How to Become a Psychologist

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Updated 4 March 2025

well-beingPsychologists study the human mind, emotions and relationships to explain why people behave the way they do. They work in a variety of settings to improve the wellbeing of clients and support their mental health. Through counselling, psychologists can equip their clients with important tools to help them overcome difficulties. Thus, to become a psychologist, you need a strong understanding of mental health issues and processes combined with excellent interpersonal skills to interact effectively with clients.In this article, we discuss what psychologists do, their average salary, how to become one and important skills psychologists need to be successful in their jobs.Related: Types of Psychology Certifications (With 5 to Consider)Key takeaways:

Psychologists are professionals who work in various settings to improve the mental well-being of their clients; they study how people think, behave and react, and aim to diagnose, treat and promote awareness about mental health challenges.
The salary of a psychologist is typically based on experience, educational background and specialisation but location, industry and employment type may also affect salary levels; remuneration typically increases in accordance with experience and qualifications.
To become a psychologist, one needs to study a bachelor degree with a major in psychology followed by a fourth-year postgraduate diploma or honours degree in psychology; other paths also include internships or more specialised postgraduate studies.

What does a psychologist do?

Psychologists are experts in human behaviour. They study how people think, behave and react. They can identify, diagnose and treat clients with a variety of mental health problems using guidelines from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Unlike psychiatrists, most psychologists cannot prescribe medication. However, they work in multiple settings outside of the hospital, such as schools, courts, businesses and private practices to help their clients.The following section explains the everyday duties of most psychologists:

Roles and responsibilities

Psychologists use a combination of both science and people skills to perform their work. Here's a list of common responsibilities recruiters may highlight in a job description:

Collecting data about clients to assess cognitive, behavioural and emotional disorders
Administering and interpreting diagnostic tests to diagnose clients
Formulating and recommending treatment plans to remedy clients' conditions
Consulting with other professionals on details of cases and treatment plans
Conducting research studies to enhance our understanding of behaviour and mental health
Formulating diagnostic and predictive tests for other professionals, such as recruiters and teachers, to aid their work with people
Promoting awareness about diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental health challenges across industries

Mental health problems

Here's a list of common reasons a client might seek a psychologist's help:

Depression, anxiety or stress
Drug and alcohol abuse
Eating disorders
Fears and phobias
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Relationship issues
Domestic violence
Grief or loss
Low self-esteem

Average salary for a psychologist

The average salary for psychologists may vary depending on their experience, educational background and specialisation. Other factors such as job location, industry and employment type may also impact your salary.Most psychologists earn an annual salary. However, those who operate as consultants or freelance health professionals may charge an hourly rate.The national average salary for psychologists in Australia is $92,543 per year. This amount may range between $80,000 and $150,000 per year. As you accumulate more certifications and experience, your earning potential in the industry increases too.

How to become a psychologist

Potential employers will require you to follow proper procedures before they hire you for a psychologist's role. The Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) outlines four key steps you should follow to become a qualified psychologist in the country. They include:Related: How to Create a Career Plan

Step 1: Complete a bachelor degree

To become a psychologist, you first need to study a three-year undergraduate degree with a major in psychology. Examples of popular courses offered in Australian universities include a bachelor of psychological science, a bachelor of counselling or a bachelor of social science.If you have completed a bachelor degree in another area of study, you need to study an accredited graduate degree with subjects in the psychological field to meet the basic requirements. After attaining this qualification, then you can move on to the next steps in becoming a psychologist.Related: 16 Popular Bachelor of Psychology Careers

Step 2: Fourth-year psychology studies

Once you have completed your first three years of study, you need to spend the fourth year of your undergraduate degree getting an honours degree or postgraduate diploma in psychology. This is an essential step to becoming a registered psychologist with the PsyBA. It shows you have a foundation in the subject before you pursue more specialised qualifications.

