Pursuing a Psychology Career: Debt, Financial Support, Starting Salaries, and

Employment Opportunities for Tomorrow’s Psychology Leaders

Daniel Michalski American Psychological Association

Center for Workforce Studies

2011 Western Psychological Association Convention Los Angeles, CA April 30, 2011

9-10:30

© 2011 APA Center for Workforce Studies

For Further Information…

www.apa.org/workforce/presentations

A PDF version of this presentation is available for download.

CWS Mission Statement

The APA Center for Workforce Studies collects, analyzes, and

disseminates information relevant to psychology's workforce and

education system.

Routine CWS Survey Efforts Doctorate Employment Survey: Surveys recent doctorates workforce and their educational path through the doctorate (including postdoctoral training), debt, starting salaries, and perceptions of education/training. Conducted every other year. Salary Survey: Surveys APA members to collect current salary information at the master’s and doctoral levels in psychology across all positions and settings. Conducted every other year. Faculty Salary Survey: Surveys chairs of graduate psychology departments for salary information for faculty employed in academic settings. Survey of Graduate Departments: distributed to chairs of departments that award graduate degrees in psychology or related fields to collect data on student enrollment and support, departmental budget, faculty, enrollment and attrition rates. APA Directory: Contains employment and demographic information for APA members. Useful for describing the membership more thoroughly and making comparisons over the years.

Definitions

• Health Service Provider (HSP): Doctoral-level degree in a psychology subfield focused on providing health/mental health services; typically a clinical, counseling, or school subfield.

• Research/Other: Psychology degree in a subfield

traditionally seen as research/academic focus area (e.g. cognitive, I/O, educational, personality, or social psychology).

• ‘Recent’ Doctorate: Psychologist within 2 years of receiving

their doctorate degree.

The Challenge of Workforce Analysis

Forecasting the Psychology Workforce

“Making predictions about future employment opportunities for psychologists, as well as for any other occupational group, is akin to gazing at crystal balls and reading Tarot cards.” – G. Pion (1991)

Forecasting the Psychology Workforce

“Estimating the size of the MHW [Mental Health Workforce] is difficult because it is not a unitary entity. Instead, it is a chaotic amalgam of separate disciplines with ambiguous boundaries, and overlapping roles and scopes of practice, whose practitioners both collaborate and compete with each other.” – W. Robiner (2006)

High School

Community College

Continuing Ed

BA/BS

MA MS

PhD PsyD

The Psychology Educational Pipeline

High school

Associate

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Doctorate

WORKFORCE

Postdoc

The Big Picture

Doctorate

Workforce

predoctoral internship

informal postdoc formal

postdoc

licensing exam

From the doctorate to the workforce

HSP Research

Other applied

Social work

Psychiatry

Psychiatric nursing

Counseling

Marriage and Family Therapy

Sociology

Psychology master’s degree

Biology

Political Science

Mathematics

Psychology Doctorate Workforce

Demographic Shifts

Demographic Shifts: Women in Psychology

Women % % % Annual Growth

% of bachelor’s degrees1: 1976 & 2006 54 77 3

% of graduate enrollments2: 1977 & 2006 47 76 2

% of new doctorates3: 1976 & 2005 33 72 3

% of PhDs in workforce4: 1973 & 2003 20 50 3

Sources: (1) IPEDS, US Department of Education. (2) Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, NSF. (3) Doctorate Employment Survey, APA. (4) National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients: (1973, 2003). Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2008. Note. PsyDs are included in doctoral counts from Doctorate Employment Survey (APA).

Demographic Shifts: Ethnic Minority Representation in Psychology

Ethnic Minorities % % % Annual Growth

% of bachelor’s degrees1: 1976 & 2006 12 27 3

% of graduate enrollments2: 1980 & 2005 12 27 3

% of new doctorates3: 1977 & 2005 8 19 3

% of PhDs in workforce4: 1973 & 2003 2 11 6

Sources: (1) IPEDS, US Department of Education. (2) Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, NSF. (3) Doctorate Employment Survey, APA. (4) National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients: (1973, 2003). Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2008. Note. PsyDs are included in doctoral counts from Doctorate Employment Survey (APA).

