School Psychologists
Diagnose and implement individual or schoolwide interventions or strategies to address educational, behavioral, or developmental issues that adversely impact educational functioning in a school. May address student learning and behavioral problems and counsel students or families. May design and implement performance plans, and evaluate performance. May consult with other school-based personnel.
- Median pay
- $95,990
- Doing it now
- 64,000
- By 2035
- Up 0.8%
- Usually needs
- Master's degree
a year
across the country
3,400 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Compile and interpret students' test results, along with information from teachers and parents, to diagnose conditions and to help assess eligibility for special services.
- Report any pertinent information to the proper authorities in cases of child endangerment, neglect, or abuse.
- Assess an individual child's needs, limitations, and potential, using observation, review of school records, and consultation with parents and school personnel.
- Select, administer, and score psychological tests.
- Provide consultation to parents, teachers, administrators, and others on topics such as learning styles and behavior modification techniques.
- Promote an understanding of child development and its relationship to learning and behavior.
- Collaborate with other educational professionals to develop teaching strategies and school programs.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- 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.
Helping and teaching
Analytical and curious
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 $95,990 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.