It doesn’t seem like that long ago I graduated from my graduate program in School Psychology, but it’s actually been going on for 16 years. Time flies and a lot has changed in the field of School Psychology. However, it seems that my reasons for becoming a school psychologist have remained relatively intact. Are here:
1) The pay is not that bad. Although we are required to complete 3 years of graduate school which includes a year-long internship that is normally unpaid, school psychologists are relatively well compensated. Average salary seems to be in the $60-80K range after about 5-10 years of experience.
2) Vacation time is not bad either. School psychologists usually have a 210 day contract or so and don’t work during the summer unless they want to make some extra money. This allows time to spend with the family or to go on a long vacation in the summer.
3) School psychologists are relatively respected in the school environment. Despite the fact that most people think of us as guidance counselors and very few school officials know exactly what we do, school psychologists seem to be held in high esteem and are commonly sought after when it comes to finding solutions to a wide range of from problems.
4) School psychologists have a lot of autonomy in the workplace. Very often you will be assigned more than one school. This can be stressful in terms of workload, but it can also be a blessing in disguise as you will be able to move from one school to another depending on the needs of each school. Usually, you are not stuck in an office under the watchful eye of your boss. If so, you probably need to reconsider where you’re working.
5) Number 4 brings another good point. Job prospects for school psychologists are quite good. I don’t have the statistics, but it seems there are plenty of jobs available for those who are willing to move around the country. With the economy taking a turn for the worse lately, I’ve definitely seen a decline, but even in tough economic times, it seems like there are still opportunities for school psychologists. I have found Schoolspring.com to be a great place to get an idea of how many schools are looking for new school psychologists.
6) Feel that you are helping those who need help. Sure, weeks and months go by working through paperwork and filling out assessments. However, from time to time you are faced with a situation where you can provide real help to someone in need. That always feels good. In fact, I recommend finding a position in those areas that are most economically depressed and fraught with problems. After all, this is where we are most needed and also where our efforts are most appreciated by parents, children, and administrators. I work on the Mexican border and I wouldn’t change that for anything. Despite the news, the people and the community here are very grateful and highly value their children’s education. Very rarely do I see the overly aggressive soccer mom yelling at me because her son is not in the gifted program.
7) Opportunity to expand into other fields. With a Master’s in Psychology, one can teach at the community college level, work weekends for the local counseling agency, take external evaluations for other local area school districts, and/or branch out into educational consulting. There aren’t too many fields where you’re qualified to do so many different things.
8) If you do not want to supplement your income with the various methods of n. For #7, the field of School Psychology offers many areas from which you can choose to be an “expert” and apply in your daily professional life while being a School Psychologist. There are graduate programs in school neuropsychology, as well as behavior specialists and/or life coaching, all of which can be applied with your students in the school setting.
9) We call ourselves “Psychologists” but we don’t have a license. This was actually pending review by the APA, but luckily we can still call ourselves School “Psychologists.” It’s funny how many clinical “psychologists” tried to become school “psychologists” because of poor job prospects for clinical psychology degrees, but that’s another story and problem.
10) Helping is something that drives you to do. If you enjoy helping children who basically just need a little support to lead them to a successful life, then the field of school psychology might be for you. I wish I could read the ups and downs of being a school psychologist in the early 90’s before venturing into this profession. However, this article is there for those who want to consider this profession. No profession is perfect, and jobs vary greatly based on location, bosses, school boards, etc. In my experience it seems that School Psychology positions are more similar than different and the job is what you make of it. You have the freedom to start programs or specialize in the area of your choice. There aren’t many professions where you can do that.