Related Career Guides
- Guide to Developmental Psychology
- Becoming a Pastoral Counselor
- Becoming a Neuropsychologist
- Becoming a Social Psychologist
- Guide to Transpersonal Psychology
Advancing Your Career
Serving those who serve: becoming a military psychologist
If you’re passionate about psychology and mental health and you want to contribute to the well-being of those who defend our nation, then a career as a miliary psychologist could be your calling. Military psychologists apply psychological research and principles to military problems, which can lead to a diverse array of employment opportunities.
For example, they may provide crucial mental healthcare to service members, veterans and their families, or they might be more involved in research efforts on how the military can utilize psychological principles to improve their internal and external operations. Not all military psychologists are service members themselves—although that is an option, many military psychologists work as civilians.
“To me, a military psychologist would be someone who specializes in working with active duty, veterans and also their family members,” said Dr. Heather Gebhardt, a civilian military psychologist practicing in Washington state. “A military psychologist is also somebody who has expertise in military culture as well as the common issues that are faced by military populations.”
Regardless of their career focus, military psychologists must gain licensure as a psychologist just like any other specialty, which requires years of education and clinical practice.
The unique mission of military psychologists
Military psychologists, whether they are civilians or in the service themselves, provide military personnel, veterans and their families with a variety of mental health services and psychological support. They might also support military operations and lend their expertise to solve certain military problems.
Some of their areas of focus can include:
- Combat stress and trauma: Military psychologists provide crucial support to service members facing combat stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other deployment-related mental health challenges.
- Other mental health support for service members: Even if a service member or veteran has never been in a combat scenario themselves, military psychologists can help them cope with other stressors such as separation from family, substance abuse, anger management, sexual assault and more.
- Occupational and operational psychology: They may contribute to mission readiness by assessing psychological fitness of service members, conducting leadership training and optimizing human factors in military operations.
- Family support: Military psychologists offer mental health services to families of service members, addressing issues like separation anxiety, deployment stress and reintegration challenges.
Some military psychologists might focus more on conducting research related to these issues or teach in academia instead of delivering direct patient care.
A military psychologist weighs in on issues they may address
When you imagine the mental health issues military members face, PTSD is usually one of the first that come to mind. Indeed, the violence one experiences in combat scenarios can have profound impacts on one’s mental health.
“[PTSD] is not unique to military populations, but combat trauma is pretty unique. I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a combat veteran who has just one single traumatic event. After long deployments, multiple deployments, possible trauma outside of the military—they often have more complexity to their PTSD,” Gebhardt said. However, when you consider that most people in the military never see combat themselves (some sources estimate only about 10-15% of service members see combat), it’s clear that military personnel face many unique challenges that extend beyond combat trauma alone.
“Another one of my other areas of expertise is suicide prevention. We know that rates of both death by suicide and suicide attempts are unfortunately higher in our military. So that’s a unique aspect of working with this population.”
“Another big challenge that I think is really underrepresented when we talked about military mental health is the transition out of service,” Gebhardt said.
Gebhardt explained that many of the components of transitioning back to civilian life that are directly addressed by the transition process and services provided by the military are more logistical in nature—things like providing information on getting set up with VA benefits or finding post-military employment.
“These are important things, but do not prepare service members for the stark contrast between military and civilian culture. You go from this collectivistic military culture to a very individualistic civilian world where now your complete infrastructure and your support system is gone. There’s often such a loss of identity. That is one thing I didn’t realize when getting into the field that I was going to see so much of in my clients—mental health consequences from transition out of service.”
Managing anger is another frequent issue that Gebhardt works on with her patients.
“Difficulties with anger are common for service members and veterans. Anger is an emotion that is often used in adaptive ways in the military, such as to motivate, or to protect one’s self or others in the face of danger. But unfortunately this trained anger response can start causing challenges in life later on.”
Charting your course to becoming a military psychologist
In order to work as a military psychologist, you need a license to practice just like any other specialty. Licensing requirements vary by state but generally consist of three basic ingredients:
- Education: Clinical psychologists need a doctoral degree in psychology.
