School Psychologists: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Stan T.Career, Overview

School Psychologists

School Psychologists investigate processes of learning and teaching and develop psychological principles and techniques applicable to educational problems.

Salary
$89290
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Master's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



Job description

School Psychologists investigate processes of learning and teaching and develop psychological principles and techniques applicable to educational problems.

  • Compile and interpret students’ test results, along with information from teachers and parents, to diagnose conditions and to help assess eligibility for special services.
  • Maintain student records, including special education reports, confidential records, records of services provided, and behavioral data.
  • Report any pertinent information to the proper authorities in cases of child endangerment, neglect, or abuse.
  • Select, administer, and score psychological tests.
Read more about what does a School Psychologist really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.



Salary

Average salary
$85340 per year

Average hourly wage
$41 per hour


School Psychologists with little to no experience tend to make between $44040 and $58220 while the more experienced ones can earn over $100760 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
CA $52 $108,350
OR $50 $103,870
NJ $47 $98,470
DC $46 $95,500
HI $45 $94,550

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a School Psychologist is to move to a higher paying state like CA. Right now, the highest paying states for School Psychologists are CA, OR, NJ, DC and HI.

However, a higher pay at CA doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at CA might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a School Psychologist is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.


Requirements

Recommended degree level
Master’s degree

We asked other School Psychologists what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Post-Master’s Certificate followed by a Master’s Degree.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Psychology, General
Developmental and Child Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Counseling Psychology
School Psychology
Read more about how to become a School Psychologist and the degree, training and education you need.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a School Psychologist.

PROS
Suitable for people who likes to solve problems mentally
Suitable for people who values relationships between co-workers and customers and wants to work in a friendly non-competitive environment
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
Very good salary
Normal working hours (40 hours per week)
CONS
Not suitable for people who likes practical and hands-on work
It is very hard to get into this career. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience is required for this career.

What is the job like

Job satisfaction
78%

Is this job meaningful
88%


78% of School Psychologists said they were satisfied with their job and 88% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.


Is this right for me

Best personality for this career
The Thinkers and The Helpers

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.



Learn more about School Psychologists

Summary (You are here)
Job Description
Salary
Requirements
Quiz

Related career information

School Psychologists job description, School Psychologists salary, School Psychologists information, what is the job of a School Psychologist like, pros and cons about School Psychologists, colleges and universities for School Psychologists, is School Psychologists the right career for me, careers in Social Science and Humanities

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