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Job outlook for educational psychologists in the United States
Are educational psychologist jobs in demand?
Educational psychologist job and salary trends over time
Educational psychologist jobs over time
Educational psychologist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 430 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 555 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 565 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 551 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 539 | 0.00% |
Average educational psychologist salary over time
Educational psychologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $79,777 | $38.35 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $78,157 | $37.58 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $76,948 | $36.99 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $75,049 | $36.08 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | $73,230 | $35.21 | +3.8% |
Educational psychologist jobs by state
Most common states for educational psychologists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 26 | 4% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 33 | 3% |
| 3 | California | 39,536,653 | 647 | 2% |
| 4 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 293 | 2% |
| 5 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 168 | 2% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 140 | 2% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 139 | 2% |
| 8 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 122 | 2% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 112 | 2% |
| 10 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 108 | 2% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 96 | 2% |
| 12 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 93 | 2% |
| 13 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 85 | 2% |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 72 | 2% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 50 | 2% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 36 | 2% |
| 17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 21 | 2% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 15 | 2% |
| 19 | Alaska | 739,795 | 14 | 2% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 12 | 2% |
Educational Psychologist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of educational psychologist experts
Southern Connecticut State University
University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College
Winona State University
Taylor University
California Baptist University
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Virginia Wesleyan University
Mississippi University for Women
Seattle Pacific University
Indiana University South Bend
Grand Valley State University
University of Mary Washington
Laurie Bonjo
Southern Connecticut State University
Student Counseling And Personnel Services
What Educational Psychologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Laurie Bonjo: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of students have regressed and/or developed dysfunctional coping mechanisms. The incidence of trauma-related disorders continues to increase in all educational settings. School counselors need to know how to use trauma-informed practices that are culturally aligned with the students they serve. During the pandemic, many students lost focus on their post-secondary goals. School counselors need to energize students and help them relocate their inspiration and passion for learning. School counselors need to come to the profession prepared to leverage their personalities in helping students who need to reconnect with their purpose. Finally, school counselors will continue to need to know how to shift seamlessly to remote delivery of services in the event of another global, national, or local disaster.
Debra Frame Ph.D.
Professor of PsychologyUniversity of Cincinnati Blue Ash College
Behavioral Science Department
What soft skills should all Educational Psychologists possess?
Debra Frame Ph.D.: Although these skills and certain personality traits may be less quantifiable, soft skills, such as organizational and interpersonal skills, scientific inquiry and critical thinking, flexibility, and a suitable professional etiquette, are important to the workplace; thus, having these skills make any graduate more attractive. Excellent communication skills, including oral, written, presenting, and listening abilities, are most important. Staff psychologists should also possess the ability to work in an interprofessional team of practitioners to create a broad plan of mental and physical health. Individuals with an appreciation for diversity and the uniqueness of individuals across cultures are important. This means that psychologists who attempt to explore different cultures and strive to understand and honor beliefs and traditions that are not their own may be the most sought-after candidates. It follows that staff psychologists must also have an ability to adjust one's clinical approach to successfully serve individuals who are different from oneself.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Educational Psychologists?
Debra Frame Ph.D.: The ability to work with analytical software, scheduling software and medical software (including mental health apps) is most critical. Graduates should also be able to use word processing software to write and maintain clinical reports, and completing paperwork to work with 3rd party providers is essential. Staff psychologists need to demonstrate skills in clinical assessment and diagnosis and should also be able to plan treatments utilizing evidence-based therapeutic interventions on a scheduled or emergency basis. Some positions will ask for the ability to conduct scientific studies of mental health; therefore, graduates who are well versed in research methods and statistics tend to be more attractive. Finally, fluency in a second language, especially Spanish, makes graduates more marketable. Spanish-speaking psychologists are in high demand due to a growing Hispanic population, a limited number of Hispanic psychologists, and an even smaller number of psychologists who can provide services in Spanish.
What skills will help Educational Psychologists earn the most?
Debra Frame Ph.D.: Higher incomes go to individuals with higher degrees. Experience also counts with many staff psychology positions requiring at least two years of experience as a minimum. A specialty area is a plus; for example, neuropsychology, child psychology, and clinical health psychology are more often specifically mentioned in job advertisements and may bring additional salary should a graduate meet a specific need.
