Becoming a Developmental Psychologist via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Ashford University, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering psychology courses to train individuals to become top-notch psychologists, therapists, forensic psychologists, organizational psychologists, clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, developmental psychologists, educational psychologists, health psychologists, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 98,330 people employed as clinical, counseling, and school psychologists alone in America, and their average annual salary is $72,310. Mental health counselors make on average $41,710 per year and there are about 106,920 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Ashford University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for a Developmental Psychologist
  • schools
  • hospital
  • clinics
  • prenatal hospitals
  • day cares
  • colleges
  • universities
  • research facilities
  • in homes
  • employment industries
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Developmental Psychologist
  • study the growth and changes takes place in humanbeings
  • do world changing experience
  • learn more about the developmental psychology through out the lifespan
  • develop theories
  • keep the parents informed on the child
  • provide suggestions on how to help kids when they are facing difficulties
  • learn more about the eriksons theory of psychological development
  • provide information about various development and learning disorders
  • give an idea of another developmental concept
  • study the psychological cognitive
Potential Drawbacks
  • long nature of studies make it difficult to find grants
  • relatively new field engenders disrespect
  • working with children limit types of testing
  • working with young children and babies limit types of responses
  • large amount of education needed
  • hard to find position within field
  • publish or perish
  • long nature of studies make it difficult to find participants
  • lack of participants may invalidate results
  • a lack of diversity in previous studies mean that many previous assumptions must be retested
Related Professions to Consider
  • Health Professions Admissions Counselor
  • Behavioral Analyst Psychologist
  • Child Psychologist - Hollywood
  • Psychologist
  • School Psychologist
  • Psychologist-Pain Program
  • Staff Psychologist
  • Licensed Psychologist
  • Psychologist/Training Coordinator
  • Research Psychologist
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Developmental Psychologist
  • How would you describe your career as an educational psychologist?
  • How are children and young people referred to you?
  • Do you work with teachers as well?
  • What qualities make a good educational psychologist?
  • What is your greatest weakness?
  • What is your ideal work environment?
  • Under what circumstances would you request that a student be terminated from a counseling relationship?
  • What are your professional goals for the next five years?
  • How would you see yourself fitting into a department such as ours?
  • What is your style of supervising interns or practicum students?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • Psychologist
  • Child Psychologist
  • Educational Psychologist
  • Psychiatrist
  • Clinical Psychologist
  • Organizational Psychology
  • Professional Counselor
  • Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
  • Social Psychologists
  • Research/Experimental Psychologists
Developmental Psychologist Training books Developmental Psychologist (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • Adolescent development
  • Adult development and ageing
  • Children in the media
  • Children's thinking
  • Educational psychology
  • Family systems: An interdisciplinary approach
  • Language development
  • Lifespan development psychopathology
  • Peer relationships in developmental contexts
  • Psychological data analysis

Developmental Psychologist Salary Information

Category: Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists

Total # Employed in the US 98,330
Average Hourly Wage: $34.77/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$18.88 $24.14 $31.75 $41.0 $52.63
Average Yearly Salary $72,310
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$39,270 $50,210 $66,040 $85,270 $109,470
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.2% 0.2% 0.4% 0.3% 4.2% 43.2% 51.5%
Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
North Dakota $44.41/hr $92,380
Connecticut $43.33/hr $90,130
Colorado $40.68/hr $84,600
South Carolina $38.69/hr $80,470
Virginia $38.28/hr $79,630
Oklahoma $38.21/hr $79,480
District of Columbia $37.13/hr $77,230
Montana $37.05/hr $77,060
Alabama $36.78/hr $76,500
Alaska $36.77/hr $76,480
Delaware $35.94/hr $74,750
Massachusetts $35.61/hr $74,070
Missouri $35.54/hr $73,930
Kansas $35.26/hr $73,340
Michigan $34.63/hr $72,030
Mississippi $34.28/hr $71,310
New York $34.26/hr $71,260
West Virginia $34.21/hr $71,160
Indiana $33.95/hr $70,630
California $33.64/hr $69,980
Puerto Rico $33.05/hr $68,750
Idaho $32.34/hr $67,270
Florida $32.33/hr $67,240
Hawaii $32.24/hr $67,050
Utah $32.23/hr $67,030
Wisconsin $31.26/hr $65,020
Oregon $31.23/hr $64,950
North Carolina $31/hr $64,480
Nebraska $31/hr $64,480
Tennessee $30.96/hr $64,390
Guam $30.4/hr $63,220
Iowa $30.33/hr $63,090
Kentucky $30.21/hr $62,830
Washington $30.11/hr $62,620
Louisiana $29.95/hr $62,300
Ohio $29.75/hr $61,880
Arkansas $29.72/hr $61,820
New Hampshire $28.87/hr $60,050
Wyoming $28.65/hr $59,590
Maine $27.95/hr $58,150
New Mexico $26.86/hr $55,870
Maryland $26.43/hr $54,970
Pennsylvania $26.16/hr $54,420
South Dakota $26.08/hr $54,250
New Jersey $22.84/hr $47,500
Nevada $21.64/hr $45,000


