What data does CWS collect and report on APA
members?
CWS reports demographic, education, employment, and membership characteristics
(APA division affiliation) by APA membership status: Associate, Member,
or Fellow. Current major fields are also reported by membership status.
Estimates of how many psychologists are APA members are also provided. http://research.apa.org/members.html
How do I find information regarding salaries
in psychology?
CWS surveys randomly selected APA members to gather data on salaries
of psychologists across numerous positions and work settings in academic
and non-academic careers. Median full-time salaries and starting salaries
for doctoral-level psychologists and starting salaries for masters degree
recipients by employment positions are reported biennially. Faculty
salaries in graduate departments of psychology are reported annually. http://research.apa.org/facsals0809.html
How do I find employment data for psychologists?
General employment data are reported by degree level: baccalaureate,
masters, and doctoral. These data are gathered from numerous sources
so viewers are cautioned to incorporate all caveats and notes from tables
and graphs into their analyses. CWS research includes PhD, PsyD,
and EdD degree recipients unless noted otherwise. http://research.apa.org/employmentdata.html
Employment data for psychology degree recipients of all levels are
also reported by the National Science Foundation: www.nsf.gov/statistics
Do you have any information on medical school
psychologists?
The 2003 Medical School / Academic Medical Center Psychologists Employment
Survey was a collaborative effort between The American Psychological
Association's (APA) Research Office and the Association of Medical School
Psychologists' (AMSP) Executive Committee. http://research.apa.org/amsp/2003/index.html
How many clinically trained psychologists
are there in the United States?
CWS estimates that there are 93,000 clinically trained psychologists
in the United States. Licensed psychologists totaled approximately 85,000
in 2004. Graduations average 4,000-5,000 per year and approximately
2,700 of those are in health service provider fields, resulting in an
additional 8,100 clinically trained.
Will my degrees from outside the United States
meet requirements for licensure or work in the US?
Please contactthe APA International Affairs Office
for questions related to the portability of non-US degrees, http://www.apa.org/international/faq-us.html
How many psychologists are there per country?
Unfortunately no single source collects data across all nations.
However, estimates are provided by the European Federation of Psychologists'
Associations (EFPA) www.efpa.be, and
from members of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS)
http://www.am.org/iupsys/members-affiliates/index.html.
Where can I find salary data for neuropsychologists?
The American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) collects data
on the professional practices, beliefs, and incomes of U.S. neuropsychologists
http://www.theaacn.org/position_papers/.
Information about education and the psychology
educational pipeline
How long does it take to complete a doctoral
degree in psychology?
CWS collects data pertaining to time to degree through the biennial
Doctoral Employment Survey. http://research.apa.org/des-07.html
Also, the National Science Foundation reports time to degree for PhDs
in psychology. Some measurements take into account the time from
initial enrollment in graduate study to degree completion; others measure
time from receipt of baccalaureate degree to completion of the graduate
degree.
How many undergraduates in the United States
enroll in a psychology course each year?
It is estimated that approximately 1.5 million undergraduate students
complete an introductory or general psychology course each year. (See
Cush, D. T., & Buskist, W. (1997). Future of introductory psychology
textbook: A survey. Teaching of Psychology, 24, 119–122).
What percentage of undergraduate psychology
majors continue on to earn graduate degrees in psychology?
CWS estimates that 25% of psychology baccalaureate recipients continue
into graduate study in psychology (approximately 4-6% doctoral; 20-22%
masters). This estimate accounts for field switching and is based
on data from the National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/
What percentage of psychology doctorates
has baccalaureate degrees in psychology?
The most recent statistics, from 1995-1999, indicate that 70% of students
who receive doctorates in psychology obtained baccalaureate degrees
in the same field. These data come from the National Science Foundation's
U.S. Doctorates in the 20th Century.http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf06319/tables/tt04-01.htm.
What is the typical amount of debt for a
doctorate recipient?