Step 3: Internship or postgraduate studies

There are currently three different pathways you can take in order to get registered as a psychologist in Australia. Depending on your learning style and specialisation requirements, you can choose one of the following pathways:

Masters or doctorate

The most common educational requirement you will need is a masters or doctorate degree from an accredited university. It takes about two years of full-time study to receive a masters degree. For a doctoral qualification, you will need to spend an additional one to two years completing independent research.This pathway is ideal for you if you enjoy conducting research using scientific methods. It's also the most popular pathway among specialist psychologists. Here are the nine speciality degrees that the Australian Psychological Society recognises:

Clinical neuropsychology
Clinical psychology
Community psychology
Counselling psychology
Educational and developmental psychology
Forensic psychology
Health psychology
Organisational psychology
Sport and exercise psychology

If you are someone who prefers on-the-job training over research, the next two pathways may interest you.

4 + 2 pathway

The PsyBA's 4 + 2 pathway involves gaining two years of internship experience after your initial four years of higher education. Before you begin your internship, the PsyBA must approve of your employment. This way, you can guarantee that your experience meets their criteria. Expect the board to ask for regular updates on your performance.This pathway is suitable for professionals who prefer learning through mentorship or apprenticeship programs. The cost-effective alternative provides you with rigorous skills training through your everyday work. Working alongside more experienced colleagues prepares you to deal with people and problems in a way that a university course may not.

5 + 1 pathway

The PsyBA's 5+1 pathway is a combination of on-the-job training and educational experience. It's essentially a hybrid version of the 4+1 pathway. If you choose this route, you will need to complete an additional one-year Graduate Diploma of Professional Psychology from an accredited institution and a board-supervised one-year internship.This is a great option if you want to seek both theoretical and practical experience. It's also the more cost-effective solution to becoming a psychologist when compared to a full-length post-graduate degree. It gives you exposure to overlapping course materials, while saving you valuable time.Related:

Step 4: Registration for psychologists

Psychologists that obtain a master's or doctorate degree must undertake a PsyBA registrar program to get registered within their area of specialisation. The program has the following requirements:

Masters of psychology graduates need two years of supervised practice and 80 hours of professional development
PhD graduates need to commence one and a half years of supervised practice and hours of professional development
Doctorate graduates only require one year of supervised practice and 40 hours of professional development.

Psychologists that attain their qualifications through the 4+2 pathway or the 5+1 pathway needs to pass the National Psychology Exam to get registered officially in Australia. The exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions that test-takers need to answer within three and a half hours. It assesses your understanding of four key components in the field of psychology. These include ethics, assessment methods, intervention communication and reporting skills. The passing grade candidates need to achieve is 70%.

What skills do psychologists require?

Now that you understand the educational background psychologists need to become a registered psychologist, you also need to consider the people skills that will help you to do the job effectively. Here some skills and characteristics recruiters look for when hiring a psychologist:

Communication

Psychologists need to communicate clearly with clients to help them. They present their diagnosis and treatment in written and verbal form; therefore, it's important to use language as a tool to show empathy and sensitivity towards clients.Related: Communication Skills: Definitions and Examples

Active listening

Trust is an important factor that creates and maintains the bond between psychologists and their clients. Thus, psychologists need active listening skills to show respect and empathy. This helps them build a rapport and get clients to open up to them about their feelings. Examples of active listening include not interrupting a client when they are speaking, nodding to signify your attention and summarising their words to show your understanding.Related: Active Listening Skills: Definition and Examples

Research and analysis

During the entire span of their studies and professional career, psychologists need to conduct experiments to further our knowledge about mental health. Research and analysis are important skills that allow psychologists to assess and diagnose a client with a mental illness. The process requires them to evaluate distinct hypotheses to come to a sound conclusion.Strong statistical and analytical skills continue to be useful over the course of their professional relationship with a client. It helps them continually reevaluate treatment plans to determine the best method of intervention for a client.

Problem-solving

Diagnosing a client is similar to solving a problem. Psychologists need to use this skill to understand the context of a client's issue. They probe them with questions such as when a symptom developed and how it's impacting their daily lives, to build a clear picture of their problem. After identifying a client's concern, they can then determine the most appropriate treatment plan.

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