
- Social Services Aide http://www.occupationalinfo.org/19/195367034.html
- Speech Pathologist http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/076107010.html
- Substance Abuse Counselor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107058.html
- Systems Analyst http://www.occupationalinfo.org/03/030167014.html
- Teacher for the Emotionally Impaired http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/094227010.html
- Teacher for the Hearing Impaired http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/094224010.html
- Teacher for the Learning Disabled http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/094227030.html
- Teacher for the Mentally Impaired http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/094227022.html
- Teacher for the Visually Impaired http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/094224018.html
- Technical Writer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/13/131267026.html
- Therapist for the Blind http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/076224014.html
- Veterans Contact Representative http://www.occupationalinfo.org/18/187167198.html
- Veterinarian http://www.occupationalinfo.org/07/073101010.html
- Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107042.html
- Vocational Training Teacher http://www.occupationalinfo.org/09/097221010.html
- Volunteer Coordinator http://www.occupationalinfo.org/18/187167022.html
- Writer http://www.occupationalinfo.org/13/131067046.html