How To Become A Psychology Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a psychology instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Kathy Caruso

Psychology instructors teach psychology and its various forms and branches, and topics related to the history and practice of psychology. They prepare classes and give lectures or seminars in psychology-related subjects and support their student's academics.

You will work for a university, college, or other educational institution. Your job will be to motivate students and impart complex issues of psychology in an easy-to-grasp manner. It will be your job to keep up to date with the developments and research of the field. Preparing course material, giving assignments, suggesting literature on the subject, and grading students will also be your responsibility.

You will need a master's or a doctorate in psychology to take on this role. You will probably have to get licensed to work as an instructor, and certificates are always a good way to make you stand out from the crowd. Communication and presentation skills will be essential to succeed here. Students will look to you for guidance both in professional and human terms, so interpersonal skills will be important, too.

What's a day at work look like for a psychology instructor?

Kathy Caruso

Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Valley Forge

A day at work could well be a day at home, recording and doing other things via Zoom, Teams, and other modalities. Hopefully that will turn around as more people are vaccinated and the pandemic eases.

ScorePsychology InstructorUS Average

Salary

4.6

Avg. Salary $58,760

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.4

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 11.26%

Black or African American 7.19%

Hispanic or Latino 10.24%

Unknown 4.94%

White 66.10%

Gender

female 65.19%

male 34.81%

Age - 46

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 - 46

Stress level

5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a psychology instructor

Explore psychology instructor education requirements

Most common psychology instructor degrees

Bachelor's

49.1 %

Master's

36.0 %

Doctorate

10.5 %

Start to develop specific psychology instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Semester	11.84%
Student Learning	6.30%
Research Methods	5.80%
Syllabus	5.08%
Social Work	5.02%

Complete relevant psychology instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New psychology instructors 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 psychology instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real psychology instructor resumes.

Research psychology instructor duties and responsibilities

Lead creative writing workshops where students are introduced to the craft of creative writing through short stories and poetry.
Develop curriculum, teach one course weekly during fall/winter semester and conduct class discussions, quizzes and exams on material present.
Conduct college-level courses in the fields of sociology and psychology including culture, social systems, and social changes.
Used structured syllabus with visuals, organize notes, and provide learning lessons for students with interactive tasks to apply learning.

Prepare your psychology instructor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your psychology instructor resume.

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