With rising stress levels and the ever-increasing need to adapt to the society, more and more students are seeking professional counseling to help them deal with various situations. The role that the school psychologists play here, is indeed considerable. Knowing that counseling indeed is a challenging task, the annual salary range hovers around $63,010.
It’s an age where competition rules the roost, and one simply cannot afford to lag behind. Children especially, are the ones who get affected easily. They have to meet the necessary requirements to stay ahead of their peers as well as give in to the ever-increasing demands of their parents. In addition, improper time management can also make children fall back in their academic progress. This in turn takes a toll on them, and at times affects their productivity level. This apart, it is observed that, in order to fight bouts of depression and frustration children often take to drugs and alcohol. Well, to say the least, school psychologists help children cope with the turbulence that youth brings along.
Basically, school psychologists work with the educational system to help students cope with the social, emotional, and academic issues. Their job entails counseling the students and making sure that they get emotional support in their day-to-day life. They also understand the needs of children and give them proper guidance and advice.
Salary
Working as a school psychologist is indeed not a child’s play, and to land into this job, you need to have a sturdy educational base. Besides, you need to have an undying zeal for human development which means one has to be a good communicator. Undoubtedly, a good school psychologist would be one who has years of experience and a good hold over problem-solving techniques.
Educational qualification, experience, and location are important factors that decide the salary of a school psychologist. A beginner can expect to earn about $53,010 annually, while those with higher education can make around $60,010 per year. (Source: salaryvoice)
The following data gives state-wise salaries of school psychologists.
| Alabama $58,000 |
| Alaska $42,000 |
| Arizona $47,000 |
| Arkansas $58,000 |
| California $61,000 |
| Colorado $50,000 |
| Connecticut $65,000 |
| Delaware $50,000 |
| Florida $53,000 |
| Georgia $65,000 |
| Hawaii $35,000 |
| Idaho $37,000 |
| Illinois $65,000 |
| Indiana $54,000 |
| Iowa $56,000 |
| Kansas $52,000 |
| Kentucky $49,000 |
| Louisiana $51,000 |
| Maine $50,000 |
| Maryland $58,000 |
| Massachusetts $68,000 |
| Michigan $57,000 |
| Minnesota $50,000 |
| Mississippi $59,000 |
| Missouri $56,000 |
| Montana $47,000 |
| Nebraska $41,000 |
| Nevada $43,000 |
| New Hampshire $56,000 |
| New Jersey $61,000 |
| New Mexico $49,000 |
| New York $69,000 |
| North Carolina $54,000 |
| North Dakota $50,000 |
| Ohio $54,000 |
| Oklahoma $52,000 |
| Oregon $55,000 |
| Pennsylvania $55,000 |
| Rhode Island $52,000 |
| South Carolina $56,000 |
| South Dakota $43,000 |
| Tennessee $53,000 |
| Texas $55,000 |
| Utah $44,000 |
| Vermont $50,000 |
| Virginia $57,000 |
| Washington $59,000 |
| West Virginia $54,000 |
| Wisconsin $51,000 |
| Wyoming $47,000 |
*The above figures are as per Indeed as of May 4, 2015.
Job Description
The main duty of school psychologists is to ensure that the school environment is healthy and safe, along with building and maintaining healthy relations between the institute and the child. They also help solve various education-related issues. The job description entails the following:
- Counsel and mentor children who are emotionally tormented and show signs of behavioral problems.
- Assess instructional and learning strategies to help improve the same.
- Reinforce problem-solving techniques and aid in anger management.
- Help children to adjust in society, and adapt to different cultures and backgrounds.
- Develop healthy relationships between teacher, students and peers.
- Identify underlying problems affecting academics.
- Create support systems to cater to the social, emotional and behavioral health of both the child and the family.
- Implement systems to monitor the progress of students.
- Conduct tests to improve the learning abilities of children.
- Provide a safe, secure, and healthy environment to students.
Being a school psychologist in today’s generation is one of the most diverse, interesting, and lucrative career options. That said, if you enjoy working with children and collaborating with different communities then this job is definitely meant for you.