Category: Mental health counselors

Total # Employed in the US 106,920
Average Hourly Wage: $20.05/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$11.65 $14.38 $18.28 $24.11 $31.06
Average Yearly Salary $41,710
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$24,230 $29,920 $38,010 $50,140 $64,610
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
1.3% 7.3% 10.5% 5.6% 25.0% 45.9% 4.4%
Mental health counselors — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Michigan $26.51/hr $55,150
Alaska $25.98/hr $54,030
New York $25.37/hr $52,770
Colorado $24.96/hr $51,910
Tennessee $23.79/hr $49,490
Iowa $23.59/hr $49,060
Florida $23.29/hr $48,440
California $22.75/hr $47,330
District of Columbia $22.7/hr $47,220
Montana $22.41/hr $46,620
Ohio $22.35/hr $46,490
Guam $22.35/hr $46,490
North Dakota $21.99/hr $45,750
South Carolina $20.99/hr $43,650
Kentucky $20.88/hr $43,420
Missouri $20.62/hr $42,890
New Mexico $20.53/hr $42,700
Arkansas $20.14/hr $41,890
South Dakota $20.13/hr $41,880
Idaho $20.02/hr $41,640
Nebraska $19.73/hr $41,050
Delaware $19.67/hr $40,920
Mississippi $19.63/hr $40,840
Connecticut $19.48/hr $40,530
Hawaii $19.46/hr $40,480
Oregon $19.38/hr $40,310
Washington $19.38/hr $40,310
Kansas $19.27/hr $40,080
Maine $19.16/hr $39,850
Indiana $19.13/hr $39,790
Nevada $18.93/hr $39,370
West Virginia $18.93/hr $39,360
Wyoming $18.56/hr $38,610
Puerto Rico $18.51/hr $38,500
North Carolina $18.47/hr $38,420
Alabama $18.19/hr $37,830
Utah $18.14/hr $37,740
Maryland $18.04/hr $37,520
Oklahoma $17.9/hr $37,240
Louisiana $16.84/hr $35,020
New Hampshire $16.28/hr $33,870
Virginia $15.5/hr $32,240
Wisconsin $14.79/hr $30,770
Massachusetts $14.77/hr $30,720
New Jersey $14.42/hr $29,980


Category: Child, family, and school social workers

Total # Employed in the US 277,670
Average Hourly Wage: $20.93/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$12.52 $15.36 $19.21 $25.2 $32.38
Average Yearly Salary $43,540
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$26,050 $31,950 $39,960 $52,410 $67,360
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
1.2% 6.2% 10.4% 6.0% 42.3% 32.2% 1.6%
Child, family, and school social workers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Delaware $29.66/hr $61,690
Nebraska $26.36/hr $54,820
Virginia $26.04/hr $54,170
North Dakota $25.77/hr $53,610
Kansas $25.59/hr $53,230
Florida $24.66/hr $51,290
Oklahoma $24.44/hr $50,830
New York $24.23/hr $50,400
Colorado $24.2/hr $50,340
Mississippi $23.85/hr $49,600
Montana $23.81/hr $49,520
Indiana $23.68/hr $49,250
Missouri $22.21/hr $46,200
Alaska $21.4/hr $44,500
Connecticut $21.33/hr $44,370
Massachusetts $20.99/hr $43,660
Oregon $20.71/hr $43,090
Maine $19.89/hr $41,370
Alabama $19.6/hr $40,760
Hawaii $19.47/hr $40,500
Michigan $19.33/hr $40,200
Puerto Rico $19.16/hr $39,860
Guam $19.15/hr $39,840
Pennsylvania $18.98/hr $39,480
Louisiana $18.92/hr $39,360
Tennessee $18.91/hr $39,330
North Carolina $18.79/hr $39,090
South Carolina $18.39/hr $38,240
Maryland $18.01/hr $37,450
Wyoming $17.9/hr $37,230
Idaho $17.75/hr $36,910
Utah $17.69/hr $36,790
Arkansas $17.58/hr $36,560
West Virginia $17.25/hr $35,870
Ohio $17.2/hr $35,780
Iowa $17.13/hr $35,630
California $17.13/hr $35,620
New Mexico $17.07/hr $35,510
New Jersey $17.01/hr $35,390
Kentucky $16.82/hr $34,990
Wisconsin $16.6/hr $34,530
New Hampshire $16.31/hr $33,910
South Dakota $15.91/hr $33,090
Washington $15.69/hr $32,630
Nevada $15.34/hr $31,910


