I/O Psychology
Who are Industrial/Organization (I/O) Psychologists?
Industrial/organizational psychologists apply psychological principles and research methods to the workplace in the interest of improving productivity and the quality of work life.
They also are involved in research management and marketing problems. They conduct applicant screening, training and development, counseling, and organizational development and analysis. An industrial psychologist might work with management to recognize the work setting to improve productivity or quality of life in the workplace. They frequently act as consultants, brought in by management in order to solve a particular problem.
Scientific aspects of I/O Psychology include both applied and basic science:
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Applied aspects are oriented around scientific solutions to human problems at work. |
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Basic aspects are quite variable, following the investigator's interests. Examples include research on methods of behavioral measurement, communication, motivation, social interaction, and leadership. Professional aspects of I/O Psychology include personnel research, training and development, psychological testing research, counseling and consulting, advising management, setting personnel policy, human resource planning, organizational development and analysis, and other human resource functions. |
For more information on the Industrial/Organizational field of psychology, please click here to visit the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) .
Industrial/Organizational Psychology Topics
Personnel Issues
- Job Analysis
- Employee Selection
- Evaluating Employee Performance
- Employee Training and Development
Worker Issues
- Motivation
- Job Satisfaction
- Worker Stress
Work Group & Organizational Issues
- Communication in the Workplace
- Group Processes
- Leadership
- Influence, Power, and Politics
- Organizational Structure, Culture, and Development
- Human Factors and Occupation Health Psychology
- (Riggio, Ronald E. (2002) Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology. 4th Edition.)
Where do I/O Psychologists Work?
Industrial/organizational psychologists work in businesses, industries, governments, and colleges and universities. Some may be self-employed as consultants or work for management consulting firms. In a business, industry, or government setting, industrial/organizational psychologists might study the procedures on an assembly line and suggest changes to reduce the monotony and increase the responsibility of workers. Or they might advise management on how to develop programs to identify staff with management potential or administer counseling service for employees on career development and preparation for retirement.
Jobs for industrial/organizational psychologists are available at both the Master's and the doctoral level. Opportunities for those with Master's degrees tend to be concentrated in business, industry, and government settings; doctoral-level psychologists also work in academic settings and independent consulting work.
Masters Graduates
The number of psychology students who pursue a terminal Master's degree has increased sixfold since 1960. Competition for positions in psychology-related jobs is keen; nevertheless, approximately one-third of those with Master's degree in psychology find such work. Many handle research and data collection and analysis in universities, government, and private companies. Others find jobs in health, industry, and education, the primary work settings for psychology professionals with Master's degrees.
Psychologists with Master's degrees often work under the direction of a doctoral psychologist, especially in clinical, counseling, school, and testing and measurement psychology.
Some jobs in industry, for example, in organizational development and survey research, are held by both doctoral- and Master's-level graduates. But industry and government jobs in compensation, training, data analysis, and general personnel issues are often filled by professionals with Master's degrees in psychology.
Doctoral Graduates
As might be expected, the highest paid and greatest range of jobs in psychology are available to doctoral graduates. Although the number of doctoral graduates has at least doubled over the past 12 years, the demand continues to meet the supply. Furthermore, unemployment and underemployment rates for doctoral psychologists are slightly below average for other scientists and engineers. Few drop out of the field.
The greatest expansion of career opportunities for doctoral psychologist in the last decade have been in the subfields of clinical, school, health, industrial and educational psychology. As a consequence proportionately fewer new doctorates have headed into faculty positions as compared with the past.
Job Titles of I/O Psychologists Include
- Manager
- Director
- Vice President
- Management Consultant
- Behavioral Scientist
Staff Member of:
- Personnel Staff
- Human Resources Staff
- Organizational Planning Staff
- Personnel Development Staff
- Organizational Development Staff
- Management Development Staff
- Personnel Research Staff
- Employee Relations Staff
- Training Staff
- Affirmative Action Staff
Assistant, Associatiate, or Full Professor of:
- Psychology
- Management
- Organizational Behavior
- Industrial Relations
It is difficult to describe an "I/O job" as they are so varied. However, it is possible to give an overview of typical jobs and tasks that I/O Psychologists do. Dr. Paul E. Spector describes what a university professor's job is like, and what a practitioner job is like. Keep in mind that within each of these categories, there can be a lot of variability.
How Much Does an I/O Psychologist Make?
Doctorates: The median income was $90,000; newly graduated doctorates start at $60,000
Master's Degree: The median income was $67,000, those individuals that received a Master's degree start at $45,000
Respondents who worked in academia had a lower median income than those who worked in an applied setting in both 1999 ($69,000 vs. $90,500, respectively) and 2000 ($73,000 vs. 100,000, respectively).