Careers in School Psychology

Among the most important events in the history of school psychology is that early psychological practitioners chose to be fulltime employees in public school settings. In addition to the many professional and political implications of that event, it also signaled the founding of a profession of psychologists whose principal identity would be the locus of their employment, elementary and secondary schools. Since the time the term school psychologist gained identity, the vast majority of persons trained to be school psychologists have held employment in school settings (Fagan & Wise, 2000). Currently, approximately 80% of practitioners work in public school settings, usually under school-year (9 or 10 months) contracts, and have a median salary of approximately $50,000. Starting salaries vary widely, but the range is probably ...