While salaries for individuals with doctorate degrees in psychology are projected to outpace inflation, psychologists earn higher incomes, especially when working in the business environment, followed by governmental agencies, non-profits groups, and health education. A staff psychologist working in the corporate environment needs to have the technical skills to develop assessments that meet the company's needs to make effective employee selection and placement decisions, design training techniques to enhance employee skills, assess employee performance, and develop plans to ensure healthier work-life balance.
More recently, clinical services have been increasingly delivered in a virtual world. Therefore, knowledge of technologies and appropriate strategies for remote mental health services will help graduates stand out and earn additional income. Telehealth services will expand treatments to previously inaccessible areas and will provide additional income streams.
Barbara Holmes Ph.D.
ProfessorWinona State University
Leadership Education Department
What skills stand out on Educational Psychologist resumes?
Barbara Holmes Ph.D.: Educational Diagnosticians need to have the professional knowledge base to be able to identify students with disabilities and recommend appropriate instructional modifications and behavior management strategies.
What soft skills should all Educational Psychologists possess?
Barbara Holmes Ph.D.: Educational Diagnosticians need to have a mastery of interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work effectively in collaborative teams
What hard/technical skills are most important for Educational Psychologists?
Barbara Holmes Ph.D.: Educational Diagnosticians need to be proficient in assessment, evaluation procedures and knowledgeable of federal laws, rules, and regulations
What skills will help Educational Psychologists earn the most?
Barbara Holmes Ph.D.: Educational Diagnosticians earn the most when they can demonstrate effective problem resolution skills in matching appropriate assessments with the learning needs of students. They also need to be professionally nimble in implementing responsive strategies to new laws, rules, and regulations.
Dr. Lim Hooi Shan Ph.D.
Programme Director, Master of Clinical Psychology programmeTaylor University
Department of Social Sciences
What skills stand out on Educational Psychologist resumes?
Dr. Lim Hooi Shan Ph.D.: The term 'Psychology Associate' is overly general, as it can be referred to as Clinical Psychologist, Counsellor, Industrial and Organisational Psychologist, Educational Psychologist, and many more. Rather than emphasize skills on a resume, I would focus more on their qualifications as well as their working experience. Given there are many disciplines in Psychology, it could be hard to give a generic answer. One of the key things that stand out on a resume when it comes to mental health professions is that the individual has obtained the required qualification, be it Master of Clinical Psychology, Master of Counselling, Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), and so on. Second, it is vital to also include relevant registration and/or licensing information from the country in which the individual intends to work at, as the employer needs to ensure that the individual can start practicing once they hire him or her. Joining relevant professional societies can also add points to a resume. When crafting the working experience section in a resume, it is crucial to highlight the skills that the individual gained from that experience. For example, the individual has worked as an intern in a psychological center, they can state 'Dealt with challenging clients via phone and face to face using conflict management skills, co-organized over 20 events virtually through Zoom and Cisco Webex, curated mental health awareness content in social media using canvas. If they are professional practitioners, they can indicate that they 'administered more than 1000 clinical assessments on children, adolescents, and adults, served as president in an organization, conducted more than 10000 hours of psychotherapy sessions' and so on. Most importantly, they need to understand what exactly the employers are looking after. For academic positions, they can expand more on the research section to share more on their publications and research-related activities, as well as their teaching experiences, such as modules/courses and level of education that they have taught before. When it comes to companies, relevant working experience will be the key attraction.
Pedro Olvera
Associate Professor, School Psychology Program DirectorCalifornia Baptist University
School Psychology Program
What soft skills should all Educational Psychologists possess?
Pedro Olvera: School psychologists must be patient, compassionate, and work hard at being good communicators. Being a good communicator is essential to understanding the nature of why the child is being by you and, most importantly, to know how to intervene.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Educational Psychologists?
Pedro Olvera: School psychologists need to collect and make sense of assessment data to recommend appropriate interventions to help children succeed in academic settings. School psychologists administer various assessments that help educators and parents understand how children learn and process information. Understanding the information these tests give you and determining if a child has a learning disability based on the assessment results is vital.
What skills will help Educational Psychologists earn the most?