The biennial Doctorate Employment Survey addresses indebtedness for
recently graduated doctorate recipients. http://research.apa.org/des05.html#debt
In general, 69% of 2005 doctorate recipients reported some debt upon
graduation. Levels of debt varied by subfield and type of doctorate
degree.
How many ethnic minorities are enrolled
in graduate psychology programs?
Please view tables from the 2008 Graduate Study in Psychology series.
For newly enrolled students: http://research.apa.org/doctoraled15.html
What information is available on gender and
ethnic diversity within graduate psychology programs?
The National Science Foundation's Women, Minorities, and Persons
with Disabilities in Science and Engineering series offers detailed
statistical tables and reports for download. Tables and figures are
updated regularly. A comprehensive report is released every two
years. http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/
What do I need to know about debt, salary,
and career trends in psychology?
CWS presents information relevant to psychology's workforce and educational
pipeline at annual conferences of regional psychological associations
as well as the APA Annual Convention. Participants at these sessions
are provided a detailed overview of how debt and salary impact career
opportunities. Please view CWS's current presentations: http://research.apa.org/2009-regional.html
Where can I find information about psychology
internships and the APPIC Internship Matching Program? http://www.appic.org/
Other FAQ
What are the policies for obtaining mailing
labels and how do I order labels?
The American Psychological Association accepts orders for mailing lists
under certain conditions. Requests involving use of mailing lists for
research purposes will not be considered. Please visit http://research.apa.org/orderlabels.html
for further information.
I have a legal question.
CWS staff is not licensed to practice law and cannot provide legal advice.
Those seeking legal advice are advised to consult with a private attorney
in your state.
How widespread are newer technologies (i.e.
email, text messaging, and videoconferencing) in the provision of psychological
services?
CWS estimates that email communication about actual therapeutic issues
is limited to approximately 10% of psychological health service providers
in the United States. Other technologies are utilized by less
than 1% of health service providers, but approximately 30% do report
using the telephone to conduct therapy. Please visit the CWS website
for further information, http://research.apa.org
.
Commonly requested APA resources
CWS collects, analyzes, and disseminates information relevant to psychology's
workforce and education pipeline. For your convenience,
links to other commonly requested APA resources are provided below:
The resources listed below provide additional information pertaining to
psychology's workforce and educational pipeline. CWS relies on these
sources to complement and enhance workforce analyses and survey research.
National Science Foundation (NSF):
www.nsf.gov/statistics
Data gathered from individuals and institutions and high response rates
ensure high quality of data for baccalaureate, masters, and PhD recipients.
Generally, NSF is not a good source of data for PsyDs but research EdD
recipients are included in some analyses.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES):
www.nces.ed.gov
NCES data are gathered from institutions and are useful for understanding
general degree fields in psychology.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):
www.bls.gov
BLS data are self-reported by employers and useful for understanding
overall employment/labor force trends. However, data do not
accurately reflect the complexities of Psychology as a field and do
no classify respondents by degree level. (APA considers the doctoral
degree the minimum requirement necessary for professional practice).
Council of Graduate Schools:
www.cgsnet.org
Data are gathered from institutions and four regional graduate school
associations and are useful for understanding trends in graduate education.
However, information is not broken down specifically for psychology.
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA): www.samhsa.gov
SAMHSA counts psychologists working in organized health care settings.
National Institutes of Health (NIH): www.nih.gov
NIH tracks psychologists involved in research including types of federal
grants received by scientists.
State Governments
Most state governments count psychologists and psychological technicians
or assistants working in state/county/municipal/public school facilities.
For a complete understanding of the qualifications needed to practice
in a particular state as a psychologist or as a psychological technician
or assistant in public facilities, please visit the state psychology
board websites directly.
Institute of International Education (IIE)
The IIE has conducted an annual census of international students in
the United States since 1919. With support from Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, Open
Doors Report 2007http://opendoors.iienetwork.org
contains detailed statistical tables and analyses of international students
in the United States.
