Career Opportunities Research and Report

Since psychology is a broad field with numerous applications, there are many choices with regard to the career path that an individual chooses to specialize in. This paper is aimed at d iscuss ing twelve such specialties to allow for an informed decision. The specialties to be addressed include child psychologist, counseling psychologist, clinical psychologist, developmental psychologist, experimental psychologist, forensic psychologist, industrial-organizational psychologist, health psychologist, neuropsychologist, school psychologist, social psychologist, and sports psychologist. T he paper will report on carrier opportunities in the se field s of psychology by discussing job responsibilities, work locations, salaries, education, licensing requirements and career outlooks represented as the percentage of growth expected for each of the above career specialties. It will then compare the information contained in the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) which is published by the Bureau of Labour Statistics , and the American Psychological Association (APA) websites and conclude with a statement of the preferred option. 

Child Psychologist 

According to both the APA and the OOH , child psychology is not a clearly defined branch of psychology. However, there is a consensus that the field is focus sed on dealing with children and amalgamates aspects of both clinical and counseling psychology. This takes the form of trying to diagnose and find treatments for psychological conditions among children as well as helping them understand and deal with problems at home, school and the community in general. E mphasis is placed on helping the children in a manner relatable to them due to the cognitive and developmental difference between them and adults. Another reason is the fact that children and adolescents give weight to different aspects of societal and social interactions than adults. This makes this branch of psychology particularly important . The specialty also seeks to understand development from childhood to adolescence, although this ties into developmental psychology. According to APA (2018) , child psychologists are split between working in schools, hospitals and the private sector accounting for about 38 . 8 percent of the job market that they can fit in.

Child psychologist s’ salaries fall under the clinical, counseling and psychologist category according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018) . This places c hild psychologist s’ median income at $ 75,090. Both APA (2018) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018) state that educational requirements for clinical psychologists include a doctoral degree. This could be e ither a Ph.D. Psychology or a Doctor in Psychology (Psy.D.). The licensing requirements for practicing child psychology include a doctoral degree with a few years residency as this is comparable to clinical psychology. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018 ), the job market for this particular field is growing. C linical, counseling and school psychologists are estimated at a 14 percent increase between 2016 and 2026. This is an estimated 21,000 more jobs. This field is of particular interest to me as it has the 4 th highest median pay income and boasts the highest projected growth.

Counseling Psychologist 

APA (2018) defines counseling psychologists as those that help people recognize their strengths and resources in order to cope with problems. This is achieved using psychotherapy. Apart from providing help, they also teach and conduct scientific studies on individuals of all ages, familial types, economic backgrounds, and organizations. Counseling psychologists study how differences in people such as race and gender affect them. They also study how peoples’ spiritual lives, environment, and other factors come together to influence their psychological state and behavior ( APA, 2018) . According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018), counseling psychologists share 147,500 jobs in the market between them and clinical and school psychologists. 

As of May 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018) places counseling psychologists’ median income at $75,090. This also applies to the clinical and school psychologists. The psychologist’s educational path for clinical, counseling and research fields involves no less than a doctorate. This can either be a Ph.D. or a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.). It also requires one to complete a one-year internship ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). The career outlook for the field shows a possible 14 percent rise between 2016 and 2017. The licensing is controlled by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, requiring at least two years of supervised professional experience. This makes it an interesting field, especially considering that individuals in this field are aimed at healing the mind. 

Clinical Psychologist 

Clinical psychologists treat mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. These can be in the form of a small crisis or longer, chronic conditions. These psychologists also work together with physicians to find solutions for psychological conditions by working in tandem (APA, 2018) . According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018), clinical psychologists share 147,500 jobs in the market between them and counseling and school psychologists. Also, as they work in hospitals, they are employed by the 5 th largest employer in the field. Hospitals employ seven percent of all working psychologists as of 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018. They also could fall under the 10 percent that works for the government in social services. 