- Experience: Most states require around 4,000 total hours of clinical supervised experience to qualify for licensure, though this number varies by state.
- Examination: All states require psychologists to take and pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).
Although these basic ingredients don’t change, there are a couple of different paths you can take to get there depending on whether you intend to join the military or work as a civilian.
Civilian vs. military route
Gebhardt never joined the military herself. Instead, she chose to attend a graduate psychology program that was closely affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) which allowed her to participate in research and practicum experiences centered around veterans. She then worked as an inpatient psychologist for seven years before eventually opening her own private practice that emphasizes serving veterans and active-duty personnel.
This is one possible way that a civilian may enter the field without ever joining the military themselves.
If someone does want to join the military, there are several options to do so.
“You could do ROTC [Reserve Officers’ Training Corps] in undergrad, then commission and get your graduate education through the military, which they then pay for,” Gebhardt said. Indeed, a huge advantage of joining the military at some point during your education path is that the military will usually pay for your education in exchange for some years of service.
“All of the branches offer the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), and it’s where [the military] will pay for up to four years of your graduate education including a stipend for living in exchange for a period of active-duty service afterwards as a commissioned officer,” Gebhardt said. “There are also programs through the Uniformed Services University (USU). They have a clinical psychology program with both a military track and civilian track.”
Some prospective military psychologists may complete their undergraduate and graduate training as normal and then participate in an internship with one of the military branches. This would require joining as a commissioned officer (CO) and committing to some years of service.
You could also become a licensed psychologist before ever joining the military and then join once you’ve already established your career.
Education requirements
All prospective military psychologists need a doctoral degree in order to get licensed.
Before you can think about doctoral programs, however, you need a bachelor’s degree first. Majoring in psychology during your undergraduate education is preferred, but it’s not necessarily required for all doctoral programs if you completed enough relevant coursework. Some doctoral programs may also require that you have a master’s degree in psychology, but this is not common.
When selecting a doctoral program, you have two main options: a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree in clinical and/or counseling psychology. Psychology PhD programs tend to put more of the focus on academic research and exploration, whereas PsyD programs focus more on real-world applications and working with patients. These differences are generalizations, however, and it should be noted that both types of programs are acceptable paths to licensure and can lead to careers in both areas (research and academia or clinical practice).
No matter which type of degree you choose, opt for a concentration in military psychology if your degree program offers one, and try to take any available classes in military psychology that your school may have.
Clinical internship pathways
Psychologists must complete several thousands of hours of supervised clinical experience before they can get their license. These clinical internships begin within your doctoral degree program and may be all you need to qualify for licensure in your state depending on how long they last. In other words, if the clinical internship you complete in your doctoral program doesn’t meet your state’s hourly requirement, then you may need to take on a postdoctoral (commonly called postdoc) fellowship to finish the required number of hours.
The Army, Navy and Air Force all offer APA-accredited clinical psychology doctoral internships which are coordinated through the American Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). Acceptance into these internships means you must also serve as an active-duty CO in their respective branch.
Licensure and certification
Once you’ve completed your education, clinical hours and passed the EPPP, you should be ready to apply for licensure in your state. Since the process can vary, be sure to check with your state’s regulatory body to find out exactly what you need to do to earn your psychologist license where you live.
After getting licensed and finding a job, psychologists have the option to pursue voluntary board certifications through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). These certifications attest to the psychologist’s expertise in specific practice areas and could possibly increase a psychologist’s credibility and job prospects.
The ABPP doesn’t offer a board certification for military psychology specifically, but they offer several other specializations that can be highly relevant to a military psychologist, such as:
- Addiction psychology
- Behavioral and cognitive psychology
- Clinical psychology
- Counseling
- Couple and family
- Organizational and business
- Rehabilitation
- Serious mental illness
Diverse service opportunities
Military psychologists that choose to join the service have several options. Going active duty means you would serve in the military full time, but there are part-time options via the National Guard as well. Others may prefer to work for the VA or Department of Defense (DOD), which doesn’t require you to join the service at all.
