What is the Average Salary for an Online Psychology Degree Graduate?

Far too many people assume that the online psychology degree graduate average salary differs from the average salary reported by those who graduated from traditional colleges. The simple truth is that the number of online schools that lacked accreditation dropped in recent years and that more and more traditional schools now offer online programs. When you attend one of those schools, no one will know that you didn’t attend classes on campus every week and that you finished your degree online. Online graduates earn just as much as traditional graduates do.

What do Psychologists do?

Ask any psychologist what an average day looks like in the field and you’ll likely get a laugh in response. Psychology is one large topic with a number of fields relating back to that topic. Occupational psychologists work with patients dealing with issues and health problems at work, while engineering psychologists research products and create new products that are easier to use. You might also work as a clinical psychologist or a counseling psychologist and see patients in your private office or in a nearby clinic. Psychologists often look at how environmental factors impact the lives of their patients.

Average Salary

While the online psychology degree graduate average salary doesn’t differ from the salary reported by those who graduated from traditional schools, you still want to know how much you can expect to make. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of all psychologists working in the field is $69,280, which is nearly twice the median wage reported across all industries. This salary comes out to a median wage of $33.31 an hour. Those working in the field can earn as much as $100,000 or more a year, while some people make much less.

Psychologist Job Outlook

The BLS believes that the number of psychology jobs will grow at an average rate in the coming years. From 2012 to 2022, the BLS believes that psychology jobs will grow at a rate of 12 percent, which means that more than 18,000 new jobs will open in the field. In 2012, approximately 160,200 people worked as psychologists, and those psychologists had a college degree and fulfilled a residency requirement. This residency requirement requires that graduate students spend 200 hours or more working in a clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed counselor.

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What About Your School?

The online psychology degree graduate average salary is usually the same as the salary earned by students graduating from a traditional school, but this only applies to accredited programs. Programs with accreditation from the American Psychological Association offer students a better understanding of psychological topics, give them the chance to work in the field and provide students with a strong background in the fundamentals. Your school should list its accreditation on its website or in the paperwork it sends you.

The idea that online students make less than traditional students isn’t necessarily true. Those graduating from schools that lack accreditation often have a harder time finding a job and make less money than their peers. Those that graduate from an accredited school earn an online psychology degree graduate average salary that is the same as their peers.

Related Resource: Advantages of Obtaining an Online Degree in Psychology