16

Ethnic Minority Graduate Students in Psychology: 1999 and 2006

0

5

10

15

20

AmericanIndian

Asian Black Hispanic Other

Perc

ent

19992006

Source: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in S&E, NSF, 2006.Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

Characteristics of Recent Psychology Doctorates: 2009

• % Female 75 • % Ethnic minority 23 • Median Age 34 • Mean Age 34 • % in HSP subfields 66 • % in Research/Other subfields 33

Source: 2009 APA Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011.

Characteristics of APA Members: 2009

• % Female 56 • % Ethnic minority 7* • Mean Age 54 • % in HSP subfields 63** • % in Research/Other subfields 15** • % in Other (Non-Psychology) fields 6**

Source: 2009 APA Directory. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

Notes. *Ethnic minority percentage represents an undercount due to high non-response rate for ethnicity item.

**Subfield percentages represent an “at least count” due to non-response rate for this item in the Directory Survey.

Degrees in Psychology

Degrees Awarded Time to Degree

Bachelor’s Master’s Doctorate

1966 16,966 2,423 1,139

1976 50,363 7,859 2,883

1986 40,937 8,363 3,124

1990 54,018 9,308 3,267

2006 84,233 16,866 3,294

2010 92,587 21,431 5,124

Source: National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resource Statistics, Science and Engineering Degrees: 1966-2000, NSF 92-326, and US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Integrated Postsecondary Data System (IPEDS), “Completion” Survey. APA Graduate Study in Psychology (selected years).Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011. Note. 2010 doctoral data includes PsyDs

Awarded Psychology Degrees by Academic Level: 1966-2010

Number of Clinical PhDs and PsyDs Awarded in Psychology: 1986-2007

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2007

Num

ber o

f Deg

rees

PhD PsyDSource: Data on PsyDs are from Graduate Study in Psychology (APA). Data on PhDs are drawn from NSF/NIH/USED/NEH/USDA/NASA; 2007 Survey of Earned Doctorates. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010. Note. Data on PsyDs represent an undercount as several departments did not report number of PsyDs awarded.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2007

PhD PsyD

Source: APA Graduate Study in Psychology (Selected years). Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April, 2010 Note. Data on PsyDs represent an undercount as several departments did not report number of PsyDs awarded.

Awarded Psychology PhDs and PsyDs: 1988-2007

PsyD25%

PhD75%

Source: 2009 APA Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by APA CWS, April 2010. Notes. EdD, MD, RhD, and other degrees totaled less than 1% of responses.

Highest Earned Degree for Recent Psychology Doctorates: 2009

Science, Engineering and Health Graduates by Field of Degree: 2006

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Physical Sciences

Life Sciences

Computer Sciences

Psychology

Engineering

Health

Percent

Bachelor'sMaster's

Source: National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Statistics, National Survey of Recent College Graduates (2006). Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

Highest Earned Degree HSP Doctorates in Psychology: 2008

PsyD18%

PhD79%

EdD3%

Source: 2008 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Providers. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

Psychology PhDs Awarded by Selected Fine Field: 2006

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Clinica

l

Developmental

Counselin

gSocia

l

School

Human Dev & Fa

mily Studies

GeneralOther

Source: NSF/NIH/USED/NEH/USDA/NASA; 2006 Survey of Earned Doctorates. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, February 2009.

Note. The use of NSF data does not imply NSF endorsement of the research, research methods, or conclusions contained in this report.

Time to Degree for Doctorates by Subfield Type: 2009

0102030405060708090

100

3-4 years >4-5 Years >5-6 Years >6-7 Years

Perc

ent HSP

Research/OtherRelated

Source: APA Graduate Study in Psychology Survey. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

Note. Median years to degree by subfield type: HSP=5, R/O=5, Related=5. By degree type: PhD=6, PsyD=5.

