Psychological Examiners: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of psychological examiners 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 psychological examiners to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of psychological examiners 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 psychological examiners.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Psychological Examiners?
Do psychological examiners need a degree? What kind of experience do psychological examiners 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 psychological examiners to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Psychological Examiners
Jobs Postings for Psychological Examiners By Education
- Master's degree: 13,247 (44%)
- No Education Listed: 11,792 (39%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 3,033 (10%)
- Bachelor's degree: 1,616 (5%)
- High School or GED: 371 (1%)
A master's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of psychological examiners. According to job data, a master's degree was required for 44% of positions. In 39% of job listings no education level was listed and in 10% of postings a ph.d. or professional degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Psychological Examiners
Jobs Postings for Psychological Examiners By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 5,817 (63%)
- 2-3 Years: 2,989 (32%)
- 4-6 Years: 366 (4%)
- 7-9 Years: 35 (0%)
- 10+ Years: 74 (1%)
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 psychological examiners. In 63% of job postings for Psychological Examiners, employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience. In 32% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 4% of job postings for psychological examiners.
What Kind of Degree Do Psychological Examiners Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for psychological examiners, 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 psychological examiners, and in 2021 a total of 205,506 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 psychological examiners.
Top Degree Programs for Psychological Examiners
Top 5 Degree Programs for Psychological Examiners (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 140,792 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching. | 32,693 |
| Counseling Psychology. | 9,248 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. | 6,141 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis. | 5,428 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 140,792 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching. | 32,693 |
| Counseling Psychology. | 9,248 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. | 6,141 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis. | 5,428 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,169 |
| School Psychology. | 3,179 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other. | 2,323 |
| Developmental and Child Psychology. | 1,419 |
| Clinical Child Psychology. | 114 |
What Skills Do Psychological Examiners Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by psychological examiners 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 psychological examiners, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Psychological Examiners
Based on 26,579 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Psychological Examiners
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| School Psychology | 22,421 | 84% |
| Psychology | 14,569 | 55% |
| Individualized Education Programs (IEP) | 8,915 | 34% |
| Special Education | 5,367 | 20% |
| Student Services | 3,913 | 15% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Psychological Examiners
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 3,790 | 14% |
| Positivity | 2,661 | 10% |
| Research | 2,166 | 8% |
| Planning | 1,892 | 7% |
| Teaching | 1,826 | 7% |
Based on 26,579 job postings related to psychological examiners, school psychology was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 84% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for psychology, individualized education programs (iep), special education, student services and child advocacy were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for psychological examiners, followed by positivity, research, planning, teaching and ethical standards and conduct.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| School Psychology | 22,421 | 84% |
| Psychology | 14,569 | 55% |
| Individualized Education Programs (IEP) | 8,915 | 34% |
| Special Education | 5,367 | 20% |
| Student Services | 3,913 | 15% |
| Child Advocacy | 2,626 | 10% |
| Mental Health | 2,428 | 9% |
| Pediatrics | 1,888 | 7% |
| Psychological Evaluations | 1,875 | 7% |
| Intervention Plans | 1,637 | 6% |
| Disabilities | 1,441 | 5% |
| Social Work | 1,215 | 5% |
| Crisis Intervention | 1,114 | 4% |
| Psychotherapy | 983 | 4% |
| Case Management | 963 | 4% |
| Functional Behavior Assessment | 919 | 3% |
| Educational Psychology | 910 | 3% |
| Preschool Education | 842 | 3% |
| Educational Assessment | 736 | 3% |
| Loans | 719 | 3% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 3,790 | 14% |
| Positivity | 2,661 | 10% |
| Research | 2,166 | 8% |
| Planning | 1,892 | 7% |
| Teaching | 1,826 | 7% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 1,672 | 6% |
| Problem Solving | 1,362 | 5% |
| Writing | 1,210 | 5% |
| Management | 1,168 | 4% |
| Leadership | 1,127 | 4% |
| Report Writing | 1,118 | 4% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1,013 | 4% |
| Advocacy | 978 | 4% |
| Multilingualism | 976 | 4% |
| Consulting | 945 | 4% |
| English Language | 867 | 3% |
| Mentorship | 805 | 3% |
| Coordinating | 792 | 3% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 673 | 3% |
| Spanish Language | 613 | 2% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about psychological examiners? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for psychological examiners.
What do psychological examiners do?
How much do psychological examiners 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.