Business Careers--All Degree Levels

Business Careers that Require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology


Business Careers--Sales

Can you use your Psychology degree to take a job in Sales?

Your degree in Psychology can lead to a variety of sales-related jobs. Some sales jobs are those in stores and other retail/wholesale establishments. It seems that you can get a job to sell anything, either in person, on the phone, or through the Internet. Other sales jobs may involve more complex transactions. An example of a complex interaction is a real estate broker/agent who helps clients buy, sell, and rent property. In addition, you might choose to be an insurance sales agents work for insurance companies and help clients choose suitable insurance plans. Finally, investment bankers, or others in financial services sales connect buyers and sellers in financial markets. They sell securities to individuals, advise companies in search of investors, and conduct trades. Jobs in sales involve dealing with people (e.g., informing them of why to buy a product or use a particular service), but also include helping to determine what consumers want and need. If you like dealing with people, a sales job might be just what you are looking for.

One thing to keep in mind as you think about a job in sales is whether you want to work for someone or branch out on your own. As you can imagine, the latter typically requires more resources to get things moving, but the possibility of being your own boss may be extremely appealing.

Salary Information

payscale.com lists the average yearly income of a general sales job at $43,000.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average yearly income of a real estate sales job at $56,000.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average yearly income of an insurance sales job at $64,000.

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Click on the links below to read about other Business careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:

Business Careers--Advertising

Business Careers--Human Resource Management

Click on the links below to read about other Business careers that require a graduatedegree:

Business Careers--Master's in Business Administration (MBA) Degree

Business Careers--Doctoral Degree

Business Careers--Advertising/Marketing/Promotions

Using your Psych degree for a career in Advertising/Marketing/Promotions

You can use your Psychology degree to begin a career in the fields of Advertising, Marketing or Promotions. These fields develop strategies to generate interest in a product (i.e., attract new customers). That is, they work to influence the buying behavior of individuals by presenting a persuasive message about a product or service.

You would work as part of a team to plan advertising and promotional campaigns using a variety of media outlets (e.g., tv, radio, billboards, internet). This job may also include initiating and analyzing market research that tries to understand the consumer behavior for a product/service or the characteristics of consumers that buy a product/service (e.g., demographics). By knowing this information, advertisers learn what factors influence consumer behavior. The product may be retail (e.g., clothing, cars, or food). In the case of public relations, however, the "product" would be a company or person, and the goal is to develop and present a favorable public image for that company/person. You should note that Advertising may be a great career option for you if you like to be creative or design things. Please be aware that Advertising involves a lot of people behind the scenes such as account executives (the link between the ad agency and a client), media coordinators, researchers and others.

Salary Information

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median yearly income for an Advertising Sales Manager at $50,000.

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Click on the links below to read about other Business careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:

Business Careers--Human Resource Management

Business Careers--Sales

Click on the links below to read about other Business careers that require a graduatedegree:

Business Careers--Master's in Business Administration (MBA) Degree

Business Careers--Doctoral Degree

Business Careers--Human Resource Management

A Psychology degree can lead to a job in Human Resource Management

A Psychology-related career in the Business wotld is that of Human Resource (HR) Management. The goal of HR is to make sure that a business or organization achieves success through people. Thus, those in HR are primarily concerned with overseeing and organizing people within a company or other type of organization. Those in HR work to efficiently coordinate how these the people in a business or organization functions. They are in charge of the hiring of workers for a company--they are involved in recruiting, screening, interviewing, and placing workers. In addition, those in HR may be responsible for issues related to employee relations (including when policies are broken, such as harassment or discrimination casess), payroll and benefits, and job-related training. Finally, HR may be involved with organizational change and industrial relations--balancing how an organization operates with requirements arising from collective bargaining and from governmental laws.

Click here to read a web article about what you need to know for a career in Human Resource Management. 

Click here to read about the Society for Human Resource Management. Salary Information

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median yearly income for a Human Resource Manager worker at $110,000.