Debt and Financial Support

Levels of Debt Sources of Support

Debt Related to Graduate Education Reported by Recent Doctorates in Psychology: 2009

>100K - 30.5%

Debt68.2%

80-100K - 12.1%

No Debt31.8%

<10K - 8.7%

60-80K - 10.7%

40-60K - 13.2%

20-40K - 14.9%10-20K - 10%

Source: 2009 APA Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011.

Debt Related to Graduate Education by Subfield for Recent Doctorates in Psychology: 2009

Source: 2009 APA Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011.

Median $80,500

Mean $89,919

SD $57,823

Median $40,000

Mean $55,332

SD $48,594

Level of Debt by Broad Subfield for Recent Doctorates in Psychology: 2009

0

10

20

30

<10K 10-20K 20-40K 40-60K 60-80K 80-100K 100-120K

>120K

Amount of Debt

Perc

ent

HSP (N=635) Non HSP (N=192)

Source: 2009 Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011. Note. Health Service Provider subfields for this slide include: Clinical, Counseling, Child Clinical, School, and Family.

Level of Debt by Type of Degree for Recent Doctorates: 2009

Source: 2009 Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011.

Contributors to Total Education Related Debt

• Tuition costs 70 20

• No RA/TA available 26 54

• Non-funded program 22 62

• Living expenses 77 8 • Relocation costs 20 58

• Other 58 25

% said “highest contributor” % said “lowest contributor”

Source: 2007 APA Early Career Psychologist Survey. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010. Note. “Highest Contributor” combines “highest” and “high” contributor categories, while “Lowest Contributor” combines “lowest” and “low” contributor categories.

Resident Tuition Cost in U.S. Doctoral Departments by Type of Department: 2008-2009

$0 $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000

Other

Education

Human Devel.

School Psych

Professional School

Counseling Psych

Educ. Psych

Psychology

Dollars

Source: 2010 Graduate Study in Psychology. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010. Note. Includes PhD and PsyD programs and both public and private institution types.

Primary Sources of Financial Support by Broad Subfield for Recent Doctorates in Psychology: 2009

Source: 2009 Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011. Note. Includes PsyDs.

Availability of Assistance to First-Year Doctoral-level Psychology Students by Degree Type and Type of Assistance: 2008-2009

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Teaching Research Fellowship/Schol. Traineeship

Type of Assistance

Perc

ent

PhDPsyDEdD

Source: 2010 Graduate Study in Psychology. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, March 2010.

Full-time Students Receiving Financial Assistance in U.S. Doctoral Departments of Psychology by Type of Department: 2008-2009

0

10

20

30

4050

60

70

80

90

100

Traditional Academic Professional School

Department Type

Perc

ent

Source: 2010 Graduate Study in Psychology. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, March 2010.

Most Successful Job Search Methods for Recent Doctorates in Psychology: 2009

Informal channels 35% Informal channels 33%Electronic resource 20% Electronic resource 16%Postdoc became permanent 11% Chronicle of Higher Ed ad 9%Met emp thru former job 8% Faculty advisors 8%Civil service application 3% APA Monitor ads 5%

Conventions placement serv. 0% Professional journals 0%Employment agency 0% Employment agency <1%

Professional journals 0% Met emp thru former job <1%APS Observer ads 0% Conventions placement serv. <1%

Human Services Other Positions

Source: 2009 APA Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011.

Loan Repayment/Forgiveness Programs

• National Health Service Corps • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs • National Center on Minority Health and Health

Disparities • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of

2009 • National Institutes of Health • Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Program • Army Reserve Medical Corps

Debt and Financial Support Summary

• Those in HSP subfields complete their programs with debt at a higher proportion when compared to those in research and other subfields. Debt levels and financial support are functions of degree, subfield, and type of program/department.

• Tuition costs and living expenses = highest contributors to debt

• HSP psychologists that do have debt report it at higher levels than non-HSP psychologists.

