Research and Experimental Psychologyat University of California-Berkeley
Graduates earn $34,450/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Research and Experimental Psychology average. Base-case 10-year earnings $446K; scenarios range from $429K to $442K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UC Berkeley
At an institution like Berkeley, your psychology education is deeply rooted in cutting-edge research, attracting students primarily interested in academic or scientific pathways. The earning figures reflect that many graduates from this specialized program often pursue advanced degrees—Ph.D.s are common—before entering their highest-earning careers as psychologists, academics, or researchers. Your initial roles might involve research assistant positions or data analysis in labs, which serve as crucial stepping stones rather than terminal careers. The program's strength lies in its unparalleled opportunities for undergraduate research and connections to leading faculty, forming a robust pipeline into top graduate programs nationwide or roles at major research institutions. To maximize your outcome, actively engage in research projects and build strong relationships with professors to leverage these unique academic and professional networks.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UC Berkeley's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Research and Experimental Psychology
How UC Berkeley stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UC Berkeley
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UC Berkeley, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Research and Experimental Psychology at UC Berkeley
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Research and Experimental Psychology at University of California-Berkeley?
A score of 40/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Research and Experimental Psychology. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Research and Experimental Psychology careers?
With 44% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $428,796 in decade earnings vs $442,394 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.