Salaries, Student Debt, and Employment Opportunities in Psychology

Brittany M. Hart William E. Pate, II, M.A. APA Center for Workforce Studies Midwestern Psychological Association 83rd Annual Meeting Chicago, IL May 6, 2011

Mission Statement

The Center for Workforce Studies (CWS) collects, analyzes, and

disseminates information relevant to psychology's workforce and

education system.

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Data Source Agency Web Location Doctorate Employment Survey, 2008 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Providers, Master’s, Specialist’s, and Related Degrees Employment Survey, Survey of Graduate Departments of Psychology, Student Affiliate Survey

American Psychological Association (APA)

http://www.apa.org/workforce/

Faculty Salaries Survey APA http://www.apa.org/workforce/publications/index.aspx

Salaries in Psychology APA http://www.apa.org/workforce/publications/index.aspx

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

U.S. Department of Education http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest

Survey of Earned Doctorates1 National Opinion Research Center (NORC)

http://www.norc.org/issues/docdata.htm

SESTAT National Science Foundation (NSF) http://srsstats.sbe.nsf.gov/

Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering

NSF http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/gradpostdoc/

National Survey of Recent College Graduates

NSF http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvyrecentgrads/

Science and Engineering Doctorate Awards

NSF http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/doctorates/

Survey of Doctorate Recipients2 NSF http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/survey.cfm

CPST Commission on Professionals in Science & Technology

http://www.cpst.org/

(1) Survey of Earned Doctorates is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Department of Education (USED), the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) is responsible for the survey.

(2) NORC conducts the Survey of Doctorate Recipients for NSF and NIH.

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Contact Information

• Email: CWS@apa.org • Website: www.apa.org/workforce • Telephone: 1-800-374-2721, ext. 5980

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For Further Information…

www.apa.org/workforce/presentations

A PDF version of this presentation is available for download.

Overview

Demographic Shifts Degrees in Psychology

Financial Support and Debt Employment Characteristics

Salaries in Psychology Challenges and Opportunities

Demographic Shifts

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Demographic Shifts in Psychology % % % Annual

Women Growth

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

% of graduate enrollments2: 1977 & 2006 47 76 2

% of new doctorates3: 1976 & 2009 33 75 3

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

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

% of graduate enrollments2: 1980 & 2006 12 27 3

% of new doctorates3: 1977 & 2009 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) NSF/NIH; Survey of Doctorate Recipients: (1973, 2003). Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies. February, 2009. Notes. PsyDs are included in doctoral counts from Doctorate Employment Survey (APA). The use of NSF data does not imply NSF endorsement of the research, research methods, or conclusions contained in this report.

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.

Note. Includes PsyDs.

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

Psychology’s Educational Pipeline

High School

Community College

Continuing Ed

BA/BS

MA MS PhD PsyD

Number of Psychology Degrees Conferred by Level of Degree: 1970-2009

05,000

10,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00065,00070,00075,00080,00085,00090,00095,000

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Bachelors

Masters

Doctorate

13

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) , "Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred" surveys, and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Completions" surveys.

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's

Master'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.

15

Degree Fields of Psychology PhDs Awarded in 1988 - 2008

0

10

20

30

40

Clinical

Counseling

General

Social & Personality

Developmental

Experimental/Physiological I/O

Cognitive

School

Educational

Human Dev. & Family

Other

Perc

en

t

198819982008

Source: NSF/NIH/USED/NEH/USDA/NASA; 2008 Survey of Earned Doctorates. Compiled by APA CWS, June 2010. Notes. Data for ―Human Development and Family Psychology‖ was not available for 1988.

16

Number of PhDs and PsyDs Awarded in Psychology

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

1988 1991 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2008

PhD PsyD

Source: Data are from APA’s Graduate Study in Psychology. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April, 2009 Note. Data on PsyDs represent an undercount as several departments did not report number of PsyDs awarded.

