5 psychology jobs Australia is prioritising right now

Being a psychologist is a challenging but rewarding career path, especially in Australia. The country is currently facing a chronic shortage of psychologists and psychiatrists, resulting in a wealth of opportunities to establish yourself in the field.

In Australia, pursuing a career in psychology is a future-proof and high-demand option for aspiring university students seeking stable employment with growth potential.

Thanks to an extension of a scheme that allows international graduates to work in Australia post-graduation, those in selected degrees, including the field of psychology, can now stay on longer.

Why pursue a psychology career in Australia

If you are thinking of studying abroad in Australia, the government has extended post-study work rights by an additional two years for international students with eligible qualifications, as of July 2023.

This is to address a shortage of skilled workers in areas such as education, healthcare, technology and agriculture.

The change includes:

• Selected bachelor’s degrees (extended to 4 years, up from 2 years)
• Selected master’s degrees (extended to 5 years, up from 3 years)
• All doctoral degrees (extended to 6 years, up from 4 years)

This is great news for you because it translates to more opportunities to accumulate valuable work experience there.

But if you’re unsure of where to start, we’ve got you covered. Take a look at these 5 potential careers in psychology that are in demand in Australia!

5 psychology careers in Australia to pursue

When it comes to jobs in psychology, it’s easy to get mixed up with one or the other or perhaps think that certain roles have the same functions.

This article will take you through 5 careers to give you a better idea of what to expect and why you might consider this route.

1. Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are trained professionals in the field of mental health. As a psychiatrist in Australia, you will be responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders through the use of medication, psychotherapy, and other necessary methods.

Your might conduct psychiatric evaluations, evaluate and diagnose patients, and develop treatment plans and medication management, among other things.

As you progress through your career, you’ll help to diagnose a variety of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, as well as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Wondering where to start? You can obtain a Bachelor of Medicine degree from an accredited university, and complete 1 year of on-the-job training in a hospital, before proceeding to specialist training in psychiatry for 5 years.

Average annual salary: AU$196,000

Career designation: Psychiatrist (ANZSCO code 253411)

2. Clinical psychologist

While clinical psychologists and psychiatrists have overlapping roles, the main difference is that psychiatrists are licensed to describe medication while psychologists are not. But that doesn’t mean the role of a clinical psychologist is any less important.

Your main role is to identify and understand cognitive, social, and emotional behaviours and use clinical knowledge and expertise to provide comprehensive mental health care for various individuals and groups. This can come in the form of psychotherapy, clinical or counselling services.

To become a licensed professional in the field, students must complete an APAC-approved master’s in clinical psychology. After which, you’ll be able to turn your provisional psychologist registration into a general one, which is required for all practising psychologists in Australia.

Average annual salary: AU$112,000

Career designation: Clinical psychologist (ANZSCO code 272311)

3. Educational psychologist

As an educational psychologist in Australia, you will primarily work and interact with children and young people. This is a core segment of the population that needs help in improving their learning abilities and to better process emotional and social situations.

Some of your daily tasks include conducting specific assessments and interventions to improve the learning process for the young minds of today. Educational therapists work in various settings, such as schools, clinics, hospitals, nurseries and special units.

To work as one, you’ll want to pursue a bachelor’s and postgraduate degree in psychology as well as go through a period of supervised practice and be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia.  

Average annual salary: AU$111,000

Career designation: Educational psychologist (ANZSCO code 272312)

4. Organisational psychologist

If you prefer a workplace environment communicating and helping professionals, being an organisational psychologist in Australia could be your ideal choice of career.

Unlike clinical and educational psychologists, you will focus on evaluating group and organisational dynamics to help companies align the needs of their workforce to the interests of the business.

You’ll typically be hired by government bodies, organisations, private corporations and startups. Many businesses today appreciate the need for such a service to improve the well-being of their employees, understand workplace behaviours and help chart the development of employee morale.

To become an organizational psychologist in Australia, you will need to obtain a bachelor's degree in psychology or industrial and organizational psychology, followed by a specialised postgraduate degree in psychology.

You’ll then need to complete a period of supervised practice before registering with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Average annual salary: AU$112,000

Career designation: Organisational psychologist (ANZSCO code 272313)

5. Psychologist nec

In psychology, nec stands for ‘not elsewhere classified’, which is a classification used to categorise infrequent or unanticipated individuals with no appropriate category. Nonetheless, they still require registration or licensing to practice.

As a psychologist nec practicing in Australia, you’ll be assessing and providing treatment to individuals to help improve their social, educational and occupational development.

Your work environment might be in a clinical setting, or a corporate one as a consultant hired by an organisation for ad-hoc projects.

Average annual salary: AU$105,000

Career designation: Psychologist nec (ANZSCO code 272313)

Build your psychology career in Australia with IDP

With the extended scheme for international students to work after graduation and a strong demand for psychologists, Australia might just be the destination to build a future-proof career in psychology.

If you are ready to pursue a psychology career in the land Down Under, we can help you get started!

At IDP, our educational counsellors are dedicated to helping students like you throughout the entire process of your overseas study journey.

They can guide you with tailored advice according to your individual needs and preferences so that you pick the best course that enables you to pursue your dream career.

Book your free counselling session with us today! Enquire with us or hit the message button to drop us a question!