Psychologist career of choice for school leavers: Year13 data shows

New data has revealed the most popular career ambition for Aussie teens and the reason why they’re flocking to this job is grim.

Australia’s dire lack of mental health services has gotten so bad a new generation of school leavers is flocking to psychology as their chosen profession.

New data shows psychology is the most popular career path among students, with the profession’s peak body in Australia claiming many teenagers are simply trying to bridge a services gap they have endured most of their lives.

Data from Year13, an organisation dedicated to helping students find the right career path after schooling, showed in 2024 psychology was the job most teenagers were interested in pursuing as a profession.

Australian Psychological Society chief executive officer Dr Zena Burgess said growing interest in psychology was no surprise.

“There are lots of people who wish to be a psychologist,” Dr Burgess said.

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Surprise career young Aussies are flocking to. Picture: iStock

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“Patient demand is very high, and increasingly, people can’t afford treatment due to the cost of living pressures and slow progress in mental health reform.”

Year13 surveyed more than 45,000 Australian high school students before discovering psychology was the top profession of choice followed by architect and mechanical engineer.

Psychology ranked as the 17th most popular career among male students but top of the list for females.

“We know there’s a shortage of psychologists at the moment”, Year13 Co-Founder Saxon Phipps said.

“To see psychologist as the most popular career for Australian school students in 2024 will no doubt be very welcome news to the profession and to people who need these vital mental health services.”

Dr Burgess said career directions for people moving into psychology were endless.

“It’s an incredibly exciting area of professional practice because of the wide variety of work psychologists can do”, she said.

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Australian Psychological Society’s CEO Dr Zena Burgess. Picture: Supplied

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“Psychologists can work everywhere, from in sport to in marketing, health systems, mental health, forensic work with crime, working in schools so it’s really incredibly varied.

“It also fulfils a need for people to help others and it’s a way for people to help other people and understand themselves.”

Dr Burgess confirmed the shortage of psychologists in Australia and said just 35 per cent of qualified psychologists were actually operating.

“There’s a bottleneck in training, and if that bottleneck can be alleviated by the government, and which we’re urging them to do, there will be plenty of work for psychologists, and plenty of psychologists for the community,” she said.

“We need government action to free up positions so young people can train a psychologist, and psychologists in training can complete their training so they can be of service to the community.”

Makayla Russell, from Brisbane, decided she wanted to pursue a career in psychology after she was introduced to the subject in year 9.

“I originally wanted to do music but something happened with that,” she said.

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Makayla Russell wants to pursue a career in psychology. Picture: Supplied

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“In Queensland, psychology recently got introduced as a subject into high schools.

“When I found out what psychology was and how it helps people, I just kind of fell in love from the start and thought it was just really fascinating.

“It’s studying ourselves in a way. It’s really interesting to see how I tick, and how other people tick, and how certain things can be used to make people’s lives better.”

Just graduated high school, the 18-year-old has been accepted into a Bachelor of Psychology and Social Work at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

Makayla said she hoped to open her own clinic in the future and focus on providing affordable care for people.

“One of the reasons why I chose a double degree with social work, I want to step into the field of helping people anyway I can, whether it’s counselling or through mental health”, she said.

“Psychologists are expensive and I completely understand why, but I feel like a price tag shouldn’t be the reason why, or a game changer for people getting help that they need and not getting it.

“I really want to open my own clinic and focus on providing a service for people at an affordable price to make it accessible for everyone.”

According to job search platform SEEK the average wage for a psychologist in Australia ranges from $95,000 to $110,000.

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Hayley Zammit wants to study architecture. Picture: Supplied

Hayley Zammit, 15, will be starting year 11 and has joined the thousands of students interested in studying architecture.

The teenager from Melbourne decided she wanted to become an architect when she was 12 years old.

“I have always loved playing games where you designed houses as a kid and it led me to look more into what that could turn into as a job in the future,” she said.

“I like the fact that you are constantly coming up with new and improved ideas and the fact it is a very creative job.”

Hayley said being an architect was a popular career because it was something that was seen in everyday life.

“You constantly see new buildings getting built, new games online where you pick and choose homes and buildings,” she said.

“Being around similar ideas leads people to think they should make a career out of it.”

Originally published as Psychologist career of choice for school leavers: Year13 data shows