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.
- Median pay
- $193,950
- Doing it now
- 4,000
- By 2035
- Up 6.5%
- Usually needs
- Master's degree
a year
across the country
300 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Develop and implement employee selection or placement programs.
- Analyze job requirements and content to establish criteria for classification, selection, training, and other related personnel functions.
- Observe and interview workers to obtain information about the physical, mental, and educational requirements of jobs, as well as information about aspects such as job satisfaction.
- Write reports on research findings and implications to contribute to general knowledge or to suggest potential changes in organizational functioning.
- Advise management concerning personnel, managerial, and marketing policies and practices and their potential effects on organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
- Identify training and development needs.
- Conduct research studies of physical work environments, organizational structures, communication systems, group interactions, morale, or motivation to assess organizational functioning.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Psychology, GeneralSee 1,389 colleges that teach it
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologySee 233 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Leading and persuading
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $193,950 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.