Career Overview
Diagnose and implement individual or schoolwide interventions or strategies to address educational, behavioral, or developmental issues that adversely impact educational functioning in a school. May address student learning and behavioral problems and counsel students or families. May design and implement performance plans, and evaluate performance. May consult with other school-based personnel.
Also Known As
- Bilingual School Psychologist
- Consulting Psychologist
- Psychologist
- School Psychologist
Alternate Job Titles
- Area School Psychologist
- Assessment Specialist
- Autism Consultant
- Behavior Specialist
- Behavioral Analyst
- Behavioral Specialist
- Bilingual School Psychologist
- Certified School Psychologist
- Challenging Behavior Consultant
- Child Psychologist
- Child Psychometrist
- Consulting Psychologist
- Contract School Psychologist
- Counseling Psychologist
- Early Intervention School Psychologist
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Compile and interpret students' test results, along with information from teachers and parents, to diagnose conditions and to help assess eligibility for special services.
- Maintain student records, including special education reports, confidential records, records of services provided, and behavioral data.
- Report any pertinent information to the proper authorities in cases of child endangerment, neglect, or abuse.
- Select, administer, and score psychological tests.
- Interpret test results and prepare psychological reports for teachers, administrators, and parents.
- Assess an individual child's needs, limitations, and potential, using observation, review of school records, and consultation with parents and school personnel.
- Develop individualized educational plans in collaboration with teachers and other staff members.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Education and Training
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Mathematics
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Service Orientation
- Complex Problem Solving
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Problem Sensitivity
- Inductive Reasoning
- Speech Clarity
- Written Expression
- Speech Recognition
- Near Vision
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Sincerity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Independence
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Working Conditions
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Post-Master's Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master's degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
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
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Zoom
Tools & Equipment
- Computer scanners
- Desktop computers
- Laptop computers
- Multi-line telephone systems
- Overhead projectors
- Personal computers
- Personal digital assistants PDA
- Tablet computers
Work Environment
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $60,880 |
| Median | $86,930 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $132,320 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 63,830
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: $95,830
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $65,140
Marriage and Family Therapists
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $63,780
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $69,590
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $58,570
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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.