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Number of Clinical PhDs and PsyDs Awarded in Psychology: 1988-2008

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2007

2008

Nu

mb

er

of

De

gre

es

PhD PsyD

Source: 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, June 2010. Note. Data on PsyDs represent an undercount as several departments did not report number of PsyDs awarded.

Debt and Financial Support

Levels of Debt Sources of Support

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Debt Related to Graduate Education Reported by Recent Doctorates in

Psychology: 2009

10-20K - 10.4%20-40K - 16.6%

40-60K - 15.5%

60-80K - 11.2%

<10K - 9.8%

No Debt31.8%

80-100K - 13.9%

Debt68.2%

>100K - 22.6%

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

Note. Includes PsyDs.

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

No Debt 21.9%

Debt 78.1%

Health Service Provider Subfields

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

Note. Includes PsyDs.

Median $80,000

Mean $88,610

SD $57,749

Median $32,000

Mean $49,440

SD $44,871

No Debt 51.6% Debt

48.4%

Research/Other Subfields

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Median Debt by Year: Doctorate Recipients Who Reported Any

Debt

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

$70,000

1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

ActualAdjusted

Source: Doctorate Employment Survey, selected years, APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2009. Note: Debt adjusted for inflation from Consumer Price Index.

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

0

10

20

30

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

100-120K

120-140K

140-160K

>160K

Perc

en

t

Amount of Debt

PhD (N=577) PsyD (N=272)

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

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

2009

Health Service Provider Subfields

Other2.7%Univ. Scholarship

6.3%

Loans41.8%

Grants4.0%

Not Specified1.8%

Own Earnings18.5%

Univ. RA/TA24.8%

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

Research and Other Subfields

Other3.7%Univ. Scholarship

10.2%

Loans14.3%

Grants9.8%

Not Specified2.2%

Own Earnings13.2%

Univ. RA/TA46.6%

Loan Repayment/Forgiveness Programs

• National Health Service Corps www.hrsa.loanscholarships/repayment

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

www.hrsa.loanscholarships/repayment • National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities

www.nimhd.gov • National Institutes of Health www.lrp.nih.gov • Federal Student Loan Repayment Program

www.opm.gov/oca/pay/studentloan • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs • Army Reserve Medical Corps www.goarmy.com/ammed

Financial Support and Debt 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 and subfield.

• 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. • Research available loan forgiveness/repayment programs!

Employment Characteristics

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

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Pe

rce

nt

EducationalInstitution

Government Business/ Industry

Employment Sector

BachelorsMasters

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

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

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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

en

t

1993 (N=1,657) 1997 (N=1,702) 2001 (N=1,353) 2005 (N=1,327) 2009 (N=862)

Source: APA Doctorate Employment Surveys, specified years. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2011.

Note. Includes PsyDs.

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

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Bus./Gov't/Other

Other HumanService

IndependentPractice

Managed Care

Hospitals

School/OtherEduc. Setting

Academia

Percent

Health ServiceProvider (N=472)Research/Other(N=267)

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

Note. Includes PsyDs.

Employment Characteristics of Psychology PhDs: 2006

Psychology PhDs

100%

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

2.0%

Source: NSF/NIH; 2006 Survey of Doctorate Recipients. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2009 Notes. Postdoctorate information is not included in this chart, but is reported separately. The use of NSF data does not imply NSF endorsement of the research, research methods, or conclusions contained in this report.

Employment Characteristics of Psychology PsyDs: 2008

Psychology PsyDs

100%

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

0.9% Postdoctoral Study 3.3%

Source: 2008 APA Directory data. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2009 Notes: *Approximately 4% of employed PsyDs have an unknown status, 1% of PsyDs fall into an ―other‖ category not listed above.

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Primary Employment Settings for Full-Time HSP Psychologists: 2008

Other Educational

Setting10.4%

Other9.3%

University12.4%

Human Service28.7%

Private Practice

37.7%

Source: 2008 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Providers. Compiled by APA CWS, June 2010.

