Research Psychology
Psychology · federal classification: Research and Experimental Psychology
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,162 | $44,580 to $63,194 | 94 | 90% |
| Master's Degree | $62,644 | $56,944 to $73,740 | 16 | 100% |
| Doctoral Degree | $104,386 | $99,962 to $116,576 | 6 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +5% (2025 to 2035), about 193,000 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $59,550 | +4.4% | 33,900 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $107,310 | +17.9% | 24,900 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 | +12.6% | 10,500 |
| Social Science Research Assistants | $61,990 | +5% | 4,900 |
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $98,920 | +4.7% | 4,300 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a research psychology program, of 272 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- New York University
- University of California-Davis
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- Ohio State University-Main Campus
- University of California-Santa Barbara
- University of California-Irvine
- University of California-Riverside
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.