5 Health Psychology Careers

Written by: Wilson College • Aug 7, 2024

A Community Health Worker Meets With a Group of Community Members.

With an emphasis on the mind-body connection, health psychology is a field of study that explores how a person’s behaviors and emotions can affect their physical well-being.

Psychological factors can have a significant effect on physical health. For example, a 2023 article in Psychology Today describes how practicing mindfulness can lead to improvements in blood pressure, heart rate, and pain levels.

Individuals who are considering earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and want to explore associated professional opportunities can benefit from learning about different types of health psychology careers they can potentially pursue.

What Is Health Psychology?

Health psychology centers on how people’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors affect their physical health (and vice versa). For example, according to a 2023 report in the journal Psychology and Psychiatry:

People’s thoughts and emotions can affect the health of their cardiovascular and immune systems, their recovery from disease, and their hormone balance.
Physical health issues—for instance, chronic health conditions, illness, and physical pain—can lead to psychological challenges such as depression and anxiety.

Weaving health psychology into traditional approaches to healthcare can promote positive health outcomes. For example, health psychology can be useful in:

Losing weight
Stopping smoking
Improving nutrition
Recovering from illness

As is the case with other types of psychology , health psychology can be useful in clinical healthcare, community health, occupational health, and public health settings.

5 Health Psychology Careers for Psychology Majors

The examples below are just a few of the careers in health psychology that people can pursue.

1. Health Education Specialist

Working as a health education specialist is a great way to apply health psychology expertise. Professionals in this role instruct both individuals and entire communities about behaviors that can help improve their health.

Health education specialists have responsibilities such as assessing a community’s health needs, developing and implementing programs that teach people how to address those needs, and connecting people with other resources to improve or maintain their health.

In addition to knowledge of health psychology, skills in areas such as communication, problem-solving, and research can help health education specialists do their jobs well.

Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), health education specialists:

Had a median annual salary of $62,860 as of May 2023
Are projected to see 7% job growth between 2022 and 2032 (a growth rate that exceeds the BLS’s 3% projected job growth for all occupations between 2022 and 2032)

2. Community Health Worker

Community health workers focus on helping people access healthcare and other related services they need. They also conduct outreach efforts and are advocates for the communities they serve.

Community health workers’ responsibilities include coordinating the provision of healthcare services to individuals and communities, conducting case management duties, and assisting people in accessing health insurance or food.

Knowledge of health psychology is useful when working as a community health worker, as are skills in areas such as empathy, communication, and developing relationships of trust with clients.

The BLS reports that community health workers:

Had a median annual salary of $48,200 as of May 2023
Are projected to see 14% job growth between 2022 and 2032

3. Healthcare Administrator

Knowledge of health psychology can be useful to healthcare administrators, who manage specific aspects of a healthcare organization’s operations.

Examples of healthcare administrators’ responsibilities include overseeing staff training, managing budgets and financial resources, and implementing initiatives to improve safety and quality of care.

To work as a healthcare administrator, an individual would need to supplement health psychology expertise with an education in an area such as business, healthcare administration, or public health. Moving up the career ladder in healthcare administration can require a graduate degree in one of those same disciplines.

Healthcare administrators excel in their roles when they have strong leadership, analytical, and communication skills.

The BLS includes healthcare administrators within the category of medical and health services managers, who:

Had a median annual salary of $110,680 as of May 2023
Are projected to see 28% job growth between 2022 and 2032

4. Mental Health Counselor

Health psychology careers also extend to mental health counseling. Mental health counselors provide clients with treatments and therapy to address issues such as depression, trauma, stress, and addiction.

Mental health counselors can apply their knowledge of health psychology when assisting clients in forming coping skills and modifying their behavior to achieve specific goals. Skills in areas such as communication, critical thinking, and patience also are important in working as a mental health counselor.

Aspiring mental health counselors need to earn a master’s degree and become licensed in the state where they intend to practice.

The BLS reports that substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors:

Had a median annual salary of $53,710 as of May 2023
Are projected to see 18% job growth between 2022 and 2032

5. Health Psychologist

Health psychologists work in clinical settings offering services such as psychotherapy, and in community health settings creating health psychology programs and services for entire populations. They also work in public health settings advising on or helping to devise public health policies, and in occupational health focusing on improving the health of people who work in a specific environment.

Health psychologists benefit from cultivating skills in areas such as assessing patients, making sound observations, and demonstrating compassion.

To become a health psychologist, an individual would need to earn a doctoral degree and become licensed in their state.

According to the BLS, psychologists:

Had a median annual salary of $92,740 as of May 2023
Are projected to see 6% job growth between 2022 and 2032

Benefits of Earning a Degree in Psychology

Earning a degree in psychology can enable people to:

Begin a career in health psychology or another psychology specialization in which they can pursue their passion
Perform fulfilling work that makes a lasting difference in the lives of others
Broaden their understanding of human behavior and apply that knowledge to improving people’s personal and professional relationships
Strengthen key skills in areas such as critical thinking and informed decision-making
Learn how to conduct research properly and interpret information

Careers in Health Psychology Offer Meaningful Work

Pursuing a health psychology career enables people to engage in important work helping others improve their health and well-being. Harnessing the power of the mind-body connection is a critical tool in achieving positive health outcomes.

Individuals who are interested in subjects such as health psychology can explore Wilson College Online’s Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree program to learn how it can help them achieve their goals. With concentrations in healthcare, leadership and management, and general psychology, the program can help you lay the groundwork for a rewarding career. Start your education in the field of psychology today.

Recommended Readings

5 Alternative Careers for Psychology Majors

Online Therapy vs. In-Person Therapy

Psychology vs. Social Work: How Are These Fields Different?

Sources:

Indeed, “6 Steps to Becoming a Community Health Worker”

Indeed, “How to Become a Health Care Administrator in 5 Steps”

Indeed, “How to Become a Health Educator (With Steps)”

Indeed, “Learn About Being a Mental Health Counselor”

Psychology and Psychiatry, “Health Psychology: Understanding the Mind-Body Connection for Holistic Well-Being”

Psychology Today, “How Mindfulness Affects the Brain and Body”

Psychology Today, “The Many Benefits of Studying Psychology”