Child Development & Psychology
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Types of Degrees Child Development & Psychology Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many child development and psychology graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1,058 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 636 |
| Graduate Certificate | 146 |
What Child Development & Psychology Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to child development were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Knowledge Areas for Child Development Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Skills for Child Development Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to child development:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Abilities for Child Development Majors
As you progress with your child development degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
What Can You Do With a Child Development & Psychology Major?
People with a child development degree often go into the following careers:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance Managers | 8.0% | $107,480 |
| Investment Fund Managers | 8.0% | $107,480 |
| Neuropsychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists | 10.3% | $100,770 |
| Psychology Professors | 15.1% | $76,710 |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 8.0% | $107,480 |
| School Psychologists | 14.2% | $76,990 |
| Security Managers | 8.0% | $107,480 |
Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Child Development & Psychology?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of child development majors is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 62 |
| Black or African American | 115 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 101 |
| White | 513 |
| International Students | 167 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 100 |
Geographic Diversity
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Child Development. About 15.8% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- South Korea
- Canada
- India
- Hong Kong
How Much Do Child Development & Psychology Majors Make?
Master’s Degree Starting Salary
Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that child development and psychology students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $46,750 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $42,250 (25th percentile) and $55,625 (75th percentile).
One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to child development.
Salaries According to BLS
Child Development majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $85,340 to $95,610 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Child Development & Psychology
Some careers associated with child development require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to child development have obtained the following education levels.
| Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 1.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 1.5% |
| Some College Courses | 0.2% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 3.1% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 32.6% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 0.0% |
| Master’s Degree | 22.7% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 7.0% |
| First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 0.9% |
| Doctoral Degree | 10.9% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 19.4% |
Online Child Development & Psychology Programs
In 2018-2019, 264 schools offered a child development program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
| Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 6 | 0 |
| Certificate (1-2 years) | 3 | 1 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 2 | 2 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 18 | 4 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 6 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 140 | 9 |
| Post-Master’s | 7 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 124 | 4 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Child Development & Psychology Worth It?
The median salary for a child development grad is $88,490 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 122% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $971,800 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Child Development & Psychology
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Majors Related to Child Development & Psychology
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to child development.
| Major | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology | 26,624 |
| General Psychology | 8,087 |
| Other Psychology | 2,312 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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