We surveyed 4,552 psychologists to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical psychologist. Here are the results.

How much intelligence is required as a psychologist?

Low

High

Working as a psychologist typically requires higher levels of intelligence when compared with the average career. This means that psychologists are required to actively learn new things related to their discipline and solve complex problems.

Can I learn to become a psychologist?

Intrinsic Talent

Acquired Talent

A career as a psychologist typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.

Is it easy to get a job as a psychologist?

Easy

Hard

It’s typically difficult to find a job as a psychologist. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for psychologists.

Info

Do psychologists work full-time or part-time?

54% of psychologists work in full-time roles while 46% work part-time.

Is being a psychologist stressful?

Low

High

Stress is not uncommon amongst psychologists, with daily work sometimes being quite demanding.

Is being organized important as a psychologist?

Low

High

Organization is not considered a particuarly important part of being a psychologist.

How competitive is the workplace for psychologists?

Low

High

Competition at work is not common for psychologists.

Does being a psychologist require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?

Low

High

Time pressure tends not to be a major contributor of stress for psychologists.

Are psychologists allowed to express themselves creatively?

Low

High

Psychologists are afforded a certain level of ability to express themselves creatively, compared to other careers.

Do psychologists have control over the direction of their work?

Low

High

Psychologists have high flexibility in the direction of their work, allowing them a lot of freedom in how they accomplish their goals.

Is being a psychologist physically demanding?

Low

High

Work as a psychologists is not the most physically demanding of careers, falling in the bottom half of all careers.

Are psychologists exposed to a wide variety of work?

Low

High

Psychologists tend to have a monotonous work routine, with little variety in their day-to-day tasks.

Does being a psychologist require attention to detail?

Low

High

As in many careers, attention to detail is quite helpful for psychologists.

Does being a good psychologist require compassion and empathy?

Low

High

Strong compassion and empathy are critical to success as a psychologist.