The median pay for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists is $193,950 a year ($93.24/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 6.5% through 2035, with about 300 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 19-3032
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $193,950a year, or $93.24/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $79KTop 10% $247K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.5%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3004,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20254K
- Projected 20354.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 4K Projected 2035 4.3K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Some college3.9%
- Associate's3.9%
- Bachelor's3.9%
- Master's57.7%
- Doctorate30.8%
Highest education held by industrial-organizational psychologists Segment Value Some college 3.9% Associate's 3.9% Bachelor's 3.9% Master's 57.7% Doctorate 30.8%
Also advertised as: Consulting Psychologist, I-O Practitioner (Industrial-Organizational Practitioner), I-O Psychologist (Industrial-Organizational Psychologist), Industrial Psychologist, Management Consultant, Organizational Consultant.
Pay
How much do Industrial-Organizational Psychologists make?
Every industrial-organizational psychologist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$193,950
Middle half earn $107,310 to $222,280
- 10th
- $79,010
- 25th
- $107,310
- 75th
- $222,280
- 90th
- $247,220
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $79,010 |
| 25th | $107,310 |
| Median | $193,950 |
| 75th | $222,280 |
| 90th | $247,220 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $193,950
- Median hourly wage
- $93.24/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $170,230
- People employed
- 790
Versus all US occupations
At $193,950, Industrial-Organizational Psychologists earn 280% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $142,970 a year.
Versus life, physical, and social science occupations
Inside the Life, Physical, and Social Science group, where the middle occupation pays $82,220, this is 136% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $247,220 or more while the bottom 10% earn $79,010, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 96% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Oregon pays the most at $174,980, and still leads at $169,290 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Industrial-Organizational Psychologists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Oregon | $174,980 | $169,290 | 60 |
| 2Texas | $139,520 | $143,751 | 40 |
Job outlook
Is Industrial-Organizational Psychologist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | +6.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Industrial-Organizational Psychologists to change 6.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 300 openings are projected each year, 7.5% of the 4,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of psychologists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of psychologists varies by occupation (see table).
Employment for psychologists is projected to grow due to demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, mental health centers, and social service agencies.
Getting in
How to become an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
Psychologists typically need an advanced degree, such as a master’s or doctoral degree, in psychology. Licensing requirements vary by state and position.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Internship/residency
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as industrial-organizational psychologists.
- Master's Degree57.7%
- Doctoral Degree30.8%
- Some College Courses3.9%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree3.9%
- Bachelor's Degree3.9%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 57.7% |
| Doctoral Degree | 30.8% |
| Some College Courses | 3.9% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 3.9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 3.9% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist do?
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.
Psychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people relate to one another and to their environments. They use their findings to help improve processes and behaviors.
Day-to-day tasks
- Provide advice on best practices and implementation for selection.
- Develop and implement employee selection or placement programs.
- Analyze data, using statistical methods and applications, to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of workplace programs.
- Develop interview techniques, rating scales, and psychological tests used to assess skills, abilities, and interests for the purpose of employee selection, placement, or promotion.
- Observe and interview workers to obtain information about the physical, mental, and educational requirements of jobs, as well as information about aspects such as job satisfaction.
- Facilitate organizational development and change.
- Analyze job requirements and content to establish criteria for classification, selection, training, and other related personnel functions.
- Advise management concerning personnel, managerial, and marketing policies and practices and their potential effects on organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most psychologists work full time, but part-time work is common. They may work evenings or weekends to accommodate their clients’ schedules.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.4
- Active Listening4.4
- Writing4.3
- Speaking4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Active Learning3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Science3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.4 |
| Active Listening | 4.4 |
| Writing | 4.3 |
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Science | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.1
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Systems Evaluation4.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Systems Analysis3.9
- Coordination3.8
- Persuasion3.8
- Instructing3.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Systems Evaluation | 4.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.8 |
| Instructing | 3.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Industrial-Organizational Psychologist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Investigative5.3
- Enterprising4.7
- Conventional4.3
- Social4.0
- Artistic3.1
- Realistic1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- Educational Instruction and Library
More life, physical, and social science careers
Median annual pay, with industrial-organizational psychologists highlighted
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist$193,950
- Physicist$172,250
- Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
- Chemist$91,240
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialist$90,150
- Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health$82,220
- Conservation Scientist$73,010
- Chemical Technician$60,390
- Biological Technician$57,510
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | $193,950 |
| Physicist | $172,250 |
| Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 |
| Chemist | $91,240 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialist | $90,150 |
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health | $82,220 |
| Conservation Scientist | $73,010 |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Industrial-Organizational Psychologist appears on
Questions
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Industrial-Organizational Psychologists make?
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists earn a median of $193,950 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 280% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $93.24/hr. The middle half earn between $107,310 and $222,280. The top 10% earn $247,220 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 57.7% hold master's degree.
Is Industrial-Organizational Psychologist a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.5% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist do?
Psychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people relate to one another and to their environments. A core O*NET task: provide advice on best practices and implementation for selection. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Data base user interface and query software, Document management software.
Which states pay Industrial-Organizational Psychologists the most?
The highest state medians for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists are Oregon ($174,980), Texas ($139,520) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist?
O*NET scores Industrial-Organizational Psychologists highest on the Investigative, Enterprising and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFJ, ENTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.