Pedro Olvera: I would say that being a people person is the most critical skill for this job. As school psychologists, we are constantly being called to work in teams. So being able to be part of a team, working with different individuals of different cultural backgrounds, communicating with respect, and working under pressure are essential skills
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Educational Psychologist job market given the pandemic?
Emily Daubert Ph.D.: The psychology job market is diverse, but despite the pandemic, I believe there will still be plenty of jobs available in the field of psychology in general. Though, I will qualify this answer by saying that it depends on one's training and area of expertise. Clinical/counseling jobs are always available, and there was a shortage of clinicians prior to the pandemic. Post pandemic, with the increased need for and acceptance of mental health services, I expect that those graduating with a specialty in clinical psychology will fare very well. There are some fields of psychology that may experience a temporary shortage due to budgetary constrictions, including those jobs in academia, which are always in high demand even prior to the pandemic. Last, with the change in federal administration, there is likely to be increased funding for science and research foundations in general, so those seeking research position in the government or at a private or non-profit institution should start to see more openings available in the not so distant future.
What Educational Psychologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Emily Daubert Ph.D.: If a graduate decides to take a gap year, this is very normal in the field of psychology, and it should be viewed as an opportunity to enhance one's skills. In particular, statistical and coding skills that can be used for data analysis, computational modeling, data collection (e.g., web scraping) are extremely useful in nearly every research-oriented position. For those who know statistics and coding is not their passion, I would recommend acquiring more hands-on experience in their field of interest. For example, someone interested in being a school psychologist could volunteer, intern, or work for a school district, which will build their job skills, professional connections, and their resume. For someone seeking a research-oriented job, could explore lab manager or research associate positions (after undergrad or Masters, before a doctoral program), postdoctoral research positions (after doctoral training), where they will make connections, learn new methods, and build their CV.
Gabriela Martorell Ph.D.
Professor of PsychologyVirginia Wesleyan University
Psychology Department
What technical skills for an Educational Psychologist stand out to employers?
Gabriela Martorell Ph.D.: There are some skills which are not technical in nature but nonetheless matter greatly. Behaving ethically and professionally and having a strong work ethic are important. Being able to engage in collaborative team-work is really important too. I always tell my students - when they gripe about group projects - that group projects don't stop when you finish college, they're just called committees or task-forces then.You still have to deal with the same issues group work always entails. You still have to learn to get along and work with people you might not necessarily like, and deal with people who are too pushy and take over everything, or who want you to do all the work and then take credit for it. The ability to effectively communicate, in both written and oral form, is really important as well. There's a reason we professors want students to email us in a particular fashion, and ask students to give oral presentations, and insist upon proper grammar in all communications. For some students, those soft skills can make a big difference to how successful you are in the workplace.
In terms of technical skills, certainly the ability to use computer programs common to most professional occupations matters - email, basic documents, presentation templates, and spreadsheets - are important to have. Additionally, skill sets related to budgeting, statistical analysis, critical thinking and hypothesis testing, and project management are also important. But those are just the basics. Some of what may be most useful depends on the job being sought. For example, someone interested in working for a government-funded social service program may be well served by knowing a program such as SPSS and having a working knowledge of statistics, allowing them to perform analyses on program outcomes. However, because there are so many different programs for so many different tasks and so much variability across jobs, what may be more important than knowing a particular program may be the ability and willingness to learn how to use new software and learn new skills.
COVID-19 also changes the ground rules somewhat. Personal characteristics such as autonomy, resilience, resourcefulness and the ability to innovate may be particularly important in a chaotic time such as this.
Dr. Cecy Brooks
Visiting Assistant ProfessorMississippi University for Women
Department of Psychology and Family Science
What's a good job out of college for Educational Psychologists?
Dr. Cecy Brooks: During this pandemic, recent college graduates are faced with additional stressors due to not only the availability of full-time and benefits-eligible positions, but they are also faced with the challenge of potentially working in virtual spaces. Recent graduates may need additional support in navigating their roles and responsibilities, so looking at organizations that provide training and opportunities for performance feedback may be beneficial for any new graduate. The onboarding processes for new hires is critical as it provides objectives and goals for the organization and its employees. However, a training manual or video cannot entirely replicate the "real world" environment. As such actual employees can help new hires adjust to their role and provide scenarios from their personal experiences that may take place at work. The opportunity for growth and professional development is not just whether people are promoted, but also whether employees feel valued in the organization when the organization is investing in their training and providing opportunities to grow within the organization.
