Individuals interested in working in the field of psychology can get a boost up the career ladder with a degree in a related discipline.

Dan Clionsky told Tufts Daily that having a psychology major had effectively given him a shortcut once he entered the workforce.

Since graduating, he has worked as a full-time residential counselor with a family and youth services organization.

"Having a degree in clinical psychology, in a way, erased two years of necessary experience to get to the point I am," he commented.

Mr Clionsky added that having a psychology major also gives him the advantage of being able to choose from a number of different career paths besides counseling, such as practice
psychology.

According to the Department of Labor, a number of psychology majors also choose to become self-employed. Around 34% of the 166,000 psychologists working in the US in 2006 had their own practice, it said.

It added that popular career paths in the profession include school counseling, corporate organizational work, developmental psychology and clinical research.

In May 2006, the average median earnings for a qualified psychologist were $59,440.