• In general, PhDs report lower debt levels than PsyDs. • Overall, for those PhDs that do report debt, it is significantly less than PsyD debt. • Advice: Research available loan forgiveness/repayment programs!

Internship Match Imbalance

Internship Match Imbalance

• Insufficient numbers of internships offered in the APPIC internship match to meet the numbers of students seeking internships.

• Long-standing in duration • 804 students (21%) did not get an internship

in the 2011 Match.

Source: *Association for Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).

APPIC Match 1999-2009

2,000

2,200

2,400

2,600

2,800

3,000

3,200

3,400

3,600

3,800

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Participants

Positions

Matched

Source: Association for Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), (selected years). Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

APPIC Match 1999-2009: Unmatched vs. Unfilled Positions

0100200

300400

500600

700800

900

Num

ber

1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009

Unmatchedparticipants

Unfilledpositions

Source: Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), Match Statistics, various years. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

05

101520253035

Perc

ent

Geog. Restrictions

Highly Competitive

Too Few Programs

Too Specialized

Poor App. ProcedureOther

APA Internship Match Survey: Primary Reasons for Non-Placement

Source: 2008 APA Internship Match Survey, APA Center for Workforce Studies. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

Employment Employment Perceptions

Employment Characteristics Geographic Distribution of HSPs

The Outlook: Opportunities

Comments from 2009 Doctorates in Psychology

Comments from 2008 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Provider Survey Respondents

Recent Doctorates’ Perceptions of the Psychology Job Market: 2001-2009

05

1015202530354045

Perc

ent

BleakPoor

FairGood

Excellent

Not Specifie

d

Rating

20012003200520072009

Source: APA Doctorate Employment Survey, selected years. American Psychological Association, Center for Workforce Studies, June 2010. Note. 2009 data are preliminary and from online survey participants only. Data reflect all survey participants and are not limited to those in HSP subfields.

Percent Members Indicating Decreases as a Result of the Current Economic Situation: 2008 & 2009

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Perc

ent

ProjectsRes. Funding

Salary/IncomeInsur. Reimb.

Emp.Security# of Clients

Career Adv.

2008 2009

Source: APA QuiP Poll: 2008 Economic Climate & APA QuiP Poll: 2008 Economic Climate: Follow-Up. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2009

Perceived Underemployment of Recent Doctorate Recipients in Psychology by Subfield

Source: APA Doctorate Employment Survey (selected years). Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011.

% Underemployed

Year of Doctorate HSP Subfields Other Subfields

1993 28 32

1997 25 25

1999 22 22 2001 22 22 2005 24 24 2007 27 23 2009 24 23

Time to Current Job for Recent Doctorates in Psychology: 2009

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

In job when beganprogram

Before completingprogram

Within 3 months 4-6 months More than 6 months Not specified

Perc

ent

Human Services (N=373) Other Positions (N=492)

Source: 2009 APA Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011.

Time to Current Job: Recent Doctorates in Psychology

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

In job whenbegan

Beforecompleting

program

Within 3 months 4-6 months More than 6months

Not specified

Perc

ent

1993 (N=1,657) 1997 (N=1,702) 2001 (N=1,353) 2005 (N=1,327) 2007 (N=876)

Source: APA Doctorate Employment Surveys (selected years). Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, June 2009.

Note. Includes PsyDs.

54

Employment Characteristics of Psychology PhDs: 2006

Psychology PhDs

102,280

Employed

89.4%

Not Employed 10.6%

Part-time 20.6%

Full-time

68.8%

Retired 7.8%

Unemployed, seeking

employment 0.8%

Unemployed, not seeking employment

2.0%

Source: NSF/NIH 2006 Survey of Doctorate Recipients. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2009. Note. Postdoctorate information is not included in this chart, but is reported separately.

