Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

Work settings for I-O psychologists range from the noisy, busy floor of a factory; to a typical office environment; to a lecture hall on the campus of a large university. Industrial-organizational psychologists work a standard 40-hour workweek, but may occasionally need to be present at work sites at night and on weekends to conduct research and make observations. Some travel may be required—especially for I-O psychologists who work for consulting firms.

Many I-O psychologists—especially those who are employed by consulting firms—cite the variety in their work as one of the best aspects of their jobs. One day, the I-O psychologist might work with a Fortune 500 company to improve its leadership development program, while the next, the psychologist might work at a government agency to conduct employee development sessions. On the other hand, this career can occasionally be stressful if an organization’s employees have an adversarial attitude toward the psychologist and his or her work.