Deciding on the right career path can be difficult. Luckily, there is a powerful tool that has helped many people find careers that match their personal and professional preferences: The Strong Interest Inventory®. This Inventory assesses individuals’ professional interests and personal characteristics in many different ways. It analyzes this data and refers individuals to one to three of six different Theme Code Categories based on their responses. The Strong Interest Inventory® greatly increases the speed and accuracy of the occupational decision-making process. For example, Industrial-Organizational Psychologists fall within The Enterprising Career Theme Code Category for several reasons- one being that these individuals enjoy working together in groups to reach an end goal such as working with organizations and their teams to improve functionality.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists apply principles of psychology to business and professional contexts and problems, such as human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing. They might develop and implement training programs, provide expert testimony in lawsuits, study consumers’ reactions to products, develop employee selection programs, or even conduct research studies on physical work environments, communication systems, group interactions or other factors. These professionals may apply their findings to create interventions that solve the problems they found, from a gap in professional knowledge to resolving disputes, to streamlining communication among team members or between team members and clients. In some cases, Industrial-Organizational Psychologists may even function more as executive coaches, helping senior executives and managers build their leadership and performance skills as well as develop more efficient, productive habits. The precise responsibilities of Industrial-Organizational Psychologists differ greatly depending on their organization, sector, and industry. However, in general, Industrial-Organizational Psychologists focus their energies to develop their organizations and support their employees in working more effectively and efficiently.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists use a number of different software programs and tools to complete their daily tasks, including analytical or statistical software (e.g., SPSS, SAS, Winsteps, etc.), e-mail and communications software, and Microsoft Office Suite. In addition, they may also need to be familiar with project management software (e.g., Microsoft Project), and spreadsheet software (e.g., Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel). However, like responsibilities, the specific programs used may vary. If you are interested in this career, you may wish to become generally familiar with computers as well as these software programs in general, so that you are well prepared for any work environment in which you find yourself.

Many Industrial-Organizational Psychologists are highly educated, with 48% holding a Doctoral Degree and 47% holding a Master’s Degree. Some 5% have even completed post-doctoral specializations. Industrial-Organizational Psychologists typically have extensive knowledge of psychology, business, administration and management, education, and other social sciences, in addition to highly developed communication skills and problem-solving skills. They need to be able to express complex ideas clearly, concisely, and coherently, while also building trust with key stakeholders with whom they interact.

The median salary across the country for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists is $87,100 annually. There are some 2,000 Industrial-Organizational Psychologists in the United States, and in the next several years that number is expected to rise 5% to 9% per year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these jobs are concentrated along the east coast, particularly in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Virginia leads the country in terms of pay, where the annual median salary is over $125,000. On the other extreme, in Florida, Industrial-Organizational Psychologists can expect to earn under $70,000 annually.

Below are some employment trends for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists.

• Median Salary: $87,100 annually; $41.87 hourly.
• Employment: 2,000 employees
• Projected growth (2016-2026): average (5% to 9%)
• Projected job openings (2016-2026):100

[Information retrieved from Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and 2016-2026 employment projections]

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Gain access to your best-fit careers, occupational preferences and interests with these career based Strong Interest Inventory® Assessments:

 

Explore our Strong Interest Inventory® Blog Pages:

• Strong Interest Inventory Realistic Theme Explained 
• Strong Interest Inventory Artistic Theme Explained
• Strong Interest Inventory Investigative Theme Explained 
• Strong Interest Inventory Social Theme Explained 
• Strong Interest Inventory Enterprising Theme Explained 
• Strong Interest Inventory Conventional Theme Explained 

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References

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and 2012-2022 employment projections Onetonline.org