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Click on the links below to read about other Business careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:

Business Careers--Advertising

Business Careers--Sales

Click on the links below to read about other Business careers that require a graduatedegree:

Business Careers--Master's in Business Administration (MBA) Degree

Business Careers--Doctoral Degree

Business Careers that Require a Graduate Degree 


Business Careers--Master's in Business Administration Degree (MBA)

Moving from a Psychology degree to an MBA

An MBA is a Master's in Business Administration. It is an internationally-recognized advanced degree that gives an individual specific credentials to be a leader of organizations in both the public and private sectors. In an MBA program you will broaden your skills in areas like management, critical thinking, leadership, communication, and problem-solving. Many schools offer concentrations in popular areas of business administration to help students strengthen specialized career skills. Traditional MBA specializations include finance, marketing, accounting, and international business, with additional options emerging in information technology management, healthcare leadership, and entrepreneurship. In addition, you can specialize your MBA in various areas (e.g., health care, sports management). One major advantage to getting an MBA is that it allows to you network with others in the business community.

To be admitted to an MBA program will need to have a Bachelor's degree (of course, your degree in psychology will suffice) and you will be requred to have taken specific courses (e.g., Economics). It usually requires 2 years of graduate school to complete an MBA program (often including an internship), although there are accelerated 1-year programs (some of these are online). Typically, tuition is paid by the student. An MBA offers greater job opportunities and greater salary than a Bachelor’s degree. It should be noted that an MBA is not limited to the business world, but can be beneficial for those seeking a degree in other areas (e.g., government). It is important to note that many MBA programs would like you to have some work experience before applying. In addition to apply to an MBA program you typically need to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

One final point for clarification. You might hear about Executive MBA (EMBA) programs . These are part-time programs, and are designed for professionals with several years of managerial experience.

Salary Information

payscale.com lists the average yearly income for an MBA at $85,000.

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Click here to read about obtaining an MBA with a liberal arts degree. To learn more about applying to an MBA program check out the following from the Economist:

Application Do's and Don'ts

How to Apply to Business School

Click here to read important steps for a career in Business with an MBA or PhD..

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Click on the links below to read about other Business careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:

Business Careers--Advertising

Business Careers--Human Resource Management

Business Careers--Sales

Click on the links below to read about another Business career that requires a graduatedegree:

Business Careers--Doctoral Degree

Business Careers--Doctoral Degree

Your Psychology degree can lead to a career in Business with a Doctoral Degree

One way you can use your psychology degree to move forward in your career is to consider getting a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) in a business field (e.g., Accounting, Economics, Finance, Human development in organizational settings, Information systems, Leadership and organizational change, Operations research, and Organizational systems). A PhD degree is typically for those with the goal of  a career in higher education as a researcher/teacher. If you decide to move in the direction of a PhD, you will have to be sure you have taken certain Business courses (e.g., Economics) that are required by Business schools. If accepted, you must first earn a Master's degree, either from another school or the same school. When you go for a PhD, you need to keep in mind: (a) the  program of study typically requires 4-6 years of graduate school to complete a thesis (research project), (b) at many schools you do NOT pay tuition, and (c) at most schools you will receive a stipend, a form of salary for serving as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Research Assistant (RA). In general, a PhD offers greater career opportunities and greater salary than a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. For example, you can use your PhD to pursue jobs with a company, organization, college, or university.

Those who earn a DBA have typycally been successful in business for some time, have an MBA already, and are looking for a new intellectual challenge. Their docotoral thesis is typically geared toward a more practical or applied issue that helps a specific industry and the economy. Keep in mind that working toward a DBA is more suitable for working professionals who hope to (a) advance to a higher management position, or (b)  work as a consult.  Also, it is important to note that with a DBA (like a PhD) you will be trained to conduct research, you can teach, and you can publish research articles in professional journals.

Salary Information

highedjobs.com lists the average yearly income for a PhD. in Business in an entry-level university position at $110,000.

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Click on the links below to read about other Business careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:

Business Careers--Advertising

Business Careers--Human Resource Management

Business Careers--Sales

Click on the links below to read about another Business career that requires a graduatedegree:

Business Careers--Master's in Business Administration (MBA) Degree