Employment Characteristics of Psychology PsyDs: 2008

Psychology PsyDs

Employed

97.2%

Not Employed 2.8%

Part-time 18.7%

Full-time

71.4%

Retired 1.2%

Unemployed, seeking

employment 0.7%

Unemployed, not seeking employment

0.9%

Source: 2008 APA Directory. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2009. Notes. *Approximately 4% of employed PsyDs have an unknown status; 1% of PsyDs employment characteristics are uncategorized above.

Postdoctoral Study 3.3%

The Psychology Workforce: 2008

Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2009.

Note. Note that this includes ALL psychology degree holders working in the field. This may be an undercount due to the definition of the word psychologist . Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) approximates 92,000 therapists and 20,000 treating practitioners. BLS estimates that approximately another 1,000 individuals are employed as psychologists and possess a high school diploma (no college) for 2008, bringing the total to 172,000. Current Population Survey data come from a monthly survey of about 60,000 households nationwide. The data are on individuals, not positions, and are self-report.

Individuals employed as ‘psychologists’ aged 25 years + and their educational attainment:

Associate’s 2,000

Bachelor’s 6,000

Master’s 76,000

Doctorate 65,000

Professional Degree 21,000

Total Employed ‘Psychologists’ in United States for 2008: 172,000

Recent Psychology Graduates by Employment Sector and Level of Degree: 2006

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Perc

ent

EducationalInstitution

Government Business/ Industry

Employment Sector

Bachelor'sMaster's

Source: National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Statistics, National Survey of Recent College Graduates (2006). Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2009.

Primary Full-time Employment Settings by Subfield for Recent Doctorates in Psychology: 2009

Source: 2009 Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011.

Note. Includes PsyDs.

Primary Employment Setting for HSPs: 2008

Educational Setting

19%

Business and Governement

7%Other Organized Human Service

Setting11%

Managed Care (HMO,PPO,IPA)

5%

Private Practice46%

Hospital Settings12%

Source: 2008 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Providers. Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

Proportional Distribution of Licensed Psychologists* in the United States

Top 10 States (as proportions of all licensed psychologists in the U.S.): 1.) CA 17% 2.) NY 9% 3.) PA 5% 4.) TX 5% 5.) FL 5% 6.) MA 5% 7.) IL 4% 8.) OH 4% 9.) MN 3% 10.) MI 3% These 10 states accounted for 60% of the licenses for the professional practice of

psychology in the United States; and 2 states, (CA and NY) account for more than one fourth of licenses.

Yet, these 10 states represented 52% of the overall United States population.

Source: 2008 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Providers, Sampling Frame provided by Psychlist, Inc. (2008), and US Census Bureau (2000). Compiled by APA CWS, July 2010. Notes. Percentages calculated based on number of state licenses divided by total number of psychology licenses nationwide. The duplicate records for individuals holding licenses in more than one state were excluded from the analysis so that these individuals were only counted once. *Doctoral level.

Differences in underrepresented population groups receiving psychology health services were noted in results from the 2008 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Providers. Practitioners in non-private practice settings were more apt to treat homeless, undocumented immigrants, and Medicaid clients than their peers working in private practice. Seven percent of survey respondents indicating private practice as their primary work setting reported working with homeless clients whereas 17% of respondents in other work settings did so. Undocumented immigrants were notably treated less than other population groups with fewer than 10% of respondents providing direct human service to this group in both private practice and other settings. On average, psychologists in settings other than private practice treated eight Medicaid patients in a typical week (SD=3.1), while those in private practice saw an average of four Medicaid patients (SD=2.2). Limited access to psychological care due to concentrations of providers in largely urban areas continues to be a concern to the field. Approximately, 20% of survey respondents indicated service to identified rural clients. Further analysis of licensed doctoral-level psychologists by geographic location suggests distributional inequities that may limit access to care for those in non-metropolitan areas. Applying licensed practitioner ZIP codes to approximations of Census tract constructed Rural Urban Commuting Area Codes (RUCA) revealed that at least 85% of licensed psychologists are located in designated metropolitan areas. In contrast, by RUCA code, approximately 60% of the United States population resides in metropolitan areas. Considering the differences in service provision to underrepresented population by practice setting and the geographic distribution of licensed psychologists, these data inform an emerging concern with the balance between the supply of and demand for health services. Moving forward, further investigation of these questions will require in-depth analyses of relationships among work setting, populations served, training and geographic location of psychology health service providers to strategize ways that the field can expand access to underserved populations.