As of May 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018) places clinical psychologists’ median income at $75,090. The psychologist's educational path for the clinical field involves no less than a doctorate. This can either be a Ph.D. or a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.). One is also required to complete a one-year internship ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). The career outlook for the field shows a possible 14 percent rise between 2016 and 2017. The licensing is controlled by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards as well, requiring at least two years of supervised professional experience. This field is also of interest to me due to its congruence with general medicine in the pursuit of wellness. 

Developmental Psychologist 

Developmental psychologists study how the mind develops over time. This field conventionally focused heavily on the childhood and adolescent phases because of their importance as the formative years. However, currently, it also includes late life stage analysis. This is due to the increasing age of the population as more individuals live to be over 80 years old (APA, 2018) . The OOH groups this cadre of psychologists as "all other," stating that they held 17,400 jobs in the market shared between them and other psychologists not in the fields of clinical, counseling, school and industrial psychology as of 2016 ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). 

The OOH median income for this field has been generali z ed at $ 97,740. The psychologist's educational path for the counseling field involves no less than a doctorate. This can either be a Ph.D. or a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.). It also requires one to complete a one-year internship ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). The OOH places this job market as "other," projecting an 11 percent increase in jobs. The licensing is controlled by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, requiring at least two years of supervised professional experience. This field is not as interesting as it is purely research-based. 

Experimental Psychologist 

Experimental psychologists study a wide range of psychological phenomena. These range from comparative psychology between species to understanding how people become conditioned and learn. They collect empirical data and manipulate variables through experimentation, using the scientific method to posit, analyze and refute or better understand the hypothesis they make on psychological connections (APA, 2018) . The OOH groups this cadre of psychologists as "all other," stating that they held 17,400 jobs in the market shared between them and other psychologists not in the fields of clinical, counseling, school and industrial psychology, as of 2016 ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). 

The OOH median income for this field of jobs has been generalized at $ 97,740. The psychologist’s educational path for clinical, counseling and research fields also involves no less than a doctorate which can either be a Ph.D. or a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.). The field also requires one to complete a one-year internship ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). The OOH places this job market as "other," projecting and 11 percent increase in jobs. The licensing is controlled by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, requiring at least two years of supervised professional experience. This field is interesting as it pushes the bounds of the current knowledge in psychology, seeking to understand our minds. 

Forensic Psychologist 

Forensic psychologists work primarily in the legal system by applying psychology to the judicial system. They assess aspects such as defendants’ mental state n order to determine their ability to stand trial and the psychological state of parents. This allows judges to make the best decisions during custody disputes. They also analyze the jury and witness behavior (APA, 2018) . The OOH groups this cadre of psychologists as "all other," stating that they held 17,400 jobs in the market shared between them and other psychologists not in the fields of clinical, counseling, school and industrial psychology as of 2016 ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). Since they work for the government, forensic psychologists are employed by the 4 th largest employer, which employs about 10 percent of jobs in the field of psychology. 

The OOH median income for this field of jobs has been generali z ed at $ 97,740. The OOH places this job market as "other," projecting and 11 percent increase in jobs ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). The licensing is controlled by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, requiring at least two years of supervised professional experience. It is also beneficial to have some law training. This field could be emotionally taxing, thus, is not of particular interest for me. 

Industrial-Organizational Psychologist 

Industrial psychologists apply their knowledge of psychological principles and methods in a workplace to improve the workforces’ health, quality of work and productivity. They give insight into what staffing picks to make for the best results for a company and generally increase the value of the human resource aspect of a workforce. They also work to create selection processes that allow the selection of the best individuals for an office (APA, 2018) . According to the ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018), industrial psychologists had 1,700 jobs in the market as of 2016. 

The OOH also placed the median income as of May 2017 at $87,000. Industrial psychologists educational requirements are not as stringent, only requiring a master’s degree ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). Industrial psychology has job increase projections of about 8 percent between 2016 and 2026 ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). This field has some of the highest paying jobs, and challenging requirements thus holds some interest. 

