According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are more than 3.6 million workers employed as of 2023 who hold at least a bachelor’s degree in psychology. However, this statistic doesn’t mean that there are more than 3.6 million clinical therapists in the U.S.
When many people think about the field of psychology, they envision mental health therapists and counselors. However, while that’s one possible outcome after earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, there are also many other careers outside of clinical psychology that a bachelor’s degree holder can pursue.
In fact, many non-clinical psychology careers aren’t directly related to mental health. From public relations to healthcare to education,
psychology graduates
are necessary in many industries.
4 Non-Clinical Psychology Careers
The following are just four of the career options for psychology graduates, but they demonstrate the wide variety of opportunities available across the business, government, and nonprofit worlds.
Because psychology graduates have studied the way people and their minds work, they can also work in marketing, human resources, and healthcare.
The salary and job growth statistics listed in this section come from the BLS’s 2024 data.
Public Relations Manager
A public relations manager works to improve their employer’s public image. Since they have studied how the mind works, psychology graduates have an advantage over other candidates because they understand what appeals to the public and sways public opinion.
Public relations managers oversee the creation and implementation of materials to enhance the public image of their client. Key duties include the following:
Developing their client’s brand image
Identifying key audiences and how to appeal to them
Writing press releases
Communicating with the media
Supervising all staff supporting public relations
These communicative, highly organized team leaders typically need a bachelor’s degree in public relations, psychology, or another field applicable to public relations to start their career. However, reaching the status of a public relations manager will generally take several years of experience.
Here’s what public relations managers can expect:
Average salary: $138,520
Predicted job growth between 2024 and 2034: 5%, outpacing the national average
Human Resources Manager
Human resource managers address employee needs, employee-employer relationships, and workplace culture. Their deep understanding of how the mind works and how relationships are built and strengthened helps them create a healthy, motivating environment for all.
Human resources managers direct all administrative functions of a business or nonprofit. Key duties include the following:
Recruiting and hiring new staff members
Implementing employee benefit plans
Advising leaders on human resources issues
Mediating disputes between employers and employees
Supervising all human resources staff members
Human resources managers typically need a bachelor’s degree in human resources, psychology, communications, or a related field, as well as well-honed communication, interpersonal, organizational, and leadership skills. Reaching the status of a manager takes several years of experience, with many candidates initially starting out as human resources specialists or labor relations specialists.
Here’s what candidates pursuing this non-clinical psychology career can expect:
Average salary: $140,030
Predicted job growth between 2024 and 2034: 5%, outpacing the national average
Marketing Manager
Marketing managers create campaigns that appeal to their organization’s audience. Marketing managers with psychology degrees are more likely to understand what will catch their audience’s attention.
Key duties of marketing managers include the following:
Working with other departments to establish marketing needs and parameters
Planning and implementing marketing campaigns and programs
Negotiating advertising contracts and media buys
Researching their organization’s market and finding marketing opportunities
Overseeing the hiring and assignments of marketing staff
Marketing managers typically need a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, psychology, or a related field. However, it can also be beneficial for a marketing manager of a specific industry to have taken classes related to that industry. For instance, someone interested in marketing for a technology company may also want to take classes in information technology (IT) or computer science.
They also need experience in marketing, sales, and advertising before reaching the status of a manager. Starting out as a sales representative or a market research analyst can be a helpful stepping stone to becoming a marketing manager.
Here’s what students interested in pursuing this non-clinical psychology career can expect:
Average salary: $161,030
Predicted job growth between 2024 and 2034: 7%, outpacing the national average
Health Education Specialists
Health education specialists develop programs to teach communities about conditions that can affect their health and how to improve their health outcomes. They work in a variety of settings, including healthcare facilities, nonprofits, and government agencies.
Key duties of health education specialists include the following:
Assessing the healthcare needs of communities and individuals
Developing materials to educate communities on health topics
Analyzing and improving the effectiveness of health education campaigns and programs
Overseeing the implementation of health education programs
Assisting individuals with finding the care and information they need
Health education specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree in health education, psychology, social sciences, or other health-related fields. They need well-honed skills in analysis, communication, and interpersonal interaction, all of which are taught in a psychology degree program.
Here’s what students interested in becoming health education specialists can expect:
Average salary: $63,000
Predicted job growth between 2024 and 2034: 4%, faster than the national average
Discover Your New Non-Clinical Psychology Career with ECU®
A bachelor’s degree in psychology opens the door to many careers beyond clinical psychology. Non-clinical psychology careers can be found everywhere from government agencies to nonprofit organizations to the biggest businesses in the world. A bachelor’s degree in psychology also opens the door to higher education that leads to even more careers.
With the
online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program
at East Carolina University, students learn crucial skills that translate to many different non-clinical psychology careers. This flexible, online program teaches topics like human behavior, information processing, critical thinking, and managing high-stress situations, all skills that help students thrive across a variety of roles.
Continue toward your goals with a BA in Psychology from ECU.
