Educational Psychologists (EPs) support children and young people between the ages of 0-25 to achieve their full potential. Most Educational Psychologists work in a Local Authority, liaising with students, their families, schools and other stakeholders to promote positive learning, emotional, social and behavioural outcomes.
Other employment avenues for Educational Psychologists include Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) teams within an NHS trust, schools, charitable organisations, and private firms.
In our latest insights piece, we delve into if educational psychology is a good career and we answer the all important question, how much does an Educational Psychologist earn?
Educational psychology and its impact on student success
Ever wondered, what does an Educational Psychologist do? Educational psychology is essentially the study of how people learn. This encompasses individual learning preferences, teaching methods, and systemic processes. In addition, educational psychology explores the emotional, behavioural, cognitive and social influences that impact the learning process. Educational Psychologists use their knowledge of how people learn to help students flourish and schools support that process.
Educational Psychologists (EPs) work closely with children, young people, families and schools to promote positive learning, communication, and well-being outcomes. An Educational Psychologist's responsibilities are wide-ranging, encompassing everything from assessing children's needs and supporting teachers, parents and other relevant parties to deliver those needs to liaising with multi-agency teams to recommend appropriate learning, therapeutic and behaviour management strategies.
What to expect from an Educational Psychologist salary
Local Authorities typically set pay and conditions for Educational Psychologists in England and Wales based on the Soulbury pay scales. According to the Local Government Association, "The Soulbury Committee is the national negotiating body which determines the national framework of pay and conditions of service for Local Authority Soulbury paid officers in England and Wales." The Association of Educational Psychologists, the National Education Union and Prospect negotiate pay and conditions on behalf of Educational Psychologists.
The most recent Soulbury pay scales were agreed from September 2023, but could be subject to change. To give you an idea of what to expect from an Educational Psychologist’s salary, here are the current pay scales for Educational Psychologist roles:
Trainee Educational Psychologists – £29,872 to £37,473
Assistant Educational Psychologists – £35,228 to £39,34
Educational Psychologists – £42,422 to £65,120
Senior and Principal Educational Psychologists – £52,678 to £86,587
Factors which could influence an Educational Psychologist's earning potential
Various factors could influence an Educational Psychologist's earning potential, including:
Experience
As with any role, experience counts for a lot in educational psychology. For example, according to data from Payscale, Educational Psychologists with 5-9 years of experience can expect to earn nearly £4,000 more per annum than their newly-qualified and early career Educational Psychologist counterparts (£45,781 versus £41,977).
Specialism
Your earning potential could increase if you have an affinity with a certain area of educational psychology, such as special educational needs (SEN). Your specialism may be based on local needs which could increase your earning potential.
By working in a specialist area in high demand, you may also open doors for becoming self-employed which comes with added freedom, flexibility and better work life balance.
Location
As with many jobs, location can majorly impact your earning potential as an Educational Psychologist. Unsurprisingly, the highest Education Psychologist salaries can be found in London due to the higher cost of living and competitiveness in the job market.
Job prospects for Educational Psychologists
According to the Association of Educational Psychologists, newly-qualified Educational Psychologists can expect 'good' career prospects. They assert that most ‘rookie’ Educational Psychologists can obtain their first post immediately upon qualifying as an Educational Psychologist, with public sector demand typically outstripping supply.
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