Industrial Organizational Psychology Salary Ph.D vs Psy.D.
Getting your Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology may be a great educational and career choice. An industrial-organizational psychologist helps companies with research design, assessment exercises, interviews and survey work for organizations. These specialist psychologists work in small teams to improve testing programs, HR policies, and other HR issues so that companies can work at a higher and more efficient level.
Industrial-organizational psychologists with a Ph.D. often need to communicate with both high and low-level employees, so it is imperative to be able to explain work and findings to professionals who are not in the psychology field. (Payscale.com).
Salary Outlook for Psychologists
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the median salary for all psychologists is $92,740, which is generally high.
The BLS also provides the following median salary information for other psychologists:
- Industrial and organizational psychologists: $147,410
- Clinical and counseling psychologists: $96,096
- School psychologists: $84,947
- All other psychologists: $117,749
Median salaries for all psychologists in all the following industries were:
- Government: $115,419
- Hospitals: $102,669
- Ambulatory healthcare services: $98,384
- Elementary and secondary schools: $84,448
Salaries for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
The median salary for industrial-organizational psychologists is $147,420. Salaries in the top 25% begin at $219,410, while those in the bottom 10% are $45,860 and lower.
The average industrial-organizational psychologist salary is $154,380.
SEE ALSO: 5+ Online PhD Industrial/Organizational Psychology Programs
Nationwide there are 1,030 industrial-organizational psychologists, around one-fifth of whom work in California.
Companies providing management, scientific, and technical consulting services offer the highest average salaries for industrial-organizational psychologists at $169,890. Local government employers are close behind, offering and average salary of $164,850.
Salaries Increase with Experience
One of the interesting aspects of this field of psychology with a PhD is how your salary rises with more experience in industrial-organizational psychology. Wage categories serve as a logical stand-in for experience:
- Less experienced – bottom 10% wage of $45,860 and lower
- Some experience – 25% wage of $90,100 and lower
- Moderate experience – median wage of $147,420
- Highly experienced – top 10% wage of $219,810 and up
Some parts of the country pay a higher wage than others. For example, in California the average salary for I-O psychologists is $136,300. In North Carolina that figure is $86,400. In Los Angeles the average salary for these professionals is $148,400.
Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology Outlook
Whether your specialty is Industrial Organizational Psychology or another specialty in the field, you will see plenty of job demand in the coming years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employment for psychologists in general will rise by 7% between 2023 and 2033. This rate is faster than average compared to all other occupations.
Employment of clinical and counseling psychologists will rise by 13% in the same period of time. It is expected that higher demand for psychological services in schools, companies, mental health centers, and social service agencies will boost demand generally for psychologists.
Regarding the industrial-organizational psychology field specifically, this field is forecast to see jobs increase by 6% between 2023 and 2033, a rate that’s also above average.
In that period of time, it is estimated there will be 500 new jobs available. This indicates that while the field is growing, the number of jobs is still quite small. So, you should be prepared for intense competition for a limited number of positions.
Increase in Demand for I/O Psychologists Reflects Increasing Health Occupation Demand
The increasing need for all psychologists, including industrial-organizational psychologists with a PhD, is occurring simultaneously as increasing demand for overall healthcare services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment in all healthcare and social assistance occupations will rise by 10% between 2023 and 2033, much faster than average. In this time, 2.3 million new jobs will be added, and many of them with be in doctoral level jobs in psychology and behavioral health.
SEE ALSO: How to Choose an Online PhD in Business Psychology
Healthcare jobs, including industrial-organizational psychologists with PhDs, will be adding more jobs than all other job groups. The increase in job demand is largely because as the US population ages, they will want more access to many health care services. Companies also realize that using psychological principles can lead to a rise in productivity in their organizations, which can increase profits and efficiency.
Conclusion
Industrial-organizational psychologists with a PhD will find no shortage of opportunities in a field where jobs & salaries are rising. Professionals with a PhD and the most experience can command salaries above $200,000. However, it is worth noting that this is still a relatively small field, with only approximately 1,030 professionals working in the field in the United States. Only a few dozen jobs open up each year, so the competition for those jobs is expected to be intense.
May 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics labor market information and salary for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists. Information based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed February 2025.