Health Psychologist 

Health psychologists are those that specialize in how biological, psychological and social factors affect health. They also look at how illness affects patients. Also, they attempt to understand what psychological links can be drawn between patients who fail in one way or another to follow medical instructions. Further, they explore the strategies that can be employed to reduce such occurrences. Health psychologists work with other health care professionals to provide more holistic healthcare for patients (APA, 2018) . The OOH groups this cadre of psychologists as "all other," stating that they held 17,400 jobs in the market shared between them and other psychologists not in the fields of clinical, counseling, school and industrial psychology, as of 2016 ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). Since they work in hospitals, health psychologists are employed by the 5 th largest employer in the field. Hospitals employed seven percent of working psychologists as of 2016 ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). 

The OOH median income for this field of jobs has been generali z ed at $ 97,740. The health psychologist’s educational path for clinical field involves no less than a doctorate which can either be a Ph.D. or a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.). It also requires one to complete a one-year internship ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). The OOH places this job market as "other," projecting an 11 percent increase in jobs. The licensing is controlled by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, requiring at least two years of supervised professional experience. This field is not as interesting as it entails pure research. 

Neuropsychologist 

Neuropsychologists attempt to understand the link between physical brain systems and behavior. They attempt to understand what physical occurrences relate to specific behaviors, such as what physically happens when people attempt to store memories and how emotions are affected by physical trauma to the brain. Neuropsychologists tend to use tools such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) prominently in their research (APA, 2018) . The OOH groups this cadre of psychologists as "all other," stating that they held 17,400 jobs in the market shared between them and other psychologists not in the fields of clinical, counseling, school and industrial psychology as of 2016 ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). 

The OOH median income for this field of jobs has also been generali z ed at $ 97,740. The psychologist’s educational path for clinical field also involves no less than a doctorate which can either be a Ph.D. or a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.). The field also requires one to complete a one-year internship ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). The OOH places this job market as "other," projecting and 11 percent increase in jobs. Their licensing, unlike most other fields, is controlled by the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology. This field is not as interesting as it requires strict educational criteria and licensing to carry out possible jobs.

School Psychologist 

School psychologists work in the school sector in service of children and adolescents therein, as well as their parents. They serve to asses students, provide behavioral interventions when necessary, and consult with school staff to ensure a proper educational environment that conducive for learning (APA, 2018) . According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018), school psychologists share 147,500 jobs in the market between them and clinical and counseling psychologists. They are also employed by schools, which is the largest employer in the field. Schools account for about 27 percent of those employed. 

As of May 2017, the OOH placed school psychologists’ median income at $75,090. The same applies for clinical and school counseling psychologists. School psychologists often require an advanced such as education specialist degrees (Ed.S.) and doctoral degrees such as Ph.D. or Psy.D. The career outlook for the field showed a possible 14 percent rise between 2016 and 2017. The licensing is controlled by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, requiring at least two years of supervised professional experience. This field is of interest as it involves working with children and guiding them. 

Social Psychologist 

Social psychologists study how human interaction influences behavior among people. They look at how people form opinions of each other and how to better those interactions. They also seek to reduce such negative behaviors as prejudice that may arise from social interactions and how to combat such behaviors when they occur (APA, 2018) . The OOH groups this cadre of psychologists as “all other,” stating that they held 17,400 jobs in the market shared between them and other psychologists not in the fields of clinical, counseling, school and industrial psychology, as of 2016 ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). They also could fall under part of the 10 percent that works for the government in social services. 

According to Lin & Stamm (2017), the median income for social psychology is around $ 85,000. The career outlook for social psychologists and related fields has a projected 11 percent increase in jobs between 2016 and 2026 ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). This field is not as interesting as it entails pure research. However, it does tie into experimental psychology.