Need and Demand: Distribution

Average Number of Patients Treated per Week by Primary Practice Setting Independent practice Other setting (n=2,359) (n=2,479) Population Group n % M SD n % M SD Clients with disabilities 57 6.0 15.1 46 9.2 19.4 HIV 10 0.3 1.6 12 0.6 3.5 Homeless 7 0.4 2.9 17 1.7 6.9 Immigrants 21 1.2 4.5 22 2.1 8.9 Undocumented immigrants 4 0.2 2.2 9 0.7 3.1 Lesbian/gay/bisexual 52 2.3 4.0 34 1.8 5.1 Low-income 59 7.3 18.5 54 14.1 22.0 Medicaid 28 3.9 12.1 32 7.5 16.6 Seriously ill 52 3.9 10.2 43 7.8 17.4 Returning service members 14 0.8 5.3 14 2.8 12.9 Rural 22 4.4 15.6 21 5.0 15.3 Other underserved 4 1.0 7.5 5 2.1 11.2 Notes. N=4,838. Only respondents indicating a primary practice setting and direct service to the listed population groups were included in analysis. Values for n% column represent the percentage of respondents treating at least one client within that population group in a typical week. Source: 2008 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Providers, American Psychological Association, Center for Workforce Studies, 2010.

Unemployment Rates for Doctoral Level Social Scientists by Field: 2003 and 2006

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Econ Poli Sci Psych Soc Other

% U

nem

ploy

men

t Rat

e

20032006

Source: National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Statistics, Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT): 2003, 2006.Compiled by APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2009.

Social Sciences Hiring Projections for Federal Government Agencies by Occupational Area*

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

WorkforceDevelopment

Psychology

Social Scientist

2008 2012

Source: Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America, 3rd Edition-2009, Partnership for Public Service. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, March 2010. Note. * Projections shown are an undercount due to categorization of occupational area.

Social Science Positions by Region of the U.S.-2008

Source: Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America, (3rd Ed.) 2009, Partnership for Public Service. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, March 2010

Trend Licensure at Receipt of the Doctoral Degree

• 2006 APA policy recommended eligibility to sit

for licensure upon receipt of doctoral degree • Since then 5 states have changed licensing

laws (UT, WA, OH, MD, ND) • Other states considering BUT… • Mobility • Greater focus or scrutiny on what types of

supervised experience can count

Areas of Need/Opportunities for those in the Field

Underserved populations § Individuals in corrections § Chronically mentally Ill (Axis I diagnosis) § Veterans/military § Youth/children § Elderly/geriatric population § Retiring/Aging “baby boomer” generations psychology Opportunities for prevention vs. intervention § Health Care Reform-medical “teams” § Holistic care teams

Employment Summary

• Most psychologists are employed—low unemployment rate.

• Recent doctorates find positions quickly (if not

already in those positions). • Private practice is the most common work

setting for HSP psychologists.

Salaries in Psychology

Median Annual Full-time Salaries in Psychology By Degree Type: 2006

$30

$40

$70

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

$60

$70

Thou

sand

s

BA/BS Masters PhDDegree Type

Source: NSF/Division of Science Resources Statistics, 2006 National Survey of Recent College Graduates, and NSF/NIH 2006 Survey of Doctorate Recipients. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2009.

Starting Salaries in Psychology by Gender and Position: 2009

Source: 2009 Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2009.

$0$10$20$30$40$50$60$70$80

Tho

usan

ds

Assist.Prof AppliedPsych

Research DirectHuman

ServicesEmployment Position

Female

Male

Starting Salaries for Full-time Employment Positions of Recent Doctorates in Psychology: 2009

Source: 2009 Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011.