What technical skills for an Educational Psychologist stand out to employers?
Dr. Cecy Brooks: Due to the pandemic, many graduates had to finish their classes online, meaning that for most, that required more independent learning and virtual team work. Employers will definitely look at how well you function in a virtual environment, especially whether you can conduct and host virtual meetings. Being aware of how multiple systems such as Microsoft Teams, Skype, Go-to-Meeting, and Zoom work can help distinguish a potential candidate. Written skills are also important as email communication may be the primary way to communicate with those within and outside of the organization. Understanding how to write in a clear and concise manner can help boost your resume to the top. Additionally, in some work settings, in-person meetings may not be possible, so you may be writing more messages when you are unable to "see" or call someone on the phone.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Educational Psychologists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Cecy Brooks: For graduates in Human Development and Family Sciences, the pandemic and the virtual environment is changing some of the ways in which people communicate, but also how care is provided. For example, in the health care industry, technology such as Telehealth and Virtual care has become more relevant during the pandemic. As more people become more comfortable and experience the benefits of using this technology versus conventional in-person assistance, students will also need to prepare for more virtual contact.
Dr. Joey Collins
Assistant Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Founder of Collins AllianceSeattle Pacific University
School of Psychology, Family & Community
What general advice would you give to an Educational Psychologist?
Dr. Joey Collins: Network, network, and then more of that - there is no shortage of advice on networking. Scroll through fifteen to twenty sources on the internet, select 2-3 practices you feel could work for you, and then use them for two weeks. After two weeks, reflect on the techniques, keep the ones that work, and repeat. In a month or two, you will become a networking expert for people like you.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Educational Psychologists?
Dr. Joey Collins: Depends on the job.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Educational Psychologist job market given the pandemic?
Dé Bryant Ph.D.: As the job market begins to stabilize after the pandemic I believe we will see a great need for innovators. We clearly cannot just "go back to normal." Existing businesses, and business practices, have been devastated and will not return in the same shape. The market will need problem solvers and project designers and risk management professionals. People who are able to think around corners and past the obvious will be in high demand. That means a liberal arts education will give students the range of skills they need to respond in the new work environment.
What Educational Psychologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dé Bryant Ph.D.: Grads should not think of that year as a throw-away period between serious work on degrees. Instead, they should use this as a time to redefine their own vision. They should ask themselves, "After I have considered everything that I could do with my life, what one things must I do?". Students shouldn't just think about a career in terms of skills acquisition. They should also think about how that time in between degrees could be used to find meaning, adjust their attitudes, build relationships. Among the many things this Era of COVID has taught us, the most important is that none of us is an island. We all live within the society; our task is to find out what that means for our individual lives.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Educational Psychologist job market given the pandemic?
Glenn Valdez Ph.D.: I think one of the biggest trends given the pandemic is a possible shift towards more resources going towards understanding neurological and psychological issues related to COVID. One of the issues that is not very well understood, mainly because the research is still in its infancy, is the effects of "long haul" COVID. There seems to be wide range of cognitive and neurological issues that a certain population of people are experiencing after recovering from their initial symptoms. I would envision that many scientific fields would want to gain a better understanding of the long-term effects of the pandemic once things are more under control.
What skills stand out on Educational Psychologist resumes?
Glenn Valdez Ph.D.: The most obvious skills would be having a good technical background in the area, analytical skills, and research experience. Another important one is communication skills. I think one of the most important things that the pandemic has brought to light is that being able to convey both scientific concepts and the process of science in a clear and understandable way to the general public is critical.
Janine Davis Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Mary Washington
College of Education
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Educational Psychologists?
Janine Davis Ph.D.: For our teacher education graduates, the impact of the pandemic will most likely work in their favor when it comes to finding jobs-the pandemic has led to many retirements, which will mean that we will need even more teachers to fill those empty positions. At the same time, the advent of increased virtual learning means that it will no longer be an option that teachers know and use technology, including teaching online and using learning management and data analysis systems-those skills will almost certainly be a non-negotiable for future teaching positions. Finally, I think that this event has highlighted the importance of working as part of a team of teachers and other school leaders.