How much does a workplace psychologist make?
a year · about $93 an hour
A typical workplace psychologist in the United States makes $193,950 a year, about $93 an hour, about 3.8× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
An I-O psychologist may interview workers, examine job requirements and survey results, then design better hiring or training. They share research findings with managers and write reports to help improve workplace performance and morale.
Did you know? They can even serve as expert witnesses in employment lawsuits, explaining workplace issues in court.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $79,010 and $247,220How do you become one?
Earn a bachelor’s degree, then usually a master’s in I-O psychology; internships or research experience help. Licensure usually takes a doctorate, supervised practice (often about 3,000 hours), and passing the EPPP and a state exam; rules vary by state.
School needed: Graduate degree or long training
Good for people who like figuring things out and leading and selling
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay often differs with experience, advanced education, and in-demand skills; a license may matter for some roles. Employer or industry, location, and the complexity or responsibility of the work can also affect pay.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Oregon ($174,980), lowest in Texas ($139,520).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $79,010 | $193,950 | $247,220 | about 790 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $174,980 | about 60 |
| Texas | $139,520 | about 40 |
Official definition: Apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems. Activities may include policy planning; employee testing and selection, training, and development; and organizational development and analysis. May work with management to organize the work setting to improve worker productivity.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/19-3032.00
- www.siop.org/education/for-professionals/licensure-for-i-o-psychologists
- www.siop.org/education/for-students/graduate-training-program/guidelines-for-edu
- www.bls.gov/oes/earnings.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY