Salary Outlook with PhD in Educational Psychology
Educational psychologists study children in every age group and how they learn. As they investigate how children process social, emotional, and cognitive stimuli, they perform assessments based on how the child reacts to stimuli. They use this information to identify learning, social, and behavioral problems that affect the child’s learning.
Educational psychology has grown beyond preschool and elementary schools to help adults in educational settings. Adults who have learning disabilities may benefit from working with educational psychologists. (TUW.edu).
Some of the areas of focus in this degree program are teaching, testing, assessment methods, psychometrics, classroom and learning environments, and learning, social, and behavioral problems that can slow the learning process. (WSU.edu).
Other topics of note in educational psychology programs are:
- Educational technology: Understanding how different types of technology help students learn.
- Instructional design: Designing innovative learning materials.
- Special education: Helping students who might need specialized instruction.
- Curriculum development: Devising curriculums that improve the learning process.
- Organizational learning: Studying how children and adults learn in an organizational setting.
- Gifted learners: Assisting students who have been identified as gifted learners.
Graduates in educational psychology can expect to find work in school districts, universities, private companies, or state and local social service agencies.
To become an educational psychologist, it is required to earn a Ph.D. in the field. If you are interested in this degree, below is detailed salary information for educational psychologists with a Ph.D.
Ph.D. in Educational Psychology Salary Information
American Psychological Association (APA)
According to the APA, educational psychologists with a postgraduate degree earn a median salary of $75,000 per year. (APA.org). That organization also reported that most psychologists of all types earn between $60,000 and $120,000.
To earn more money, the APA reported that the Middle Atlantic region paid the most with a salary of $108,000 per year. Psychologists in the East South Central region earned $59,000 per year.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median salary for all psychologists was $79,010 as of May 2018. The lowest 10% earned less than $43,800, and the top 10% earned more than $129,000 per year. Median wages for psychologists by specialty were: (BLS.gov)
- All other psychologists: $100,700
- Industrial-organizational psychologists: $97,200
- Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists: $76,900
Salaries for psychologists in different fields were:
- Government: $96,400
- Hospitals: $86,500
- Ambulatory healthcare services: $79,100
- Elementary and secondary schools: $75,800
Another common occupation for professionals with this degree is postsecondary education administrator. The median salary for professionals in this field was $94,300 in May 2018. The top 10% earned more than $190,000 per year. (BLS.gov).
- Colleges and universities: $95,900
- Junior colleges: $90,400
Ziprecruiter.com
Ziprecruiter.com reports the national average salary for educational psychologists is $93,175 per year with a range between $23,000 and $215,000. (Ziprecruiter.com). The site reports the typical range for this field is between $64,000 and $99,000. Also, it notes that there could be fewer opportunities for higher salary and advancement based on skill level. Instead, increased pay can come based on location and years of work experience.
Payscale.com
Payscale.com reports the average educational psychologist’s salary is $72,000, with a range between $48,000 and $103,000. (Payscale.com). The website also states that an early career educational psychologist with one to four years of work experience earns $70,000 per year, while a psychologist with five to nine years of experience earns $82,000 per year.
Glassdoor.com
Glassdoor.com reports the average salary for educational psychologists is $78,400, with a range between $55,000 and $104,000. (Glassdoor.com)
Indeed.com
Indeed.com reports the average salary for educational psychologists is between $64,300 to $95,700 per year. (Indeed.com). The website also reported the following salaries:
- Psychologist: $86,100
- Clinical psychologist: $95,700
- Assistant professor: $63,400
Salary.com
Salary.com reports the average educational psychologist salary is $78,163 with a range between $61,995 and $147,500. (Salary.com).
Job Demand for Ph.D. in Educational Psychology
The overall demand for psychologists will grow by 14% through 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. (BLS.gov).
Employment for counseling, clinical, and educational psychologists will grow because of enhanced demand for psychological services in hospitals, mental health centers, schools, and social service agencies. Demand for counseling and clinical psychologists will rise as people are more often turning to psychologists to help them with their mental health issues.
Psychologists also will be needed to offer services to a population that is getting older, and to help them to handle the physical and mental changes of aging. Psychological services also will be required for veterans that suffered from war trauma.
Job demand for postsecondary education administrators will grow by 7% from 2018 to 2028, which is faster than average. Growth is expected due to higher student enrollment in universities and colleges.
People will seek postsecondary education to gain better skills in the modern employment market; the significant advances in technology mean that more workers must have greater levels of skill to earn a good living in America. As more students go to college, there will be more postsecondary educators needed to serve the needs of students. (BLS.gov).
Summary
Educational psychologists are employed in critical work today, with many in the field focusing on the educational development of children, adults, and adolescents. Others focus on people with learning challenges, such as ADHD or dyslexia. Whatever your specialty or population focus, this work is vital to ensure that people are given the learning tools they need to succeed.
Earning a Ph.D. in educational psychology offers the student a high potential salary in psychological research, or an institution of higher learning. The career potential with this advanced degree makes it worth exploring if you have a passion for educational psychology.