Key Takeaways
- Social psychologists study how our social world affects our behavior.
- You need a PhD to work as a social psychologist in most settings.
- Social psychologist jobs are expected to grow by 6% between 2022 and 2032.
Social psychology is the study of how social influences, perceptions, and interactions affect our behavior as individuals and groups. If this sounds like an interesting career path for you, read on to learn more about the social psychologist role and job outlook.
What a Social Psychologist Does
Some social psychologists spend their days conducting research on human behavior. They engage in studies to better understand how humans are affected by their social environment, analyzing the many factors that influence our actions.
Others in this field focus on finding solutions to real-world problems. When working as a social psychologist, you might:
- Evaluate educational programs to determine if intervention strategies are working
- Help businesses hire and train employees, or offer advice to businesses or employees who need help with conflict mediation
- Search for ways to encourage people to reduce pollution
Work Environments for a Social Psychologist
Because social psychologists are trained to combine their knowledge of human behavior with scientific research methods, job options can be very diverse. So too are their work settings.
Many social psychologists choose to work in educational environments such as colleges and universities, where they conduct research, teach classes, and run social psychology laboratories. Others work for government offices, non-profit organizations, hospitals, social service offices, and private corporations.
Social Psychologist Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides median annual wages for school, clinical, and industrial-organizational psychologists, but it doesn’t give this data for school psychologists specifically. Instead, it lumps all others into one category, with a median annual wage of $106,420 per year.
Other websites share wage information specific to the social psychologist role. According to Salary.com, the salary range is $59,025 to $91,578 per year. ZipRecruiter provides an average annual salary of $68,542 per year, which is also within this range.
Social Psychologist Education and Training
Individuals interested in becoming a social psychologist can start this career path by earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology. The next step is to enroll in a graduate program in social psychology.
While some social psychologists find work with a master’s degree, most opt to earn a doctorate. Some programs follow a two-step process by first awarding a master’s degree in social psychology and then a doctorate. Others skip the master’s and go straight to the PhD.
For most students, it will take at least four to five years of graduate study to earn a Ph.D. in Social Psychology.
Social Psychologist vs. Personality Psychologist
Social psychology shares some similarities with personality psychology, so they are sometimes confused as being the same. But there are important differences that distinguish the two areas.
A social psychologist is more interested in how situational variables influence the behaviors of groups and individuals. Conversely, a personality psychologist generally focuses on individual differences between people.
Social Psychology vs. Sociology
Social psychology is also sometimes confused with sociology, but the two (while somewhat related) are not the same. Social psychologists focus on the behavior of individuals or small groups while sociologists look at large populations, such as entire social groups or cultures as a whole.
Job Outlook for Social Psychologists
The BLS reports that psychologist roles are projected to increase by 6% from 2022 to 2032. This represents a growth rate that is faster than average, or roughly 12,800 new positions each year.
While ads seeking social psychologists may make up a smaller percentage of psychology job listings, it is important to remember that social psychologists work in a wide variety of job areas. So, individuals with a Ph.D. in social psychology are frequently able to find work in related areas.
Social psychologists who are looking for work can start by checking out job listings posted by the American Psychological Association on its Psyc Careers website. Another option is to review job postings on the Social Psychology Network’s Job Posting Forum.
Not sure whether a social psychologist career path is the right fit for you? Take our psychology career quiz to learn which role may best align with your personality.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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