Industrial-Organizational Psychologists: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Stan T.Career, Overview

I/O Psychologists

I/O Psychologists apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems. Activities may include policy planning; employee testing and selection, training, and development; and organizational development and analysis. May work with management to organize the work setting to improve worker productivity.

Salary
$112690
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Doctoral degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



Job description

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems. Activities may include policy planning; employee testing and selection, training and development; and organizational development and analysis. May work with management to organize the work setting to improve worker productivity.

  • Formulate and implement training programs, applying principles of learning and individual differences.
  • Participate in mediation and dispute resolution.
  • Conduct research studies of physical work environments, organizational structures, communication systems, group interactions, morale, or motivation to assess organizational functioning.
  • Conduct presentations on research findings for clients or at research meetings.
Read more about what does an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.



Salary

Average salary
$109030 per year

Average hourly wage
$52 per hour


I/O Psychologists with little to no experience tend to make between $51350 and $61950 while the more experienced ones can earn over $138180 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
CA $72 $149,820
VA $61 $126,220
NJ $58 $119,700
MN $55 $114,990
PA $47 $96,730

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist is to move to a higher paying state like CA. Right now, the highest paying states for I/O Psychologists are CA, VA, NJ, MN and PA.

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 an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.


Requirements

Recommended degree level
Doctoral degree

We asked other I/O Psychologists what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a PhD 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
Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Read more about how to become an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and the degree, training and education you need.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist.

PROS
Suitable for people who likes to solve problems mentally
Suitable for people who wants job security and a good working condition
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
Very high salary (top 25% highest paid careers)
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.
Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week)

What is the job like

Job satisfaction
69%

Is this job meaningful
65%


69% of I/O Psychologists said they were satisfied with their job and 65% 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 Entrepreneurs

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 starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.



Learn more about I/O Psychologists

Summary (You are here)
Job Description
Salary
Requirements
Quiz

Related career information

I/O Psychologists job description, I/O Psychologists salary, I/O Psychologists information, what is the job of an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist like, pros and cons about Industrial-Organizational Psychologists, colleges and universities for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists, is Industrial-Organizational Psychologists the right career for me, careers in Social Science and Humanities

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