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Did you know that psychology is one of the most popular degrees amongst students? It’s easy to see why – psychology delves into the human brain and explores questions like How does the brain process memory? How is the brain structured? How do children and adults change with age? Why do humans interact differently?

But apart from being really interesting to study, what kind of career can expect to have after you graduate? Luckily for you, we’ve found seven jobs you could do with your psychology degree...

Clinical psychologist

What you’ll do: As a clinical psychologist, your job is to reduce the stress and improve the psychological well-being of your patients. Using the methods and research you learnt on your course, you'll make changes to your clients' lives through forms of treatment like therapy or advice. You'll work with your clients in order to diagnose, assess and manage their condition. 

How it uses your degree: This is the job your degree was designed for! Everything you learn on your degree will be used for every aspect of this job.

Why you’ll love itL It’s the reason you’ve taken your psychology degree, and sums up everything you love.

How much you might earn: Trainee clinical psychologists start on around £35,000, with top salaries around the £100k mark.

Source: Prospects

Counselling psychologist

What you’ll do: As a counselling psychologist you'll use psychological theory and research in therapeutic work to help clients with a range of difficult life issues and/or mental health conditions. Clients can include children, adults, families, couples and groups. You’ll work with a variety of mental health conditions and relationship issues, trauma, sexual abuse and the likes.

How it uses your degree: All of the knowledge you’ve studied about how the brain functions and personal relationships will be practised. It’ll require your knowledge of psychological theory and previous research to use on a case by case basis with your clients.

Why you’ll love it: This is a people based job, and helping people will be at the source of your work. You’ll see the importance of what you’re doing every single day, and witness the personal progress of every person you work with.

How much you might earn: Entry-level counselling psychologists start at around £32,000, and can progress to more senior roles eventually receiving a pay packet of around £90,000.

Source: Prospects

Educational psychologist

What you’ll do: Educational psychologists support children and young people from birth to 25 years old through the application of psychological theory and research in order to promote their emotional and social wellbeing.

You'll work with children and young people who are having problems that affect their learning and participation in school and other activities. These problems can include a range of emotional and social issues or learning difficulties.

How it uses your degree: A lot of your degree will focus on the development of young brains and child-specific psychology, the perfect practice for this job. Therapy training will also be used, as you’ll be helping the children with your learnt techniques.

Why you’ll love it: If you have a passion for working with young people, this is the job for you. You’ll be shaping young minds and resolving issues before they affect later life, emphasising just how important this job is.

How much you might earn: Newly qualified educational psychologists can earn around £38,000 upwards to start off, and progress to roughly £65,000 when they continue in their careers.

Source: Prospects

Forensic psychologist

What you’ll do: Your work as a forensic psychologist revolve around criminal behaviour. You'll work not only with prisoners and offenders, with other professionals involved in the judicial and penal systems as well as with victims of crime.

You'll be heavily involved in providing research-based evidence to develop policy and working practices, as well as give evidence in court and advise parole boards and mental health tribunals. Your work will help to rehabilitate prisoners and you'll have the chance to support and train other staff.

How it uses your degree: Much like the other roles, this job will test your knowledge of brain functioning and mental health effects on the brain. You’ll also be using your rehabilitation knowledge with reformed prisoners, to change learnt behaviours.

Why you’ll love it: You’ll have a different task every day, and be kept on your toes. This is a specialist form of psychology to be involved in, and is unlike most other jobs out there. If you like watching gritty prison dramas, you can live this in reality now…

How much you might earn: High levels of experience can earn you around £45,000, with starting salaries being around the £27,000 mark.

Source: Prospects

Advice worker

What you’ll do: As an advice worker you'll provide free, impartial and confidential advice to clients on a range of issues, such as debt, employment and housing.

You'll deliver this advice in a range of ways, including via face-to-face appointments, telephone, email, and web-chat support. You could be based in a variety of settings including community centres, doctors' surgeries and courts and prisons, as well as in dedicated advice or call centres.

How it uses your degree: This will use your knowledge of therapeutic methods to help people find their way in life. It’s a less intense use of your degree, but still helpful nonetheless. This job is well suited to those doing joint honours degrees, and have a passion for things other than just psychology, such as law or social work.

Why you’ll love it: If you like the person-to-person side of psychology, working directly with others, then this is a good suiting for you.

How much you might earn… Salaries start at around £18,000-£19,500, depending on where you work. Senior roles can earn up to around £45,000.

Source: Prospects

Counsellor

What you’ll do: As a counsellor, you'll actively listen to clients, offering them time, empathy and respect to talk about particular issues and problems, with the aim to reduce confusion and increase their ability to cope with challenges, or to make positive changes to their lives. You’ll deal with issues such as divorce or relationship difficulties, illness, bereavement, unemployment or job uncertainty and general anxiety.                                                               

How it uses your degree: Similarly to advice workers, counsellors spend a lot of their time applying psychological therapy methods with clients, and practice therapy methods regarding mental health, developmental issues and childhood development issues to help clients. In general, your degree will pretty much be useful in every aspect of this role, as it focuses around the functioning of the brain.

Why you’ll love it: Similar to psychologists, this job is perfect for those studying this degree. Every aspect of study is covered here, and it’s just right for those who want a career heavily focused in psychology.

How much you might earn: Starting salaries range between £20,000 to £26,000, and many counsellors charge per session if they work privately which can mean they receive a higher income. 

Source: Prospects

Detective

What you’ll do: If you like a fast paced career and a big shiny badge, this might be your calling. Detectives work in specific areas, from criminal investigations department (CID) which handles cases of suspicious death, robbery etc to the fraud, cyber or drugs squads. They manage investigations, managing uniformed police officers in gathering evidence.

How it uses your degree: Detectives have to decide why people commit crimes, and how criminals work in a different way than other people. They have to crack the code and figure out people’s next moves and get inside people’s brains, all strong aspects of a psychology degree.

Why you’ll love it: Your life will be like a real life murder mystery. Imagine Cluedo but with real people and real lives, and your role is important in order to crack the case. It’s a great choice for those interested in criminal psychology and even those studying joint honours with subjects like law. If you have a passion for CSI, then this is the job for you.

How much you might earn: Salaries start at around £26,000, rising with experience. Chief superintendents can earn around £90,000.

Source: Prospects

These are just some of the career opportunities open to you if you do a degree in psychology.

If none of these appeal, don't worry. Psychology degrees not only give you subject-specific knowledge, but also many skills desired by employers in any industry, such as problem-solving skills, research skills, and written and oral communication skills. So there are plenty more career paths you can take.

Good luck!

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