5 JOBS FOR GRADUATES OF A BACHELOR'S IN PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM DEADLINE

Bachelor's in Psychology Jobs

• Social Worker
• Substance Abuse Counselor
• Psychiatric Technician
• Human Resources Professional
• Training and Development Manager

If you're interested in completing a degree through a bachelor's in psychology program, you might be wondering about which career opportunities would be available to you immediately after graduation. You may be aware that a psychology degree does not typically qualify you to work as a psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor or art therapist; you need graduate-level academic credentials to obtain most entry-level jobs in any of those fields. However, your bachelor's degree in psychology is a necessary part of preparing for graduate studies if you wish to pursue any of these careers in the long term. So what are your career options in the short term? Let's take a look at 5 viable jobs for graduates of a bachelor's in psychology program.

1. Social Worker

Social work is a fast-growing and rewarding career possibility for psychology majors. Social workers use their exceptional interpersonal and psychology skills to assist others, help people productively solve their problems and guide others in dealing with stressful situations. As of May 2016, social workers earned annual median pay of $46,890.

Employment requirements vary for social work, but a bachelor's degree is typically the entry-level requirement as far as academic credentials are concerned. Experts at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics report that some employers in this niche are willing to hire psychology majors with bachelor's degrees to do this job, while others require their employees to have degrees in social work.

If this line of work interests you, it could be beneficial for you to minor in social welfare or social work. If that isn't a possibility, you could at least enroll in as many courses relating to social work and sociology as your academic schedule will allow.

2. Substance Abuse Counselor

Substance abuse counselors earn annual median pay of nearly $40,000 per year while helping others overcome their addiction problems. Their primary responsibility is to encourage their clients to adopt healthy behaviors while eliminating self-destructive habits. This worthwhile work can be completed in a variety of different settings including private offices, prisons, mental health centers and public healthcare facilities.

While most counselor positions require a Master's degree, the role of substance abuse counselor is an interesting and important exception. This is a fast-growing niche that has become a crucial part of the USA's criminal justice system. There are many positions in this niche that are open to bachelor's degree graduates, although some jobs in this field do require Master's degrees.

If this line of work seems interesting to you, it would be beneficial to consider declaring a minor in counseling.

3. Psychiatric Technician

Psychiatric technicians facilitate work for licensed healthcare practitioners including physicians and psychiatrists. Their responsibilities typically include interacting with patients, providing therapeutic care for them, observing their behaviors, monitoring their states of mind and health conditions, maintaining their records and ensuring their doctors' therapy and medical recommendations are followed. As of 2016, annual median pay for this line of work was $28,670.

4. Human Resources Professional

Most large companies employ human resources specialists to recruit, hire and train their team members. Assets for this job include people skills and an exceptional understanding of human psychology. Annual median pay for this line of work was $59,180 as of 2016.

5. Training and Development Manager

Some large chain retailers and other corporations offer management training programs to their employees. They hire training and development managers to empower their managers-in-training with the skills they need for success. Other organizations hire training and development managers to oversee specific aspects of their employees' training or to direct programs that train employees to utilize the company's proprietary processes. As of 2016, annual mean pay for this position was $105,830.

This is not a comprehensive list of all the possible career opportunities that are available to bachelor's degree graduates with psychology majors. An understanding of human psychology is beneficial in every imaginable career path, which means that there are limitless other possibilities to explore. However, the jobs on this list are particularly well suited to bachelor's degree graduates who studied psychology. If you're in a hurry as you begin your job search, start by looking for open positions like the ones mentioned on this list of 5 jobs for graduates of a bachelor's in psychology program.

See also:Top 18 Cheap Online Psychology Degree Programs (Bachelor's)