How to Become an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
Apply psychology to the workplace: hiring, leadership, motivation, and how organizations perform. It typically requires a master's degree, with a median salary of $193,950 per year and faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$193,950/yr
Middle half
$107,310 to $222,280
Job growth
Faster than average
Openings / yr
400
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Assessment Design
- Organizational Research
- Statistics
- Consulting
- Communication
Helpful certifications
- MA/PhD in I-O psychology (SIOP path)
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
58/100
Work-life balance
56/100
Stress level
50/100
Related careers
- Political Scientist$142,080 median
- Sociologist$106,030 median
- Geographer$102,040 median
- Historian$76,750 median
- Anthropologist / Archeologist$70,770 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist make?
The median pay for an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist is $193,950 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $107,310 and $222,280 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist?
The usual entry point is a master's degree. Common majors are Psychology, Human Resources, Statistics, and Cognitive Science.
Is Industrial-Organizational Psychologist a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 400 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist use most?
Common skills for this role are Assessment Design, Organizational Research, Statistics, Consulting, and Communication.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).