4 answers
Madeline
Student
Kenosha, Wisconsin
1
Question
Asked
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What jobs are out there that relate to Industrial-organizational psychology?
I am a current 2nd year college student and am very interested in industrial-organizational psychology but just nervous for if there are job opportunities in the field. I love everything about psychology and 100% want it to be a part of my future but also want to go about it in a benefiting way.
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4 answers
Sandra Bakiera
Insights Analyst
4
Answers
New Braunfels, Texas
Updated
Sandra’s Answer
Great question! IO psych has so many different avenues - I initially started in fractional HR support, pivoted to org development, and now I specialize in employee engagement and performance management. You could also get into recruiting, training, general HR, people analytics, and so much more!
Monica S.
Finance
35
Answers
Savannah, Georgia
Updated
Monica’s Answer
Hi Madeline,
Thanks for sharing your question! I am glad to see that you are weighing your options early. If I can give a piece of advice I would say, start looking at the job opportunities at your local behavioral health, psychology health and even rehabilitation health centers in your area. They are always looking for (support tech, behavioral techs etc...) which can give direct experience within the field as you go through school. They pay isn't bad either. That's just a start! I hope this helps :)
Thanks for sharing your question! I am glad to see that you are weighing your options early. If I can give a piece of advice I would say, start looking at the job opportunities at your local behavioral health, psychology health and even rehabilitation health centers in your area. They are always looking for (support tech, behavioral techs etc...) which can give direct experience within the field as you go through school. They pay isn't bad either. That's just a start! I hope this helps :)
That is a wonderful idea!! Thank you for the feedback, that is great advice:)
Madeline
Heather MacDonald
Principal Consultant
24
Answers
Salt Lake City, Utah
Updated
Heather’s Answer
This is a great question. Full disclosure I do not have a degree in IO Psych but I happen to be in a space where a lot of jobs that relate to mine are asking for that type of degree so I'm sharing knowledge based on what I'm seeing and hopefully someone with that degree can also chime in.
I actually think a lot more roles around transformation and culture will benefit from IO Psych. Every company is going through some level of business, workforce, or tech transformation whether it's moving to the cloud, utilizing AI, or just shifting the ways they work potentially doing things like moving jobs to different countries. What I'm seeing is in these transformation efforts there is a big gap between what folks need to consider at an executive strategy level and what can be executed on the ground. I think as more companies struggle to implement strategies to upskill and reskill their people or as more tech transformation efforts fail (stats are as dismal as 70-90% of transformation initiatives failing) companies will be looking to people with the skills to help them achieve their transformation efforts.
In my opinion someone with an IO Psych background will need to blend their education with on the ground experience in transformational change. Learning and practicing change management, understanding how to navigate highly complex workplace systems and cultures, and being highly effective in communicating with people across the spectrum of a company will be key to unlocking the potential IO Psych brings to organizations. You could gain experience for this work in a change management role (there are also certifications you can get to learn methods and frameworks), as a consultant, or through HR or Strategy internships depending on the size of company you're looking to work at.
I absolutely believe that people who deeply understand human psychology AND can combine that with business acumen for how to design workplace systems that actually work for real people will be so in demand. I regularly see opportunities with an IO Psych degree that pay well over 6-figures (some multiple 6-figures for extensive experience) and I really don't think these roles will go away. I do hope someone with this degree answers you so you can get their perspective too but from where I sit the future is bright and there are options. Good luck to you in your career journey! I hope this helps.
I actually think a lot more roles around transformation and culture will benefit from IO Psych. Every company is going through some level of business, workforce, or tech transformation whether it's moving to the cloud, utilizing AI, or just shifting the ways they work potentially doing things like moving jobs to different countries. What I'm seeing is in these transformation efforts there is a big gap between what folks need to consider at an executive strategy level and what can be executed on the ground. I think as more companies struggle to implement strategies to upskill and reskill their people or as more tech transformation efforts fail (stats are as dismal as 70-90% of transformation initiatives failing) companies will be looking to people with the skills to help them achieve their transformation efforts.
