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Psychology Professor

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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.

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.

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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.

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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:

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Psychology Professor?

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Psychology Professors Sector

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The table below shows the approximate number of Psychology Professors employed by various industries.

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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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