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Average Income With a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology

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Average incomes for those with a bachelor's degree in psychology range from about $47,000 to over $100,000 per year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Studying the mind and how it works is also useful in many fields that are not directly related to psychology, including marketing, sales and public relations. For this reason, incomes vary dramatically with career choice.

Social Work

A large portion of social workers have bachelor's degrees in social work, but there are also employers who hire psychology graduates. The basic function of a social worker is to help people, typically tackling problems like poverty, physical and mental health, and substance abuse. This makes it a very attractive option for caring individuals, but social work is also among the lowest paid jobs for those with a psychology degree, with a 2016 median income of $46,890 per year. Individuals in this profession may also try to seek people who can benefit from their programs, or develop new programs. Social workers typically work for government agencies, healthcare organizations and schools.

Training and Development

Training and development professionals work with organizations to identify areas of the company that may benefit from training, develop training strategies and implement those strategies. Training and development specialists deal with day-to-day tasks, such as conducting interviews with employees, writing training materials and leading training sessions. With experience, specialists can become training managers; they tackle an organization's overall training and development strategy and supervise specialists. The 2016 median income for training and development specialists was $59,020, while training and development managers earned $105,830.

Probation and Parole

Probation and parole officers supervise and counsel people who have committed crimes, to help them adjust to a law-abiding life and stay out of further trouble. They accomplish this through face-to-face meetings and by setting requirements for the probationer. These requirements may be related to drug testing, employment and education. These officers also provide resources to help the probationer meet the requirements of probation, which may include job training, group counseling and substance abuse treatment. Salaries for probation and parole officers are on the lower end for psychology graduates, with a 2016 median annual income of $50,160. Probation and parole officers typically face some danger in the course of their work, because they can deal with clients who are prone to violence and travel to high-crime areas. They also frequently deal with conflict arising from probationers or parolees failing to do what's required of them or committing crimes, making the job quite stressful.

Human Resources

Human resources specialists deal with recruitment and employee relations. They talk with the company's management to determine the precise role and requirements of new positions, search for job candidates, interview candidates to ensure their experience and education qualifies them for a position, and communicate duties to new hires. They are also administrators who keep employment records and deal with employee benefits and compensation. Some specialists may become human resources managers, who supervise specialists and work on recruitment strategies and benefit plans. Human resources specialists earned an average of $59,180 in 2016, while managers earned $106, 910.

References
Writer

Jon Gjerde worked as a journalist in northern California where he covered topics ranging from city, county and tribal governments to alternative transportation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of California, Davis.

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