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What is a human resources psychologist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Jim Sliwinski Ph.D.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a human resources psychologist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $45.42 an hour? That's $94,465 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 11,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a human resources psychologist?

Dr. Jim Sliwinski Ph.D.Dr. Jim Sliwinski Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Psychology, Defiance College

I encourage all undergraduate psychology majors to consider graduate school. A bachelor's degree in psychology is becoming much more of a pre-professional program. That's not to say that there are not many jobs out there for individuals who only have a bachelor's, but full-time jobs, with benefits, are becoming harder to come by.
ScoreHuman Resources PsychologistUS Average
Salary
7.4

Avg. Salary $94,465

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.9

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 3.47%

Black or African American 3.95%

Hispanic or Latino 7.71%

Unknown 3.42%

White 81.20%

Gender

female 77.27%

male 22.73%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress level
7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a human resources psychologist

  1. Explore human resources psychologist education requirements

    Most common human resources psychologist degrees

    Bachelor's

    77.3 %

    Master's

    9.1 %

    Diploma

    9.1 %
  2. Complete relevant human resources psychologist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New human resources psychologists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a human resources psychologist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real human resources psychologist resumes.
  3. Research human resources psychologist duties and responsibilities

    • Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.
    • Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.
  4. Apply for human resources psychologist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a human resources psychologist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first human resources psychologist job

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Average human resources psychologist salary

The average human resources psychologist salary in the United States is $94,465 per year or $45 per hour. Human resources psychologist salaries range between $63,000 and $140,000 per year.

Average human resources psychologist salary
$94,465 Yearly
$45.42 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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