Psychology Should I pursue I/O or Clincial Psychology?

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi, I’m a 38 year old who has spent many years in a specific industry (dance business) and want to switch fields to pursue a career in psychology. I am most interested in psychology within the workplace, including working with professionals in specific fields such as first responders, athletes or dancers, and others. Ultimately, I’d love to pursue a doctorate, but don’t have the money to spend 4-6 years in school before I start working in the field. I’m considering a Master’s in I/O psychology, but had the following questions:
- Are there enough jobs available near Boston to be able to make a good salary soon after my degree? I have some business advising experience
- Is I/O psychology a field that might pave the way for a Doctorate in clinical psychology, (not psychiatry) or will I have to spend more time filling in classes that would have been completed with a Masters in clinical psychology?
Any advice on the education path for this type of career is appreciated!

Best, Michelle

On my due diligence, I want to be sure you knew about this reference: Psychologist

I'm not sure who you could turn to regarding jobs in a certain location, though I would suspect Boston would be saturated. When you contact schools you are interested, make sure they answer your questions about job placement and career preparation. They should be able to tell you where their graduates went for jobs soon after their studies.

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[AcronymAllergy]

I agree with Mr.Smile12 that job availability in a specific city could be difficult to figure out. You could search websites and related resources for postings, although with my limited knowledge of I/O, I believe many folks work as consultants. You could try reaching out to practicing I/O psychologists directly, although realize that they may be hesitant to share much, if any, information about their available clientele, particularly with someone who has an interest in working in the same space.

You're definitely going to have more shared coursework in a masters in clinical psychology than a masters in I/O when compared to a doctorate in clinical psychology. The downside for a masters degree in clinical psychology is that it is non-terminal and non-licensable. The I/O degree will likely net you some relevant classes, particularly in statistics, but that may be about it. And neither one will save you much, if any, time on a doctorate. In general, although courses can transfer, the student is often required to "make up" those hours via other (e.g., more advanced) classes. Also, classwork is only a somewhat small portion of your responsibilities and training activities in a doctoral program, so getting out of a even a handful of classes wouldn't save most people much time.

Also, you say you're interested in "psychology within the workplace." If the idea is to work primarily at a systems level, such as with administration to address employee morale and efficiency, that sounds like I/O. If it's to work with employees on an individual level in the workplace, depending on what it is you'd want to work with them on, that might be more in line with clinical/counseling psychology.