Notes. Graph includes first quartile, median, and third quartile values. Includes PsyDs. * Faculty salaries are for all higher education, including undergraduate and community college. Salaries are reported for a 9-10-month academic year. To calculate 11-12 month equivalent, multiply by 11/9. Median salary (11-12 month) for all recent doctorates in psychology= $61,000.

Thousands

$0 $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 $120

Social

School

Industrial/Organizational

Health

Forensic

Experimental

Educational

Developmental

Counseling

Community

Clincical

Median Annual Full-time Salaries by Major Field for Doctoral-Level APA Members in Psychology: 2009

Source: 2009 APA Salary Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

*Faculty position is for all higher education, including undergraduate and community college. Salary is reported for a 9-10-month academic year. To calculate 11-12 month equivalent, multiply by 11/9.

Thousands

Full-time Salaries of Doctoral-Level Psychologists by Employment Position and Median Years Work

Experience: 2009

$0 $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 $120 $140 $160 $180

Research position (9 yrs.)

Research admin (19 yrs.)

Other position (18 yrs.)

Other admin (22 yrs.)

Education admin (25 yrs.)

Direct human services (17 yrs.)

Applied psych./I-O (15 yrs.)

Admin of human svcs (20 yrs.)

Lecturer/Instructor* (11 yrs.)

Assistant professor* (6 yrs.)

Associate professor* (13 yrs.)

Full professor* (28 yrs.)

Thousands

Source: 2009 APA Salary Survey, Preliminary Data. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2009. Note. Graph includes first quartile, median, and third quartile values. Includes PsyDs. Faculty salaries are reported for a 9-10-month academic year. To calculate 11-12 month equivalent, multiply by 11/9.

Full-time Salaries of Doctoral-level Psychologists by Employment Setting: 2009

$0 $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 $120 $140 $160 $180

Comm. Mental Hlth. Cntr. (N=191)

Private general hospital (N=160)

University Psych Dep. (N=1271)

Criminal Justice System (N=168)

Group Psych Practice (N=439)

Non-Profit Org. (N=179)

Individual Private Practice (N=1076)

Medical School, Psychiatry (N=366)

VA Med. Center (N=170)

Federal Gov. Agency (N=220)

Business School or Dept. (N=97)

Thousands Source: 2009 APA Salary Survey. Compiled by the APA-Center for Workforce Studies, July 2009. Notes. Graph includes first quartile, median, and third quartile values. Includes PsyDs.

Salaries for Full-time Faculty in U.S. Doctoral Departments of Psychology by Rank and Years in Rank: 2010-2011

Source: 2010-2011 Faculty Salaries in Graduate Departments of Psychology. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011. Note. Graph includes first quartile, median, and third quartile values. Includes PsyDs. Faculty salaries are reported for a 9-10-month academic year. To calculate 11-12 month equivalent, multiply by 11/9.

Full Professor

Associate Professor

Assistant Professor

The Future: Improved Forecasting Increased collaboration and coordination (maximum use of existing resources and

knowledge)… • within APA • within psychology (organizations, individual researchers using APA data) • with sister disciplines (mental health and Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics—STEM)

More data / resources to target gaps in knowledge These steps make forecasting less a fool’s game, and can provide a clearer picture of

what the future is LIKELY to bring. Such information will benefit our endeavors: • serving underserved populations / geographic areas • meeting the needs of those on the pathway at all points • providing useful information to students considering entering psychology and

those already in the field

Conclusion • Degrees…In HSP subfields, continued growth in PsyD graduations. • Debt…Debt levels for psychologists in HSP subfields are higher in comparison to those in research/other subfields; but debt/loan repayment programs exist for those providing direct services. • Employment…Perceptions may be bleak, but do these align with the reality?

Thank You!

Daniel Michalski American Psychological Association Science Directorate Center for Workforce Studies www.apa.org/workforce

© 2011 APA Center for Workforce Studies