Employment Characteristics 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

Th

ou

sa

nd

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.

Median Annual Full-time Salaries in Psychology By Level of Degree and Median Years Work

Experience: 2009

$58

$85 $89

$0$10$20$30$40$50$60$70$80$90

$100

Th

ou

sa

nd

s

Masters (10 yrs.) Doctorate (18 yrs.) Other (14 yrs.)Source: 2009 APA Salary Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010. Note: ―Other‖ degree=E.g. J.D., or LCSW

Median Annual Full-time Salaries in Psychology By Type of Degree and Median Years Work

Experience: 2009

$75$84

$0$10$20$30$40$50$60$70$80$90

$100

Th

ou

sa

nd

s

PsyD (8 yrs.) Clinical PhD (8 yrs.)

Source: 2009 APA Salary Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2009. Note. PsyD N=1114, Clinical PhD N=100.

Starting Salaries in Psychology by Gender and Position: 2007

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

Assist.Prof AppliedPsych

Research Direct HumanServices

Th

ou

san

ds

Employment Position

Female

Male

Source: 2007 Doctorate Employment Survey. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, July 2009.

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

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

Applied (N=60)

Admin of human svcs (N=21)

Educational Admin (N=13)

Direct human svcs (N=270)

Research positions (N=72)

Other positions (N=46)

Lecturer/Instructor* (N=14)

Asst professor* (N=133)

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

Thousands

Starting and Expected Starting Salaries for Faculty in US Doctoral Departments of Psychology: 2009-

2011

$52,000

$54,000

$56,000

$58,000

$60,000

$62,000

$64,000

$66,000

Median '09-'10Salary

Expected '10-'11Salary

Expected with 2yrs. PD*

U.S

. D

ollars

Starting Salary Type

Public

Private

Note: *= postdoc. Salaries are reported on a 9-10 month academic year. To calculate 11-12 month equivalents, multiply by 11/9. Source: 2009-2010 Faculty Salaries in Graduate Departments of Psychology Survey, Preliminary Data. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, March 2010.

9-10 Month Salaries for Full-Time Faculty in US Graduate Departments of Psychology* by Faculty

Rank and Department Type: 2009-2010

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

Full Professor AssociateProfessor

AssistantProfessor

U.S

. D

ollars

Faculty Rank

Doctoral

Master's

Source: 2009-2010 Faculty Salaries in Graduate Departments of Psychology Survey, Preliminary Data. Compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, March 2010. Note.*= Public institutions only.

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.

Employment and Salaries Summary

Sources: 2008 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Providers, 2009-2010 APA Faculty Salaries Survey, NSF/Division of Science Resources Statistics, 2006 National Survey of Recent College Graduates, and NSF/NIH 2006 Survey of Doctorate Recipients and 2009 APA Salaries in Psychology Survey. Data compiled by the APA Center for Workforce Studies, April 2010.

•At all degree levels: majority are employed •Self-employment & academia still most popular settings •Men: women ratio differs by employment setting

•Large ranges dependent on: years experience, setting, position, degree, etc. •Adjusting for inflation psych salaries have decreased over time for all settings

Employment Salaries

Challenges and Opportunities

Internship Match Imbalance Challenges for Psychology

Areas of Need and Opportunities

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 • 846 students (23%) did not get an internship in

2010 match (279 unfilled positions).*

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

Challenges for Psychology

• Organizational shifts affecting work • Defining Psychology • Attracting and retaining a diverse

workforce • Masters-level population • Perceived underemployment • Salaries and Reimbursement • Internship Imbalance-APA’s active role • Debt levels

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

For Further Information…

• Website: www.apa.org/workforce • Telephone: 1.800.374.2721 ext 5980

©2011 APA Center for Workforce Studies

Thank You!

Salaries, Student Debt, and Employment Opportunities in

Psychology

©2011 APA Center for Workforce Studies