Sports Psychologist 

Sports psychologists attempt to help athletes maintain a focus of competition goals . They also support the athletes to deal with mental states such as anxiety that could be a hindrance to the players. The se psychologists also seek to understand team member interactions in sports teams and promote better cohesion towards achieving a stronger, united and more focused team (APA, 2018). The OOH groups this cadre of psychologists as "all other," stating that they held 17,400 jobs in the market shared between them and other psychologists not in the fields of clinical, counseling, school and industrial psychology, as of 2016 ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). The OOH median income for this field of jobs has been generalized at $ 97,740. The OOH places this job market as "other," projecting and 11 percent increase in jobs ( Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2018). This field is not of any interest as it serves only a small niche of society.

Data Comparison Between Occupational Outlook Handbook and American Psychological Association Webs ites 

Information gained from the OOH on job responsibilities, licensing requirements, and education is shallow. This might be because the OOH is an overview of many jobs and does not get into the detailed technical description of the jobs or their requirements. In this respect, the APA web page gives more detailed descriptions of the job responsibilities of the various psychology specialities. This is because the organization is dedicated explicitly to the field of psychology, unlike the general overviews of multiple jobs in the OOH. This is evidenced by the fact that the APA webpage describes 19 specialties while the OOH web page only holds seven. While the APA webpage does gloss over the licensing requirements for various specialties, it acknowledges this as being due to the multiple differences in requirements for different states and provinces in both the USA and Canada. However, it does give a link to the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), where this issue is addressed. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards ( n.d. ) page gives a greater description of licensing requirements as well as information o n examination requirements for different fields. It also supports further inquiry into both these aspects by providing more material for study and contact information for those seeking answers to specific queries. On the issue of education, the OOH page again suffers from its generality and gives a simplified educational map for some psychology specialties such as how most clinical, counseling and research psychologists need a doctoral degree, as stated by Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018). The APA page , however, gives in-depth data on the educational journey one should take, from the high school level to the doctoral degree, as well as discussing accreditation and its importance . 

O n discussing work locations and career outlooks, the OOH does a better job than the APA. For one, the OOH contains more recent work location data, with its numbers stemming from 2016 studies, compared to the APA’s page citing data from 2011. H owever , t he APA has a better graphic representation, drawn from a pie chart from a different study. On career outlooks, the OOH gives better data, with projection numbers up to 2026 based on trends from 2016. The APA offe rs shallow data, stating statistics for job placements and career paths for different levels of education, without any projection data into the employment in the future of the field. Nevertheless , it does provide an interesting statistic on job satisfaction which the OOH page does not. Finally, concerning salary, OOH gives a detailed description of the field but lumps up various specialties. The APA page is lacking in salary overview, but it does provide a link to a study on 2015 salaries conducted by the American Psychological Association Center for Workforce Studies . This study is highly detailed and provides a clear re view of salaries across demographics, geographical regions, and specialties.

Conclusion 

On the whole, both the OOH and the APA web pages provide useful data on the prospects in the field of psychology and how to achieve them. However , it is not as easy to navigate the APA page. Finding the career page with relevant information takes longer with all the other things packed into their website. In addition to this, accessing the data requires one to open many tabs or to download several pdf files. The data is also not simplified enough. However, it does give better information regarding the technical aspects of the field of psychology such as job descriptions and recommended educational paths to those fields. Despite that, the OOH page is the preferred data source as it achieves two things that very important in the pursuit of data . These are simplicity and convenience. One hardly needs to leave the OOH tab for information on c e he or she gets to the psychology section . This allow s one to get an overview of the field as it is now, and where it will be in the future. 

References  

American Psychological Association (2018). Careers in Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/careers/resources/guides/careers.aspx 

Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards ( n.d. ). Requirements for Licensure or Registration to Practice Psychology. Requirements to Practice . Retrieved from https://www.asppb.net/page/ReqPsych 

Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018). Occupational Outlook Handbook : Psychologists. Retrieved from  https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm 

Lin, L., Christidis, P., & Stamm, K. (2017). Salaries in Psychology: Findings from the National Science Foundation’s 2015 National Survey of College Graduates . American Psychological Association Center for Workforce Studies.