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How to hire an industrial/organizational psychologist

Industrial/organizational psychologist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring industrial/organizational psychologists in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire an industrial/organizational psychologist is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new industrial/organizational psychologist to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an industrial/organizational psychologist, step by step

To hire an industrial/organizational psychologist, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire an industrial/organizational psychologist:

Here's a step-by-step industrial/organizational psychologist hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an industrial/organizational psychologist job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new industrial/organizational psychologist
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an industrial/organizational psychologist do?

The productivity of an organization is the sum of that of every individual in that organization, and the psychological state of these individuals is a major determinant their productivity. Thus, an industrial/organizational psychologist is tasked with improving the overall work environment by improving the mental state of the employees. Applying the principles of psychology, they aim to improve the communication, occupational satisfaction, and safety-mindedness of all parties involved with their organization. They must help the employees they work with reach a mental state to function at peak efficiency.

Learn more about the specifics of what an industrial/organizational psychologist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring an industrial/organizational psychologist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect industrial/organizational psychologist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    This list shows salaries for various types of industrial/organizational psychologists.

    Type of Industrial/Organizational PsychologistDescriptionHourly rate
    Industrial/Organizational PsychologistPsychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people relate to one another and their environments.$29-65
    PsychologistSales managers are responsible for leading the organization's sales team. They oversee the progress and performance of the whole team, set area assignments to team members, and set weekly or monthly quotas... Show more$32-66
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Statistical Methods
    • Action Plan
    • Employee Selection
    • Training Programs
    • APA
    • Psychological Tests
    Responsibilities:
    • Develop computer programs using SAS and various PC programs to support research, analysis and administration of ongoing activities.
    • Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.
    • Develop cognitive behaviorally-base educational module for post-surgery patients.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your industrial/organizational psychologist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An industrial/organizational psychologist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for an industrial/organizational psychologist in North Carolina may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level industrial/organizational psychologist usually earns less than a senior-level industrial/organizational psychologist. Additionally, an industrial/organizational psychologist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average industrial/organizational psychologist salary

    $92,751yearly

    $44.59 hourly rate

    Entry-level industrial/organizational psychologist salary
    $62,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 13, 2025

    Average industrial/organizational psychologist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Washington$111,422$54
    2Illinois$108,910$52
    3New York$98,424$47
    4California$97,535$47
    5Iowa$89,847$43
    6Georgia$88,440$43
    7Massachusetts$81,047$39
    8Pennsylvania$72,722$35
    9Minnesota$67,723$33
    10Florida$66,506$32

    Average industrial/organizational psychologist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Microsoft$117,763$56.621
    2McKesson$98,402$47.311
    3State Farm$93,855$45.12
    4CTB/McGraw-Hill$92,522$44.48
    5Tri- State Electric$89,159$42.86
    6Dms Holdings Inc$89,159$42.86
    7Alaka`ina Foundation Family Of Companies$87,652$42.14
    8ACT$84,837$40.79
    9Perceptyx$83,727$40.25
    10Leidos$83,034$39.927
    11Select International$63,326$30.45
  4. Writing an industrial/organizational psychologist job description

    An industrial/organizational psychologist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an industrial/organizational psychologist job description:

    Industrial/organizational psychologist job description example

    Data Management Services, Inc. (dba: DMS International) is a professional services firm headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, with work locations throughout the continental United States. We prepare managers and executives to lead their workforce through customized learning solutions that drive the standards of an ever-changing world. We build creative, unique and engaging learning experiences for commercial, civilian and defense organizations. Our high-caliber talent, delivery methodology and innovative solutions contribute to preparing a workforce that is ready for the future. You can join us on this journey to bring efficiency and creativity to our customers.

    At DMS International (DMS), we are the catalyst for effective workforce transformation. To achieve this, we hire professionals who take pride in doing quality work and who are excited about contributing to the professional development of tomorrow's leaders.
    DMS seeks candidates that possess and display the attributes that reflect our Core Values of:

    + Quality in delivering solutions,

    + Leadership,

    + Innovation,

    + Teamwork,

    + Integrity in conduct,

    + Responsiveness to our customer's mission

    Job Description

    DMS is seeking an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist to join our learning services team who will be responsible for applying principles of psychology to personnel, administration, management, and organizational design to develop policy, employee screening tools, training & development, and organization development & analysis. This position requires seven or more years of experience as an Industrial-Organizational psychologist.

    Responsibilities

    + Provide expertise and services on an as-needed basis to help design, develop or implement effective learning and development courses, seminars, programs, and environments.

    + Identify and evaluate alternative assessment instruments and learning interventions.

    + Create assessment questions and tools.

    + Research and recommend credible and appropriate content for instructional modules.

    + Design and develop active-learning exercises.

    + Craft leadership competencies and development requirements for different managerial-leadership roles.

    + Create program application and selection criteria, processes, and related rubrics.

    + Review and recommend improvements to evaluation surveys.

    + Identify and recommend practices that foster a climate of learning; and support leaders in implementing climate improvement efforts.

    Education

    + Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from a regionally accredited college or university.

    Required Experience

    + Seven or more years of experience as an Industrial-Organizational psychologist.

    Location

    + Temporarily remote during Covid-19

    Position Type

    + TBD
  5. Post your job

    To find industrial/organizational psychologists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any industrial/organizational psychologists they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level industrial/organizational psychologists with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your industrial/organizational psychologist job on Zippia to find and recruit industrial/organizational psychologist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with industrial/organizational psychologist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new industrial/organizational psychologist

    Once you've selected the best industrial/organizational psychologist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new industrial/organizational psychologist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an industrial/organizational psychologist?

There are different types of costs for hiring industrial/organizational psychologists. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new industrial/organizational psychologist employee.

You can expect to pay around $92,751 per year for an industrial/organizational psychologist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for industrial/organizational psychologists in the US typically range between $29 and $65 an hour.

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