High School Psychologists: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of high school psychologists about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for high school psychologists to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of high school psychologists expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for high school psychologists.
What Education & Experience is Needed for High School Psychologists?
Do high school psychologists need a degree? What kind of experience do high school psychologists typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for high school psychologists to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for High School Psychologists
Jobs Postings for High School Psychologists By Education
- Master's degree: 16,739 (47%)
- No Education Listed: 11,041 (31%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 5,120 (14%)
- Bachelor's degree: 1,980 (6%)
- High School or GED: 597 (2%)
A master's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of high school psychologists. According to job data, a master's degree was required for 47% of positions. In 31% of job listings no education level was listed and in 14% of postings a ph.d. or professional degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for High School Psychologists
Jobs Postings for High School Psychologists By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 12,744 (84%)
- 2-3 Years: 1,988 (13%)
- 4-6 Years: 321 (2%)
- 7-9 Years: 12 (0%)
- 10+ Years: 43 (0%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for high school psychologists. In 84% of job postings for High School Psychologists, employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience. In 13% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 2% of job postings for high school psychologists.
What Kind of Degree Do High School Psychologists Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for high school psychologists, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 10 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective high school psychologists, and in 2023 a total of 210,860 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective high school psychologists.
Top Degree Programs for High School Psychologists
Top 5 Degree Programs for High School Psychologists (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching. | 30,483 |
| Counseling Psychology. | 10,826 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis. | 6,780 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. | 6,310 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching. | 30,483 |
| Counseling Psychology. | 10,826 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis. | 6,780 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. | 6,310 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,777 |
| School Psychology. | 3,573 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other. | 2,396 |
| Developmental and Child Psychology. | 1,929 |
| Clinical Child Psychology. | 126 |
What Skills Do High School Psychologists Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by high school psychologists to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for high school psychologists, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's High School Psychologists
Based on 29,276 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for High School Psychologists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| School Psychology | 27,605 | 94% |
| Psychology | 16,981 | 58% |
| Individualized Education Programs (IEP) | 12,966 | 44% |
| Special Education | 6,205 | 21% |
| Student Services | 5,086 | 17% |
Top 5 Common Skills for High School Psychologists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 5,455 | 19% |
| Positivity | 3,687 | 13% |
| Research | 2,632 | 9% |
| Planning | 1,872 | 6% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 1,778 | 6% |
Based on 29,276 job postings related to high school psychologists, school psychology was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 94% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for psychology, individualized education programs (iep), special education, student services and intervention plans were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for high school psychologists, followed by positivity, research, planning, ethical standards and conduct and interpersonal communications.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| School Psychology | 27,605 | 94% |
| Psychology | 16,981 | 58% |
| Individualized Education Programs (IEP) | 12,966 | 44% |
| Special Education | 6,205 | 21% |
| Student Services | 5,086 | 17% |
| Intervention Plans | 4,327 | 15% |
| Child Advocacy | 3,622 | 12% |
| Mental Health | 3,520 | 12% |
| Psychological Evaluations | 2,779 | 9% |
| Crisis Intervention | 1,983 | 7% |
| Zoom (Video Conferencing Tool) | 1,619 | 6% |
| Educational Evaluation | 1,591 | 5% |
| Disabilities | 1,559 | 5% |
| Pediatrics | 1,490 | 5% |
| Microsoft Teams | 1,353 | 5% |
| Google Classroom | 1,350 | 5% |
| Educational Psychology | 1,347 | 5% |
| Preschool Education | 1,157 | 4% |
| Behavior Management | 959 | 3% |
| Autism Spectrum Disorders | 936 | 3% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 5,455 | 19% |
| Positivity | 3,687 | 13% |
| Research | 2,632 | 9% |
| Planning | 1,872 | 6% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 1,778 | 6% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1,763 | 6% |
| Presentations | 1,637 | 6% |
| Problem Solving | 1,637 | 6% |
| Teaching | 1,370 | 5% |
| Scheduling | 1,236 | 4% |
| Report Writing | 1,224 | 4% |
| Writing | 1,222 | 4% |
| Management | 1,148 | 4% |
| Consulting | 1,120 | 4% |
| English Language | 1,066 | 4% |
| Advocacy | 1,051 | 4% |
| Multilingualism | 884 | 3% |
| Leadership | 802 | 3% |
| Coordinating | 662 | 2% |
| Progress Reporting | 643 | 2% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about high school psychologists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for high school psychologists.
What do high school psychologists do?
How much do high school psychologists make?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.