Psychologist Makes 6 Figures?

Last weekend, I visited Charleston, South Carolina. I met a friend that we went to Parris Island together in 2002. Who is currently an undergraduate student at Charleston Southern University; he is studying Psychology with minor in Criminal Justice. He said that once he graduates, he'll make minimum $100.00 per hour ($200,000.00 per year) with his BA in Psychology. Is that true, or he has no idea what he's talking? Frankly, I have known nobody makes 6 figures with an undergraduate degree in Psychology, unless that person has a PsyD or Ph.D in Psychology.

 

What type of employment is he basing this figure on?

 

So not true...............even with his masters he will be looking at 35-45 K as a Psyc Assc.

 

I vote for "no idea what he is talking about". An undergrad Psychology degree alone getting someone a 6 figure job sounds pretty crazy (particularly from a school I have never heard of). 200K is absolutely ridiculous. I don't even know him and I find it embarrassing that he thinks this.

I guess it is possible he has connections or is going into the family business or something and the money part is true, but that would not be due to the degree.

 

in the Mafia . . .

By the way, I don't think that you get to call yourself a Psychologist just because you've got a Bachelors degree.

 

While a Psychologist may make that much, a BA in Psychology does not equal a Psychologist.

 

To be called a psychologist (outside of academia) in the US you need to be licensed. With the notable exception of school psychologist (requires a MA with contact hours) that training needs to be at the doctoral level.

There are tons of people that use the term informally in academia and in government jobs, but those jobs at the BA level will result in McDonald's assistant manager wages.

 

I agree with the above, however, it is possible to make well over a $100K as a psychologist. I know someone who makes huge money; house on "snob hill" in Newport Beach, Ferrari, yada...yada. But the average person will make less than six figures. Here are the requirements for a big paycheck: A PhD with all of the appropriate licensure, a well-established private practice and a large clientele where you counsel the rich and charge the big bucks. It's very difficult to achieve but I have seen it done.

 

That's what happens when you graduate from the PI. Delusions of grandeur.

If he was a hollywood Marine he'd be OK!

 

I seriously laughed out loud when I read this.... Your friend is sadly mistaken. He will be lucky to make 15.00 per hour with an undergrad in psychology..... oh wait maybe that is why psychology is a such a popular major... sh$t I need to hurry up and change my major so that I can make 200 per hour.....yeah right... You should have asked him what he was smoking and who he was getting his drugs from.

 

I am actually from Charleston. I have three friends that attended Charleston Southern (which isn't even really in Charleston, but that's another story). Of the three, one is a police officer making $40k a year, one is a team lead in a call center and the other CSU graduate is a stripper (she makes more than the other two combined). Your friend is delusional.

I will say this, I know plenty of people that got degrees in psychology and made decent money right out of college, my girlfriend is one of them, but none of them took jobs in the psychology field. Most ended up working in medical software or medical recruiting jobs. An undergraduate major, with the exception of accounting and engineering, makes very little difference when job hunting. Most employers just want to see that you could see your way through a program to completion.

 

Tekman as you’ve stated he’s your friend, so be gentle … but undoubtedly he needs a dose of reality. at:

 

Charleston Southern University is located in the city of North Charleston.

Actually he is not really my friend. We were attending boot camp together. And we ended up friends on Facebook, but just met him again after 8 1/2 years. Another friend (all were in the same platoon at Parris Island) was there with me, and we did not want to embarrass him. The reason I was asking because one of our Forum's member asked about "career change" because worthless Bachelor degree in Psychology http://www.degreeinfo.com/distance-learning-discussions/37131-career-change.html

Oh, he said he'll be working for the City of North Charleston's Law Enforcement.

 

I'm sure it's not this way everywhere, but at my undergrad school psychology was the #1 most popular major. Now consider what kind of jobs psychology BA holders get. How many can you think of? Probably not many. This is the main reason I didn't switch majors into psych ... I did enjoy it, but I figured my future job chances would be terrible. (I had no interest in graduate education then.) Someone I know graduated recently with her BA in psych and currently works as a clerk for a law office for very little pay. So no, I don't think it's realistic to earn a 6 figure salary with a BA in psych.

 

Well, its as realistic as making 6 figures without a degree at all. It does happen, it can be done, but doing it in the field of psychology (other than becoming a self-help writer, and most often that's not really working in the field) is pretty darn slim.

 

+1

My cousin just completed her PhD in Psychology and I had this exact conversation with her when she first started her doctorate. With a bachelors in Psychology you job choices are very limited, usually to counselor jobs making $12-$17 per hour on average. With a masters you can teach and you can make some nice coin from what I've heard. And of course with a PhD you can make a crap load. My cousin charges $350 per hour (private practice) and she also teaches at several colleges.

Hope this helps. . .

 

I think it is possible he may make that much, but initially, and even later, highly unlikely. Psychiatrist with an MD might be a lot different. You don't just graduate with a major in psychology and start out at a hundred grand. He's forgetting about overhead, just thinking about how much he will charge per hour. Have to have a place to work in order to charge in the first place, so could he make that much? Yes. Will he likely make that much? Probably not. Eventually? Maybe.......but he will not be rolling in dough, at least for a good while, unless he is an exception to the rule.

 

Maybe he is planning to manufacture and distribute "freelance pharmaceuticals". Otherwise he is out of his gourd.