Category: Medical and public health social workers

Total # Employed in the US 133,510
Average Hourly Wage: $23.24/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$13.75 $17.35 $22.26 $28.12 $34.22
Average Yearly Salary $48,340
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$28,600 $36,090 $46,300 $58,490 $71,190
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
1.2% 6.2% 10.4% 6.0% 42.3% 32.2% 1.6%
Medical and public health social workers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Florida $31.86/hr $66,270
New York $30.64/hr $63,720
Delaware $29.47/hr $61,290
Mississippi $28.17/hr $58,590
Colorado $27.83/hr $57,890
Indiana $27.78/hr $57,780
Virginia $27.03/hr $56,230
North Dakota $26.15/hr $54,390
Tennessee $26.14/hr $54,360
Alaska $25.85/hr $53,780
Oklahoma $25.59/hr $53,230
North Carolina $24.7/hr $51,370
Nebraska $24.66/hr $51,290
Kansas $24.12/hr $50,170
Missouri $24.12/hr $50,160
Puerto Rico $23.98/hr $49,880
Montana $23.62/hr $49,120
Guam $23.55/hr $48,990
District of Columbia $23.42/hr $48,720
Wisconsin $23.15/hr $48,150
Wyoming $22.85/hr $47,520
Idaho $22.09/hr $45,940
Iowa $22.08/hr $45,920
Kentucky $21.98/hr $45,710
South Carolina $21.88/hr $45,520
Connecticut $21.87/hr $45,500
Hawaii $21.69/hr $45,120
Michigan $21.42/hr $44,540
Massachusetts $21.38/hr $44,470
California $21.36/hr $44,420
Washington $21.04/hr $43,760
Oregon $20.91/hr $43,500
Louisiana $20.65/hr $42,960
Utah $20.61/hr $42,870
Arkansas $20.24/hr $42,100
New Jersey $20.17/hr $41,940
Maine $20.15/hr $41,900
Alabama $20.03/hr $41,670
Maryland $19.82/hr $41,220
New Hampshire $19.8/hr $41,190
New Mexico $19.14/hr $39,810
Ohio $18.6/hr $38,690
West Virginia $18.45/hr $38,370
South Dakota $18.38/hr $38,240
Pennsylvania $17.96/hr $37,350
Nevada $17.21/hr $35,800


Category: Community and social service specialists, all other

Total # Employed in the US 109,120
Average Hourly Wage: $19.48/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$10.82 $14.05 $18.07 $23.84 $30.84
Average Yearly Salary $40,530
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$22,500 $29,220 $37,580 $49,580 $64,140
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
2.4% 15.3% 20.9% 9.6% 37.1% 13.4% 1.3%
Community and social service specialists, all other — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Indiana $23.42/hr $48,710
Colorado $21.91/hr $45,580
North Dakota $21.59/hr $44,900
Oklahoma $21.57/hr $44,860
New York $21.46/hr $44,640
Virginia $20.69/hr $43,030
Florida $20.49/hr $42,610
Nebraska $20.41/hr $42,440
Arkansas $20.38/hr $42,390
Delaware $20.07/hr $41,750
Oregon $19.91/hr $41,410
Mississippi $19.38/hr $40,300
Connecticut $19.35/hr $40,240
Hawaii $19.14/hr $39,800
Alabama $19.12/hr $39,760
Montana $19.05/hr $39,620
Kansas $18.94/hr $39,400
Alaska $18.89/hr $39,290
South Carolina $18.74/hr $38,980
North Carolina $18.61/hr $38,710
Ohio $18.54/hr $38,560
Utah $18.42/hr $38,310
Tennessee $17.93/hr $37,300
Maryland $17.92/hr $37,270
Pennsylvania $17.52/hr $36,440
New Mexico $17.44/hr $36,270
District of Columbia $17.43/hr $36,250
Kentucky $16.98/hr $35,310
Wyoming $16.87/hr $35,100
South Dakota $16.83/hr $35,010
Missouri $16.82/hr $34,990
New Hampshire $16.82/hr $34,990
Guam $16.65/hr $34,640
Puerto Rico $16.35/hr $34,000
Iowa $15.82/hr $32,900
Idaho $15.8/hr $32,860
Massachusetts $15.46/hr $32,160
Michigan $15.44/hr $32,120
Wisconsin $15.4/hr $32,040
Louisiana $15.27/hr $31,770
Maine $14.87/hr $30,940
Nevada $14.77/hr $30,730
California $14.71/hr $30,600
New Jersey $14.23/hr $29,600
Washington $13.98/hr $29,080


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