How to Become a Personality Psychologist (With FAQs)

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Updated March 26, 2025

Psychology is a broad field that includes a variety of subdisciplines, including personality psychology. This field investigates the interactions between personality and mental health and looks for solutions to personality disorders. If you're considering a career in psychology, it might be helpful to learn more about becoming a personality psychologist.In this article, we discuss what a personality psychologist is and what they do, explain how to become a personality psychologist and explore salaries, skills and work environments for these professionals.Key takeaways:

Personality psychologists analyze personality and how it affects their patients; they may research different personality traits and help patients with various personality disorders.
To become a personality psychologist, you must earn your bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology, obtain your state license, acquire professional psychology certifications and develop various hard and soft skills through experience.
Career opportunities for personality psychologists are broad, with the possibility of working in diverse environments such as educational institutions, medical centers and mental health facilities.

What is a personality psychologist?

A personality psychologist is a mental health professional who specializes in analyzing personality and how it affects their patients. They study their patients' personality traits, emotions, thought patterns and motivations and how they impact interactions and overall mental health. Unlike other psychologists, personality psychologists generally work in research rather than in clinical practice.Related: 19 Different Types of Psychology Majors

What do personality psychologists do?

Personality psychologists may have a variety of tasks depending on their specialization and employer. Here are some common duties:

Conduct research

These professionals spend much of their time conducting research rather than conducting therapy with patients. Approaches to personality psychology can vary and some professionals focus on genetic and chemical origins for behavior. Others may study the effects of nurture on personality. These are some of the primary types of research that psychologists may conduct:

Experimental: These methods involve creating experiments to test a hypothesis. Researchers conduct experiments with the help of patients and determine the validity of their hypotheses by manipulating variables in a controlled environment.
Archival: If psychologists have already studied a subject, you can use archival research to collet data. This involves accessing studies, articles, surveys, statistics and other resources in libraries or archives.
Observational: In observational studies, psychologists gather data by observing a patient or group of patients over a certain period. There are several types of observational research, including participant, non-participant and naturalistic, that involve varying levels of contact with subjects.
Case studies: Case studies are a common research technique in psychology that involves the close study and explanation or description of a case. This method emphasizes unique circumstances and is popular when exploring unique or unusual phenomena.

Work with patients

During their research, personality psychologists may work closely with patients. This may include interviewing, administering surveys and recording observations. Some personality psychologists may work in a clinical setting to analyze patients, conduct therapy sessions and design courses of treatment. In these cases, they often work to discover the underlying causes of personality disorders and improve the condition of their patients.

Publish articles

Writing reports and articles is an important task for research psychologists. This helps advance the field of psychology and gives other professionals access to new research. Psychologists often publish these articles in scholarly journals, although some may contribute to magazines and newspapers or author books.

Teach students

Many personality psychologists work in university faculties. In these positions, they may conduct psychological research or teach psychology classes for undergraduate and graduate students. This may include creating syllabi, planning classes, administering exams, grading homework and tests and delivering classroom lectures. When not teaching, many professors pursue their own research or manage a clinical practice.

How to become a personality psychologist

Like other mental health professionals, personality psychologists require extensive education and certification. These are steps to help you become a personality psychologist:

1. Make a plan

Becoming a psychologist involves extensive education and training so having a plan in hand can be beneficial. First, it's important to decide where you want to work whether that includes teaching, working in private practice or joining a clinic. You can then look for colleges that support your career goals.Look into different psychology programs and investigate the backgrounds of the different faculty members. During the process, look for professors with a background in personality psychology and courses that focus on the topic. It's also important to find programs that offer adequate financial aid. You can also apply for grants and scholarships to reduce the cost of your education.

