Salary and Training for Experimental Psychologists

Do you enjoy researching human behavior? If you have a passion for solving problems and exploring theoretical questions, you might be interested in a career as an experimental psychologist. Experimental psychologists study a wide range of psychological topics that involve humans and animals.

This career profile of experimental psychologists will cover what they do, the education requirements for experimental psychology, and how much money they can make.

What Experimental Psychologists Do

An experimental psychologist uses scientific methods to collect data and conduct research. Experimental psychologists explore all kinds of psychology topics, from learning and personality to the brain and cognitive processes. Your interests, education, and area of employment will all influence the type of research you choose to do as an experimental psychologist.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), experimental psychologists often work for universities, government agencies, private research centers, and nonprofit organizations.

Experimental psychologists may study the minds and behaviors of humans and animals. Some areas of interest in experimental psychology are memory, learning, attention, sensation and perception, and how the brain influences behavior.

Education and Training

Degree programs in experimental psychology train students to design studies, conduct empirical research, and understand the ethics of doing psychological studies.

Here are some examples of the courses you might take when pursuing a degree in experimental psychology:

• Adult psychology
• Cognitive psychology
• Engineering psychology
• Human psychophysiology
• Comparative psychology
• Neuropsychology
• Abnormal psychology
• Organizational psychology
• Mathematical modeling of cognition
• Experimental design and statistics
• Statistics
• Research methods
• Ethics

You will also likely do research projects, seminars, fieldwork, internships, and a dissertation.

The minimum education requirement is usually a master's degree in general or experimental psychology. A doctorate-level degree in psychology is usually required to work at a university.

However, you do not have to get a degree in experimental psychology to work as an experimental psychologist. Doctorate programs in psychology also provide rigorous training in research design and experimental methods.

Applied specialty areas in psychology, such as human factors psychology and industrial-organizational psychology, often have a strong research focus. Professionals working in these psychology fields can choose to make experimentation and research part of their careers.

Work Environment

Experimental psychologists work in a variety of settings, including colleges, universities, research centers, government, and private businesses.

Some professionals teach experimental methods to students, while others research cognitive processes, animal behavior, neuroscience, personality, and other topics in psychology. 

People who work in academic settings often teach psychology courses on top of researching and publishing their findings in professional journals.

Experimental psychologists can work with businesses to find new ways to help employees be productive or to create a safer workplace using the principles of industrial-organizational psychology and human factors psychology.

Here are a few examples of the research questions an experimental psychologist might work on answering:

• How does being under stress affect a person’s ability to make decisions?
• How does sleep deprivation affect work performance?
• Does listening to music affect memory?
• Can taking breaks from social media lower anxiety levels?
• Will turning off phone notifications one hour before bed lead to better sleep?
• Will giving employees achievement-based bonuses improve their productivity at work?
• Does practicing meditation before an exam reduce test anxiety in students?

Salary

In 2015, the American Psychological Association (APA) salary report showed that experimental psychology was one of the highest-earning psychology degrees. The average median salary for an experimental psychologist was $92,000 a year.

Salaries for experimental psychologists also depend on where they live and practice. For example, Salary.com says the median yearly pay for an experimental psychologist in the U.S. is around $103,000, but the higher end of the range is closer to $129,000 in some parts of the country.

Job Outlook

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor, the job outlook for psychologists is projected to grow by 14% through the year 2028. People with a doctorate—especially in applied specialty or professional areas—are expected to have the greatest job prospects in the coming years

Is a Career in Experimental Psychology Right For You?

Experimental psychologists need to have an excellent understanding of psychology research methods as well as outstanding organization, communication, and writing skills.

Experimental psychology might be a good fit if you have the following qualities:

• Self-motivated and highly curious
• Like the challenge of finding new ways to solve complex problems
• Enjoy searching for answers to questions and coming up with new questions
• Fascinated by human and animal behavior
• Clear written and oral communicator
• Work well on your own and with others

If you get a job as an experimental psychologist, research won’t be the only thing you’ll do. You can expect to have other administrative tasks, such as obtaining funding for studies, maintaining accurate records, working with peers, and publishing and presenting your research findings.

If you’ll also be teaching, part of your job will be coming up with lesson plans, grading papers and exams, and advising and mentoring your students.

You can take this quiz to see if a career in experimental psychology might be right for you.