All About Psychology Professors
Job Description & Duties 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.
Life As a Psychology Professor: What Do They Do?
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and work motivation.
- Develop and use multimedia course materials and other current technology, such as online courses.
- Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
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Psychology Professor Skills
These are the skills Psychology Professors say are the most useful in their careers:
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.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Human Services Instructor
- Educational Psychology Teacher
- Child Development Teacher
- Professor
- Associate Professor
What Kind of Psychology Professor Job Opportunities Are There?
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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 4,500 job openings in this field each 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.
Psychology Professor Salary
The typical yearly salary for Psychology Professors is somewhere between $39,350 and $155,710.

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 |
What Tools & Technology do Psychology Professors Use?
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
Education needed to be a Psychology Professor:

How Long Does it Take to Become a Psychology Professor?

Who Employs Psychology Professors?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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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