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Industrial-organizational psychologist: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$193,950median pay per year, or $93.24 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $79,010lowest 10% earn less
  2. $107,31025th percentile
  3. $193,950median
  4. $222,28075th percentile
  5. $247,220top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Industrial-organizational psychologists had a median pay of $193,950 a year in May 2025[1]. The field is small, and BLS projects about 300 openings a year[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+6.5%[5]
Openings per year
300[2]
Typical entry education
Master's degree[6]

How much do industrial-organizational psychologists make?

The median wage was $193,950 a year, or $93.24 an hour, in May 2025[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The mean wage was $170,230 a year, or $81.84 an hour[7].

The range is wide. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $79,010 a year, and the lowest-paid 25% earned less than $107,310[3]. The highest-paid 25% earned more than $222,280, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $247,220[3]. Hourly, those boundaries were $37.99, $51.59, $106.86 and $118.86[8]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9].

The median annual wage for all occupations was $50,980[4].

OEWS counts only wage and salary workers. It leaves out the self-employed and does not include nonproduction bonuses or the cost of benefits[10]. It counted about 790 jobs in May 2025[11]. The BLS projections count about 4,000 jobs in 2025 and include self-employed workers[5]. In those projections, 80.3% of these psychologists were self-employed[12]. With so few counted jobs and so many self-employed workers, the wage figures describe a small group.

Pay by state

BLS published state wages for only two states. Oregon had a median of $174,980 on 60 jobs, and Texas had a median of $139,520 on 40 jobs[13]. Those two states also had the most jobs in the data[14]. With counts this small, treat state comparisons with caution.

Show median pay in 2 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Oregon[13]$174,98060
Texas$139,52040

How to become an industrial-organizational psychologist

BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry education, with no related work experience and an internship or residency as the typical training[6]. The BLS profile that covers this job also covers other psychologists, so some details below describe the wider group[15].

In an O*NET survey of 26 workers, 58% said a master's degree was the education required and 31% said a doctoral degree[19].

Licensing rules vary by state and by type of position[20][21]. The profile says most states require a license to offer psychology services or to use the title psychologist[21]. It does not say whether industrial-organizational psychologists need one, so check with your state licensing board. Certification from professional associations may be optional or required by an employer[22].

What industrial-organizational psychologists do

O*NET describes the job as applying psychology to workplace problems in areas such as human resources, management, sales and marketing[23]. Common tasks include:

BLS names analytical and communication skills as important for psychologists in general[25][26]. Workers reported titles such as Management Consultant, Organizational Consultant and I-O Practitioner[27].

Where they work

The BLS work-environment text covers psychologists as a wider group. Some work alone and some work in teams[28]. Most work full time, though part-time work is common[29]. For this occupation, 80.3% were self-employed in 2025[12].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 6.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 4,000 to 4,300 jobs[5]. Growth for all occupations is projected at 3.5%[30]. These counts include self-employed workers[5].

BLS expects about 300 openings a year on average[2]. Openings include jobs created when people retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[2]. Each year, 3.2% of workers leave the labor force and 2.4% move to a different occupation[31].

Is it a good fit?

The median pay was well above the all-occupations median[1][4]. Projected growth is faster than the all-occupations rate, but the field is small, with about 300 openings a year[5][30][2]. The typical entry route is a master's degree[6]. Most workers were self-employed, so the pay data cover a limited group[11][12]. Pay also varied widely, from under $79,010 for the lowest-paid 10% to above $247,220 for the top 10%[3].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[32].

Frequently asked questions

How much does an industrial-organizational psychologist make?
The BLS median was $193,950 a year, or $93.24 an hour, in May 2025[1].
What degree do you need to be an industrial-organizational psychologist?
BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry education[6]. In an O*NET survey of 26 workers, 31% said a doctoral degree was required[19].
Is industrial-organizational psychology in demand?
BLS projects 6.5% growth from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 300 openings a year[5][30][2].
Are industrial-organizational psychologists self-employed?
BLS projections show 80.3% were self-employed in 2025[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists in the US was $193,950 per year and $93.24 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: about 300 openings for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists: 10th percentile $79,010, 25th percentile $107,310, 75th percentile $222,280, 90th percentile $247,220. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Industrial-Organizational Psychologists is projected to grow 6.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 4,000 to 4,300 jobs (a change of +300). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Industrial-Organizational Psychologists: education needed for entry: Master's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Internship/residency. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists was $170,230 per year and $81.84 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists: 10th percentile $37.99, 25th percentile $51.59, 75th percentile $106.86, 90th percentile $118.86. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 790 people were employed as Industrial-Organizational Psychologists in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS Employment Projections: 80.3% of Industrial-Organizational Psychologists were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  13. Median annual wage for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Industrial-Organizational Psychologists jobs: Oregon 60; Texas 40. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Psychologists" covers Industrial-Organizational Psychologists together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  16. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. O*NET 19-3032.00 survey of workers (26 respondents), education level they say is required: Master's Degree 58%, Doctoral Degree 31% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. O*NET description of Industrial-Organizational Psychologists. O*NET OnLine
  24. O*NET task list for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists. O*NET OnLine
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. O*NET 19-3032.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Consulting Psychologist, I-O Practitioner (Industrial-Organizational Practitioner), I-O Psychologist (Industrial-Organizational Psychologist), Industrial Psychologist, Management Consultant, Organizational Consultant, Organizational Development Specialist (OD Specialist), Organizational Psychologist. O*NET OnLine
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  31. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists: 3.2% of workers leave the labor force each year and 2.4% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  32. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.