How many psychologists are there? Where do these professional work? Learn more about the employment of psychologists in these statistics from the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Employment Statistics
- Psychologists held about 179,000 jobs in 2004.
- About 4 out of 10 psychologists were self-employed in 2004, compared with less than 1 out of 10 among all professional workers.
Who Employs Psychologists?
- Educational institutions employed about 1 out of 4 psychologists in positions other than teaching, such as counseling, testing, research, and administration.
- Almost 2 out of 10 were employed in health care, primarily in offices of mental health practitioners, physicians, outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers, and private hospitals.
- Government agencies at the State and local levels employed psychologists in public hospitals, clinics, correctional facilities, and other settings.
- After several years of experience, some psychologists--usually those with doctoral degrees--enter private practice or set up private research or consulting firms.
- In addition to the previously mentioned jobs, many psychologists held faculty positions at colleges and universities and as high school psychology teachers.
Further Reading
Subfields of PsychologyAreas of Psychology - Divisions of the APA
Career Options with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology
Career Options with a Graduate Degree in Psychology
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Psychologists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos056.htm
