How to choose a psychology specialisation
A degree in psychology can open up lots of career doors. But how do you choose your specialisation, and what do you need to qualify for specific roles?
What are the different psychology fields?
When most people think of a psychologist, they picture someone who works with patients, to assess and treat mental health and psychological conditions. But the field of psychology actually has more range than you might think!
There are nine different recognised specialisations within psychology.
These fields are recognised by the Psychology Board of Australia—and we’ve included their national average salary range per specialisation as well.
Sports and exercise psychology
Average salary: $88,490 - $104,365 per year
These specialists work with athletes to manage the mental demands of sport and exercise. They can be employed by sporting organisations, or work in clinical or hospital settings.
Health psychology
Average salary: $110,234 - $135,000 per year
Our physical health can have a significant impact on our mental health, and this is where health psychologists play a role, by supporting people managing issues like chronic pain, diagnoses and illnesses.
Forensic psychology
Average salary: $108,508 - $129,500 per year
This involves applying a psychological lens to the legal system, to support legal teams, defendants, victims of crime and court systems. The work available is diverse, and can involve anything from supporting patients to offering consultancy advice.
Community psychology
Average salary: $92,638 - $117,103 per year
While community psychologists work with patients to support their mental health, much like clinical psychologists, their focus is on vulnerable members of the community. Their practice includes a holistic view of the social, economic and other factors that impact their patients.
Clinical neuropsychology
Average salary: $107,642 - $124,725 per year
This field looks at the structure and functions of the brain, and how it influences behaviour. Clinical neuropsychologists usually work in a hospital setting, but may also operate in private clinics.
Clinical psychology
Average salary: $107,642 - $124,725 per year
The most common form of psychology, these practitioners work with patients and focus on mental health. As a clinical psychologist, you could run your own practice or work in institutions, with all ages of patients.
Counselling psychology
Average salary: $105,415 - $125,865 per year
In this field, psychologists work with patients to navigate specific issues and experiences, such as grief, relationship issues, and other major life events.
Educational and developmental psychology
Average salary: $99,500 - $152,917 per year
This specialisation involves working with children, young adults and their parents, with a focus on supporting developmental, learning and social issues. Education and development psychologists could work in school settings, as well as in private practice or hospitals.
Organisational psychology
Average salary: $110,798 - $136,344 per year
Primarily focused in the workplace, organisational psychologists bring psychological expertise to support recruitment, workplace culture, inform HR practices and more. You could work as a consultant or in-house for organisations.
What you specialise in can determine the type of work you do
As you can see, each specialisation has different opportunities in terms of the type of work you do. They’re also varied in terms of rates of pay and demand. Where counselling, clinical and community psychologists are the most common specialisations, other factors also affect what specialisations are most in demand, such as geographical location.
What should you consider when choosing a specialisation?
One of the advantages of studying psychology is the sheer range of options available to you—but it’s important to know what will qualify you to work in your area of interest.
When choosing a specialisation, it’s worth considering what kind of work you most want to do. Do you want to work with people, or in a research or academic setting? Would you prefer to treat patients, or potentially teach students of psychology?
Then it’s worth exploring the typical salary range for different psychological professions, as well as analysing the opportunities in different fields depending on where you live.
Finally, understanding whether you will need to take on further study to achieve the qualifications and/or registrations you need to practice in your chosen specialisation is important.
How do you specialise in a psychology field?
To practice in any field of psychology, you must have a general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia. This means completing at least six years of university study, and also meeting the ongoing educational, training and ethical standards set by the Board. Read more about how to become a psychologist.
Beyond that, you can gain what is called an ‘area of practice endorsement’, which allows you to specialise in one of the fields outlined above.
Although it differs based on the specialisation, you will generally require an accredited postgraduate qualification at a sixth-year level or higher that is specific to the area you choose. You may also need to undertake supervised training before you can officially practice.
If you’re currently thinking about studying towards a psychology career, you can book a consultation with an Open Universities Australia student advisor who can not only help you understand the different options, but also talk through the psychology courses available to you.