2. Earn a bachelor's degree

Next is earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. These programs give you a good understanding of psychological concepts and introduce you to clinical methods. During a bachelor's program in psychology, students explore topics related to the mind and mental health, including cognition, memory, learning, sensation, research methodologies, biological bases of behavior, human development, social impacts on psychology and psychologically disorders.Most students complete their bachelor's degree in four years, although some may require extra time. If you plan to work while earning your degree, or if your schedule poses challenges to attending class, it may be helpful to find a college that offers a remote or hybrid learning model. If you want to complete your bachelor's degree more quickly, consider accelerating your schedule by taking summer classes.Related: Differences in Clinical vs. Counseling Psychology

3. Complete your graduate education

To practice as a psychologist, you need to complete a graduate-level education. This includes completing a master's degree or doctorate in psychology. This is important if you want to have a clinical practice or if you want to work as a university professor. Prepare for your graduate studies by maintaining a high college GPA, finding an adviser, choosing a specialty and taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).Common admission requirements include a bachelor's degree, letters of recommendation, a research proposal, passing GRE scores, college transcripts and a complete application. A master's degree usually takes two years of full-time study while a doctorate often takes five to seven years. These courses give you an advanced understanding of psychology, introduce you to research methods and often include a clinical element that allows you to work with patients. During graduate school, you can also focus more on the specialization of personality psychology.Related: 19 Classes for Those Pursuing a Psychology Degree

4. Find internships

Most psychologists complete an internship to help them hone their skills and gain clinical experience in their specialty during their undergraduate or graduate education. If you pursue an internship while earning your bachelor's degree, it's helpful to schedule them during your junior or senior year. During your graduate education, you can pursue an internship during summer breaks or after you graduate.It's helpful to speak with professors and administrators in your college's career office. These professionals have extensive experience and may help you find an internship that meets your needs. If you know any personality psychologists who you admire, you can contact them and ask for an internship or shadowing opportunity. Finally, you can browse the American Psychological Association's career page for advice on internships and links to opportunities.Related: Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist: Differences and Similarities

5. Secure a state license

To practice, psychologists require a license from their state's licensing board. Licensing is always a requirement for clinical practitioners, although it may be optional in your area if you plan to work in research or education. The primary requirement for earning a license is a doctoral degree in psychology, and many licensing boards ask candidates to present information on their internships and proof of coursework. Many boards also require students to have a certain number of supervised clinical hours.All state boards administer standardized tests to gauge the knowledge of license applicants. Be sure to learn more about tests in your state and prepare a course of study. It may also be necessary to complete continuing education requirements to maintain your license. Since requirements vary by state, be sure to research the process in your area before you begin the licensing process.

6. Gain professional certifications

Over the course of their careers, many psychologists choose to obtain additional professional certifications. These credentials can help psychologists learn more about their specialties, advance their careers and find greater opportunities. Consider looking into psychology certifications and choosing one that matches your career goals. Most certifications require candidates to complete a course of study or practice and pass an exam.

7. Build your skills

Personality psychologists require a wide range of hard and soft skills to complete their tasks. It's important to build these competencies over the course of your career to make you a more competitive candidate. These are some skills that you can develop:

Ethics
Confidentiality
Verbal and written communication
Research skills
Observation
Time management
Collaboration
Interpersonal skills
Critical thinking and analysis
Active listening
Patience
Leadership
Problem-solving
Compassion
Learning skills

What is the average salary and job outlook for personality psychologists?

Salaries for personality psychologists can vary based on their experience, location and employer. According to Indeed, psychologists earn a national average base salary of $121, 279 per year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a job increase of 8% by 2030, which is the same as the average for all occupations.For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, click on the link provided.

What is the work environment for personality psychologists?

Personality psychologists may work in a wide variety of environments. Many work in educational institutions, especially colleges, while others work in medical centers and counseling facilities. Some psychologists also maintain private practices or pursue independent research.Personality psychologists usually work in collaborative atmospheres and often interact with medical professionals, other mental health personnel and patients. Those who work in universities and clinics often have typical work hours, while psychologists in private practice can set their hours and rates. Some personality psychologists occasionally travel to participate in academic conferences and other events.Please note that, at the time of this article's writing, the company, institution or organization mentioned in this article may or may not be affiliated with Indeed, and their mention in this article does not imply a business relationship with Indeed.

The information on this site is provided as a courtesy and for informational purposes only. Indeed is not a career or legal advisor and does not guarantee job interviews or offers

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