Like any other career, psychology has its ebbs and flows regarding the demand for new workers.

Despite this, careers in this and related fields typically experience faster-than-average growth. The reason for this is simple: as the stigma of mental illness continues to wane, more and more people are seeking the help of psychological professionals. And while this certainly isn’t the only reason why psychology jobs tend to be in demand, it is surely one of the largest reasons.

Many different career paths exist in the field of psychology. With an advanced degree in psychology, social work, or a related field, you can pursue employment as a counselor or therapist in private practice, as a practitioner in a public health setting, and even as a psychological researcher.

The question we’re considering today, though, is what psychology fields are in high demand?

Below are three excellent career options that are predicted to experience average to higher-than-average growth through the end of the decade.

Psychologist

The term “psychologist” is quite broad and encompasses a variety of more specific careers that involve the study of social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive processes in humans.

Whether we’re talking about a counseling psychologist working in a one-on-one session with a client or a psychological researcher conducting behavioral experiments on volunteer subjects, the ultimate goal is to observe behavior and describe it, explain it, predict it, and then control it.

Of course, these actions take very different forms depending on the type of psychology that’s being practiced.

For example, practicing psychologists that work with clients who have a mental health issue might engage in long-term therapy with their clients. The purpose of doing so is to understand the client’s struggles, identify the potential root of their mental health issues, and develop a treatment plan that will help the client live a better life. 

On the other hand, a psychologist that works in the research sector might devise an experiment that studies helping behavior among humans. To do so, they might design an experiment in which they examine the decision-making of subjects when presented with a scenario in which another person needs help. The goal would be to understand why people make the decisions they make regarding helping another person, and use the information they glean to predict how helping behaviors may or may not unfold in a real-life situation.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the field of psychology is expected to grow at an eight percent rate through the end of the 2020s. This is about average for all occupations.

What’s driving this growth is the increased demand for psychological services that was mentioned earlier. Specifically, psychologists in clinical, counseling, and school settings are expected to have expanded job opportunities in the future as the psychological needs of children, adolescents, and adults become more of a focus.

The increase in jobs in this field is expected to cut across virtually all applications of psychology, too. So, whether you want to be a counseling psychologist, a clinical psychologist, an industrial-organizational psychologist, or something in between, job growth is expected to be strong.

School and Career Counselor

One of the specialty areas of psychology is school and career counseling. Though many school and career counselors have an advanced degree in counseling and not psychology, the work is highly similar and closely related.

School and career counselors typically work with high school and college-aged students to help them prepare for the world of work. They might advise students about appropriate courses to take to prepare for their desired career. They might also administer interest inventories to students to help them identify their vocational interests and strengths. In some cases, school and career counselors help students plan their schedules, register for exams like the ACT and SAT, and provide help with filling out college applications and applications for scholarships.

School counselors often provide expanded services to students as well, like offering counseling services to students. School counselors usually work with teachers to develop classroom curricula and with administrators to devise school-wide programs that promote positive behaviors, address bullying, and so forth.

Because of rising enrollment in public and private schools, the BLS predicts that job openings in this field will increase by 11 percent by 2030. This represents a faster-than-average rate of growth.

In addition to a rising number of students in schools, there is also a much greater emphasis on providing students with counseling services. Many public and private school districts are hiring additional school and career counselors to help address the mental, emotional, academic, and social health of their students, even if the number of students in their district isn’t increasing.

Social Worker

A closely related career to psychology is social work. Usually, social workers assist their clients in resolving everyday problems. 

For example, a social worker might help a client find adequate housing for themselves and their family. They might also connect their clients with local resources like a food bank, job services, or a free medical clinic. The point is to help people build a strong foundation of social and economic support.

Of course, social workers also often provide counseling services for mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Sometimes, social workers even specialize and work with a specific group, like women, children, or individuals that have been released from prison. Whatever their area of specialty, social workers provide critical services to communities in need. 

According to a 2020 report by the BLS, employment for social workers is expected to rise by 12 percent over the course of the 2020s. Just like with school and career counselors, this represents a faster-than-average growth rate.

One of the primary reasons for the growth of this career field is the rising need for support services among many different populations. For example, job opportunities for community and social service workers are expected to increase by 14 percent through 2030 because of an increasing commitment to developing community-based support programs.

As another example, healthcare social work jobs are expected to increase by 13 percent by 2030. This is primarily due to the increasing number of people seeking healthcare treatment.

Which of These In-Demand Psychology Jobs is For You?

As noted in the introduction, there are many different career paths you can pursue in the field of psychology. The options listed here are just three of the fastest-growing possibilities.

While these career options offer many different experiences for you, ultimately, the goal is still to help others live a better, healthier life. The unfortunate part of this is that the reason why these jobs are in demand is due to the increasing number of people requiring the help of psychologists and other professionals.

So, as you consider your future career, think about which of these in-demand psychology jobs best align with your skills and talents. Consider what your passions are as well - the more passionate you are about what you do, the better services you will be able to provide to people in need.