Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

Career Overview

Apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems. Activities may include policy planning; employee testing and selection, training, and development; and organizational development and analysis. May work with management to organize the work setting to improve worker productivity.

Also Known As

• I-O Psychologist (Industrial-Organizational Psychologist)
• Organizational Consultant
• Organizational Psychologist
• Research Scientist

Alternate Job Titles

• Consulting Psychologist
• Engineering Psychologist
• HR Consultant (Human Resources Consultant)
• HR OD Consultant (Human Resources Organizational Development Consultant)
• HR Psychologist (Human Resources Psychologist)
• I-O Practitioner (Industrial-Organizational Practitioner)
• I-O Psychologist (Industrial-Organizational Psychologist)
• Industrial Psychologist
• Learning and Organizational Development Specialist (Learning and OD Specialist)
• Management Consultant
• Management Psychologist
• Occupational Psychologist
• Organizational Consultant
• Organizational Development Analyst (OD Analyst)
• Organizational Development and Training Specialist (OD and Training Specialist)

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Provide advice on best practices and implementation for selection.
• Develop and implement employee selection or placement programs.
• Analyze data, using statistical methods and applications, to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of workplace programs.
• Develop interview techniques, rating scales, and psychological tests used to assess skills, abilities, and interests for the purpose of employee selection, placement, or promotion.
• Observe and interview workers to obtain information about the physical, mental, and educational requirements of jobs, as well as information about aspects such as job satisfaction.
• Facilitate organizational development and change.
• Analyze job requirements and content to establish criteria for classification, selection, training, and other related personnel functions.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Develop and administer surveys to employees of organizations.
• Teach industrial-organizational psychology courses to undergraduate or graduate students.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Personnel and Human Resources
• Psychology
• Education and Training
• Administration and Management
• Mathematics
• English Language
• Customer and Personal Service

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Reading Comprehension
2. Active Listening
3. Writing
4. Speaking
5. Critical Thinking
6. Judgment and Decision Making
7. Systems Evaluation
8. Complex Problem Solving
9. Systems Analysis
10. Social Perceptiveness

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Expression
• Written Comprehension
• Oral Comprehension
• Written Expression
• Inductive Reasoning
• Deductive Reasoning
• Speech Recognition
• Information Ordering
• Speech Clarity
• Problem Sensitivity

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Intellectual Curiosity
• Attention to Detail
• Achievement Orientation
• Innovation
• Integrity

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Working Conditions
• Relationships
• Achievement
• Independence
• Support

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Master's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Adobe Acrobat
• Google Sheets
• Hypertext markup language HTML
• IBM SPSS Statistics
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Project

Tools & Equipment

• Data input scanners
• Desktop computers
• Laptop computers
• Liquid crystal display LCD video projectors
• Personal computers
• Universal serial bus USB flash drives

Work Environment

• E-Mail
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
• Telephone Conversations
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$51,880
Median	$109,840
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$224,590

Workers Employed Nationally: 1,050

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.