Traveling Psychology Careers
For some, thoughts of a psychology career conjure images of long hours spent in an office with little change except for the constant stream of patients. In reality, the psychology field is much more diverse. More than one quarter of psychologists are self-employed, more than four times the national average, affording them a flexibility that may not exist in other professions. In certain positions, psychology professionals can travel frequently while helping others.
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Industrial Organizational Psychologist
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The field of industrial organizational psychology offers frequent travel opportunities. Industrial organizational psychologists analyze the factors that contribute to an effective workforce. They conduct research on topics such as motivation, leadership and teamwork and then use this information to help companies optimize their functionality and worker satisfaction. As few companies have industrial organizational psychologists on staff, these psychologists usually work as consultants, traveling nationally and sometimes globally to reach different clients. As of August 2010, the salary range for industrial organizational psychologists is $48,697 to $83,901.
Military Psychologist
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With recent U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, military psychologists are in heavy demand to help military professionals cope with the stresses of military life. Typically employed as clinical psychologists, military psychologists address a variety of mental health concerns, including post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries, and the diagnosis and treatment of other conditions. Military psychologists can be found anywhere from U.S. aircraft carriers based in Japan to American military headquarters in Baghdad. As of August 2010, military psychologists can expect a salary range of $61,985 to $122,940.
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Social Psychologist
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Social psychologists explore the most complex aspects of modern society. Their skills are in high demand in the fields of organizational management, marketing and system design. Like industrial organizational psychologists, social psychologists typically work as consultants, collaborating with businesses, political groups, medical practitioners, and lawyers on human behavior studies. Social psychologists have no set career trajectory, and since the field focuses so much on how humans see the world, the opportunities for travel and observation of various cultures abound. As of August 2010, the median salary of social psychologists is $64,496.
School Psychologist
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School psychologists collaborate with parents, teachers, and school administrators to ensure that students have safe supportive and safe learning environments. The primary functions of school psychologists are to address students' behavioral and learning programs and to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of academic programs for academically gifted students or those with learning disabilities. School psychologists may receive the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) License, which allows them to practice within a state after 60 hours of graduate work in school psychology, an internship of 600 hours, and an acceptable grade on an examination. School psychologists typically work simultaneously in multiple schools in a district and thus travel often. The salary range for school psychologists is $43,926 to $63,328 as of August 2010.
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- Photo Credit travel time image by Jake Hellbach from Fotolia.com