In my opinion someone with an IO Psych background will need to blend their education with on the ground experience in transformational change. Learning and practicing change management, understanding how to navigate highly complex workplace systems and cultures, and being highly effective in communicating with people across the spectrum of a company will be key to unlocking the potential IO Psych brings to organizations. You could gain experience for this work in a change management role (there are also certifications you can get to learn methods and frameworks), as a consultant, or through HR or Strategy internships depending on the size of company you're looking to work at.
I absolutely believe that people who deeply understand human psychology AND can combine that with business acumen for how to design workplace systems that actually work for real people will be so in demand. I regularly see opportunities with an IO Psych degree that pay well over 6-figures (some multiple 6-figures for extensive experience) and I really don't think these roles will go away. I do hope someone with this degree answers you so you can get their perspective too but from where I sit the future is bright and there are options. Good luck to you in your career journey! I hope this helps.
Hi Heather! Thank you so much for the response! That was very insightful and super useful. It gives me a starting point for what classes to lean towards choosing to push me in the right direction. Thank you again!!
Madeline
Glad the insight was helpful! There is a lot of potential to be in different roles with this degree, and even if you find something else along the way that's ok too.
Heather MacDonald
Rachel Hudson, PHR, SHRM-CP
Insights Analyst (HR Consultant)
2
Answers
Bentonville, Arkansas
Updated
Rachel’s Answer
I love that you’re exploring industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology—it’s such a fascinating and impactful field. While I work in this field, my undergraduate degree wasn't in I-O psychology - instead, I found my way to this field over time. With this degree, there are a lot of directions you can take, depending on what you enjoy and how far you want to go with your education.
One thing to think about is whether you're planning to go to grad school. Many roles in I-O psychology (like consulting, organizational development, or research-focused work) may require a master’s or Ph.D. But there are also plenty of entry-level roles where you can get your foot in the door with a bachelor’s degree—especially in HR, recruiting, training, or even data/people analytics.
Also consider what part of psychology excites you most. Do you love digging into data and research? Or are you more energized by helping people learn and grow? Your answer could help you steer toward roles like:
- HR assistant or recruiter (more people-facing)
- Training or employee engagement roles (focused on culture + development)
- Research assistant or people analytics (more data and measurement)
If you’re not sure yet, that’s okay! Try to take an I-O class if you haven’t already, or look for internships in HR or talent development—even if they don’t say “I-O” in the title. And if you’re open to it, start browsing grad programs now so you can see what’s out there and what kind of roles their grads end up in.
Bottom line: you can absolutely build a meaningful and practical career with a foundation in psychology—you’re asking the right questions already. Keep being curious, keep talking to people in the field, and take small steps to learn what lights you up. You’ve got this!
One thing to think about is whether you're planning to go to grad school. Many roles in I-O psychology (like consulting, organizational development, or research-focused work) may require a master’s or Ph.D. But there are also plenty of entry-level roles where you can get your foot in the door with a bachelor’s degree—especially in HR, recruiting, training, or even data/people analytics.
Also consider what part of psychology excites you most. Do you love digging into data and research? Or are you more energized by helping people learn and grow? Your answer could help you steer toward roles like:
- HR assistant or recruiter (more people-facing)
- Training or employee engagement roles (focused on culture + development)
- Research assistant or people analytics (more data and measurement)
If you’re not sure yet, that’s okay! Try to take an I-O class if you haven’t already, or look for internships in HR or talent development—even if they don’t say “I-O” in the title. And if you’re open to it, start browsing grad programs now so you can see what’s out there and what kind of roles their grads end up in.
Bottom line: you can absolutely build a meaningful and practical career with a foundation in psychology—you’re asking the right questions already. Keep being curious, keep talking to people in the field, and take small steps to learn what lights you up. You’ve got this!
This is wonderful advice, thank you so so much for your time and for laying lots of thing out there!! This adds a lot of avenues that I was unaware of, thank you very much!!
Madeline