What Does it Take to Be a Psychology Professor?
Career Description Teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
A Day in the Life of a Psychology Professor
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and work motivation.
- Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
- Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
- Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Psychology Professor?
Psychology Professors state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Types of Psychology Professor
- School Psychology Professor
- Philosophy Professor
- Behavioral Science Chair
- Applied Psychology Professor
- Psychological Science Professor
Job Demand for Psychology Professors
In the United States, there were 46,900 jobs for Psychology Professor in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 15.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 7,100 new jobs for Psychology Professor by 2026. There will be an estimated 4,500 positions for Psychology Professor per year.
The states with the most job growth for Psychology Professor are Utah, Colorado, and Missouri. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, North Dakota, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Psychology Professor Make?
The salary for Psychology Professors ranges between about $39,350 and $155,710 a year.
Psychology Professors who work in California, District of Columbia, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.
How much do Psychology Professors make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $68,660 |
Alaska | $59,200 |
Arkansas | $64,360 |
California | $117,990 |
Colorado | $68,010 |
Connecticut | $88,070 |
District of Columbia | $109,060 |
Florida | $77,810 |
Georgia | $75,850 |
Hawaii | $65,850 |
Idaho | $88,970 |
Illinois | $87,880 |
Indiana | $85,580 |
Iowa | $92,430 |
Kansas | $81,530 |
Kentucky | $67,960 |
Maine | $73,000 |
Maryland | $87,850 |
Massachusetts | $97,690 |
Michigan | $92,000 |
Minnesota | $86,380 |
Mississippi | $71,880 |
Missouri | $83,520 |
Nebraska | $81,300 |
Nevada | $60,880 |
New Hampshire | $89,780 |
New Jersey | $99,670 |
New Mexico | $87,010 |
New York | $99,690 |
North Carolina | $77,700 |
North Dakota | $82,580 |
Ohio | $83,230 |
Oklahoma | $60,140 |
Oregon | $76,580 |
Pennsylvania | $89,300 |
Rhode Island | $93,080 |
South Carolina | $82,630 |
South Dakota | $75,910 |
Tennessee | $74,260 |
Texas | $78,270 |
Utah | $76,470 |
Virginia | $75,770 |
Washington | $68,420 |
West Virginia | $68,470 |
Wisconsin | $77,150 |
Wyoming | $68,110 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Psychology Professors
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Psychology Professors may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- SAS
- Google Docs
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- R
- Minitab
- Blackboard
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Blackboard Learn
- Learning management system LMS
- Sakai CLE
Becoming a Psychology Professor
Individuals working as a Psychology Professor have obtained the following education levels:
How Long Does it Take to Become a Psychology Professor?
Psychology Professors Sector
The table below shows the approximate number of Psychology Professors employed by various industries.
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Are you already one of the many Psychology Professor in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: BruceBlaus via Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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