SOC 19-3032.00Bright outlook

    Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

    Apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems.

    Median pay
    $193,950
    Growth
    +6.5%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    300
    Typical education
    Master's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $79,010
    Median
    $193,950
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $247,220
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    790 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Industrial-organizational psychologists apply psychological principles to resolve workplace issues in management, human resources, and marketing. This small but growing science career offers a median annual salary of $193,950.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What industrial-organizational psychologists do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    Apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems. Activities may include policy planning; employee testing and selection, training, and development; and organizational development and analysis. May work with management to organize the work setting to improve worker productivity.

    Most need a graduate degree, such as a master's, PhD, MD or JD.

    What the work is like

    Professionals in this field use scientific research to help organizations run smoothly and improve employee productivity. They consult with management to plan workplace policies, design employee selection tests, and analyze training programs. On a daily basis, they gather information, solve complex problems, and interpret data to guide business decisions. Building strong interpersonal relationships and communicating clearly with both staff and leadership are essential parts of the job.

    This career strongly appeals to individuals with investigative interests who enjoy intellectual curiosity, innovation, and attention to detail. Success in the role requires deep knowledge of psychology, personnel and human resources, administration, and education. Practitioners must be skilled in active listening, critical thinking, and systems evaluation to assess how changes impact an organization. They also utilize computers and mathematical concepts to process data and evaluate workplace systems.

    How to get there

    Entering this career typically requires extensive academic preparation. Most professionals need a graduate degree, and a master's degree is the standard entry-level education. Students often major in general psychology or clinical, counseling, and applied psychology. Some individuals in the field also hold doctoral degrees, such as a PhD.

    Depending on where they practice, some states list a license for this work. Additionally, professionals can pursue voluntary credentials to demonstrate their expertise. For example, the International Employee Assistance Professionals Association offers the Certified Employee Assistance Professional credential. This background prepares individuals for roles such as consulting psychologists, human resources organizational development consultants, and management consultants.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual wage for industrial-organizational psychologists is $193,950. Earnings vary significantly based on experience and industry, with the lowest 10% earning less than $79,010 and the highest 10% earning more than $247,220.

    This is a relatively small occupation, employing only 790 people. However, employment is projected to grow by 6.5% from 2025 to 2035, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to result in approximately 300 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    1 / 100
    Investigative (I) · strongest
    72 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    36 / 100
    Social (S)
    50 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    62 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    55 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code IEC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Providing Consultation and Advice to Others
    94
    Getting Information
    93
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    92
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    91
    Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
    91
    Analyzing Data or Information
    90
    Working with Computers
    89
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    89
    Processing Information
    87
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    84
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Writing
    • Critical Thinking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Speaking
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Systems Evaluation
    • Active Learning
    • Monitoring

    Knowledge

    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Psychology
    • Education and Training
    • Administration and Management
    • Mathematics
    • English Language
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Law and Government
    • Sociology and Anthropology
    • Computers and Electronics

    Abilities

    • Oral Expression
    • Written Comprehension
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Information Ordering
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition

    Work styles

    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Innovation
    • Integrity
    • Adaptability
    • Dependability
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Confidence
    • Initiative

    Also called

    Consulting Psychologist · Engineering Psychologist · HR Consultant (Human Resources Consultant) · HR OD Consultant (Human Resources Organizational Development Consultant) · HR Psychologist (Human Resources Psychologist) · I-O Practitioner (Industrial-Organizational Practitioner) · I-O Psychologist (Industrial-Organizational Psychologist) · Industrial Psychologist · Learning and Organizational Development Specialist (Learning and OD Specialist) · Management Consultant

    Career pathway

    From your interests to industrial-organizational psychologists

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Industrial-Organizational Psychologists$193,950 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Georgetown University-DC logo
      Georgetown University-DC

      Washington, DC · Psychology, General · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $47,774
      4 yrs after
      $99,007
      Median debt
      $12,500
    2. 2Carnegie Mellon University logo
      Carnegie Mellon University

      Pittsburgh, PA · Psychology, General · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $54,429
      4 yrs after
      $82,433
      Median debt
      Not reported
    3. 3
      Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

      Prescott, AZ · Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $48,898
      4 yrs after
      $82,023
      Median debt
      $24,529
    4. 4
      Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach

      Daytona Beach, FL · Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $48,898
      4 yrs after
      $82,023
      Median debt
      $24,529
    5. 5
      George Washington University

      Washington, DC · Psychology, General · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $79,187
      Median debt
      $19,500
    6. 6Cornell University-New York logo
      Cornell University-New York

      Ithaca, NY · Psychology, General · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $43,156
      4 yrs after
      $78,049
      Median debt
      $12,500
    7. 7Boston College logo
      Boston College

      Chestnut Hill, MA · Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $53,507
      4 yrs after
      $76,328
      Median debt
      $19,000
    8. 8Santa Clara University logo
      Santa Clara University

      Santa Clara, CA · Psychology, General · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $40,079
      4 yrs after
      $75,742
      Median debt
      $15,500

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What industrial-organizational psychologists may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Industrial and Organizational Psychology
    • Psychology, General

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    46 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about industrial-organizational psychologists

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this field are also known as industrial psychologists, management consultants, or HR consultants. Other common titles include engineering psychologists and learning and organizational development specialists.

    Is a license required to practice?

    Licensing requirements vary by location, as some states list a license for this specific work. Prospective psychologists should check the regulations in their specific state to see if licensure is necessary.

    What other careers are similar to this one?

    Related careers that share similar skills and duties include human resources managers, training and development specialists, and management analysts. Instructional coordinators and human resources specialists also perform comparable work.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.