Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
Mental Health
I/O psychology is the scientific study of human behavior in the workplace. It focuses on assessing individual, group, and organizational dynamics and using that research to identify solutions to problems that improve the well-being and performance of an organization and its employees. I/O psychologists look at questions such as: How are decisions made? How effective is communication? How do team members interact and collaborate? Knowing the answers to these questions and many others help business owners assess where to change systems and dynamics to make their company function better.
I/O psychologists are experts in the design, implementation, and analysis of psychological research. They apply their findings in a variety of ways to help solve human and organizational problems in the workplace such as: Identifying training and development needs; Optimizing the quality of work life; Formulating and implementing training programs and evaluating their effectiveness; Coaching employees and organization leaders; Developing criteria to evaluate performance of individuals and organizations; and Assessing consumer preferences, customer satisfaction and market strategies.
As scientist-practitioners, I/O psychologists receive specialized training in the science of human behavior in the workplace. This training provides them with a deep knowledge of issues that are critical to business success. Some work in corporate America in positions dealing with worker productivity, employee training and assessment, and human resources, while others make their careers in academia.
If you wonder what else psychology has to offer in terms of understanding human behavior beyond I/O psychology, you may want to explore the subfields of brain science and cognitive psychology, climate and environmental psychology, developmental psychology, experimental psychology, forensic psychology, human factors and engineering psychology, quantitative psychology, rehabilitation psychology, social psychology, or sport and performance psychology, to name just a few. If you are interested in mental health, conducting assessment, and providing treatment, you may want to explore clinical psychology, counseling psychology, or school psychology.
Opportunities in I/O psychology for those with doctoral or master’s degrees are typically at a higher level than for those with undergraduate degrees. An undergraduate degree remains excellent preparation for continued graduate work in psychology or in another field that requires a similar skillset. Many employers across industries are interested in the skills that psychology majors bring to collecting, analyzing and interpreting data and their experience with statistics and experimental design.
Working conditions
I/O psychologists apply their scientific research in all types of organizational and workplace settings, such as manufacturing, commercial enterprises, labor unions and health care facilities. The focus of their research ranges from applicant and employee testing and assessment to leadership development, staffing, management, teams, compensation, workplace safety, diversity and work-life balance.
Other I/O psychologists work in research or hold academic positions in colleges and universities. In addition, they are qualified as trainers, facilitators, assessors, coaches and consultants. I/O psychologists may also work directly in an organization’s human resources department, or they may act as independent consultants, called into an organization to solve a particular problem.
Most psychologists say they love their work. They cite the variety of daily tasks and the flexibility of their schedules. They are thrilled by the exciting changes taking place in the field — from adapting technology to benefit humans, to working as part of primary health care teams. They are endeavoring to provide answers to research questions in such diverse areas as prevention, perception and learning, and they are using new technology and knowledge to train the next generation. It is an exciting time to be a psychologist.
Academic requirements
To be called a “psychologist,” you must earn a doctoral degree in psychology. But there are opportunities at all levels of education (bachelors, masters, and doctoral) to work in the field of I/O psychology.
- To learn more about taking psychology in high school, see the American Psychological Association’s precollege webpages.
- To learn more about undergraduate education in psychology, see the American Psychological Association’s undergraduate education webpages.
- To learn more about graduate education in psychology, see the American Psychological Association’s graduate education webpages.
The American Psychological Association also provides a listing of accredited master’s and doctoral graduate programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, and combinations of these areas. Students interested in these fields should see the separate pages on clinical and counseling psychology. If you are not sure why accreditation matters, this resource may help.
Subfields of psychology outside of these areas are out of the scope of accreditation. Examples of subfields of psychology that are not eligible for accreditation include brain science and cognitive psychology, climate and environmental psychology, developmental psychology, experimental psychology, human factors and engineering psychology, industrial-organizational, and social psychology. Many of these fields have bright job outlooks, like industrial-organizational psychology.
Resources
- Explore the different subfields in psychology, including becoming a psychological scientist or an applied psychologist.
- Learn more about becoming a psychologist.
- See why you should consider a career in psychology and what skills psychology students have that prepare them for success in the workforce.
- Get career information and view job listings.
- Begin creating a plan for your career in psychology.
- American Psychological Association
- Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
The American Psychological Association has reviewed and approved this career profile.
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Average Salary
$147,420
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Years Higher Education
6 - 8
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Job Outlook
Excellent