How the mind and behavior work is what you teach and investigate — guiding students through psychology while pursuing your own research. Where the science of mind gets taught.
The role spans lecturing, advising, running a research lab, and the grant-and-publish cycle, all on the academic calendar. You move between classroom, lab, and writing. Research and teaching tend to compete for your hours, and the publishing pressure runs under everything, especially pre-tenure.
The field is competitive, and tenure-track positions are scarce. Funding shapes your research, the replication and methods debates are real, and keeping large intro classes engaged is its own skill. Research universities and teaching colleges are very different jobs.
It tends to suit people who are curious about behavior, rigorous, and energized by teaching. If you'd rather practice or want fast results, the academic grind can wear. But if understanding people and passing that on is your calling, the work tends to be deeply rewarding.
Turn your career record
into a springboard for growth.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
Turn your career record
into a springboard for growth.
Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
How the mind and behavior work is what you teach and investigate — guiding students through psychology while pursuing your own research. Where the science of mind gets taught.
Median pay for a Psychology Professor is about $80K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $48K to $159K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Learning Strategies, Instructing, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and Writing.
Most people in this role hold a professional degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 3.6% through 2034, with roughly 41,610 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Child Development Teacher, Industrial Psychology Professor, and Mental Measurements Teacher.
Do one small thing to grow in your career this week. Pick one of these; each comes with the words to use.
More career advice
We believe careers grow through small steps taken often, more than big leaps. So we’ve collected hundreds of them for you to try.
Browse career adviceStill figuring out what you want to become
when you grow up?