Unsurprisingly, military psychologists that are service members often provide clinical psychotherapy (talk therapy) to other service members. For example, you might provide couples counseling to service members and their spouses, or you might be in charge of coordinating a leave of absence for a soldier who has a sick family member. You might even assist a soldier who has returned from enemy capture or someone who’s simply experiencing a lot of homesickness—the possibilities are many. In addition, you may also be tasked with providing operational support like administering psychological evaluations to assess a soldier’s deployment readiness.
Active duty
As a CO in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard, you’ll serve on active duty and provide mental health services in various settings, from deployed units to military hospitals. The active-duty experience can look very different depending on the branch you join, where you’re stationed and the need of your unit. Like other active-duty personnel, an active-duty military psychologist may have to frequently move around the country (or perhaps overseas).
National Guard
The National Guard is a component of the U.S. Army. It is a military reserve force made up of state-based units. Although it is possible to serve active duty in the National Guard, most members serve part-time and maintain a civilian career. The typical commitment is drilling for one weekend a month plus a weekslong training once a year. In the event of a state or national crisis, members may be called up to respond. Serving in the National Guard can be a great option for military psychologists that want to maintain a civilian practice and offer mental health support services to Guard members.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Military psychologists can find work providing clinical services to veterans in VA hospitals and clinics, addressing the unique mental health challenges veterans face. VA agencies often employ civilian psychologists.
Department of Defense (DOD)
The DOD employs and contracts with thousands of psychologists from many different specialties. Most DOD psychologists are civilians, but many are service members, too. In fact, the DOD is the largest single employer of psychologists in the country.
Building a rewarding career as a military psychologist
Like any other healthcare profession, learning never really stops for military psychologists. In order to provide the best care to your patients and keep your career moving forward, it’s essential that you learn about new developments in the field.
“Similar to any other specialty in psychology, you should continue to look for your growth edges and expand your skillsets in those areas. Also continuing to deepen your knowledge through continuing education is important,” Gebhardt said. “Just because one has a good grasp on military culture and mental health doesn’t mean they stop taking trainings on it because the military is constantly evolving and mental health priorities and advancements in the military constantly evolve as well.”
Gebhardt also said that joining a professional organization such as the American Psychological Association’s Division 19: Society for Military Psychology is an excellent way to stay on top of the latest trends and advancements in military psychology.
“I will also say from personal experience, [you should] not be afraid of making a career change. My entire training and career were in the VA, and when I felt my career start to plateau in that setting, I was nervous to leave my comfort zone and seek out other opportunities. I decided to start a private practice, which taught me how to establish and maintain a small business. I also work for a military- and veteran-serving nonprofit in more an administrative and teaching role. My skill set has greatly expanded as a result and I’ve grown so much more professionally because I got over that fear and took that leap.”
Essential skills for military psychologists
Most psychology and psychotherapy skills are cultivated throughout your education, but there are some other qualities every military psychologist should possess if they want to succeed.
Empathy: All psychologists must have a considerable bandwidth for empathy to help others, and this is especially true for military psychologists. “You have to be able to empathize with people who have been through things that that you may never have experienced,” Gebhardt said.
Curiosity: Gebhardt said that maintaining a sense of curiosity about your patients’ experiences is crucial in making gains with them. Ask questions and keep an open mind.
Authenticity: Gebhardt said that being authentic and genuine with your patients as a military psychologist can go a long way. She has found that patients respond well to a more sincere and to-the-point attitude, a quality that she’s received a lot of positive feedback on from her patients.
Military cultural competency: The most successful military psychologists truly understand military culture. That doesn’t mean you have to ever have been in the military yourself, but you do need to take the time learn about what the culture is really like if you want to support your patients the best that you can, including military values, attitudes, behaviors, structure and more.
Military psychologist salary
Military psychologists can have a wide range of salaries depending on several factors. Service members, for example, are paid based upon a government pay grade scale. This scale accounts for the service member’s rank and years of service to determine their monthly salary. Newly commissioned officers start out at the rank of O-1, though many military psychologists enter the service as captains (O-3). The DOD’s 2024 active duty pay scale indicates that O-1 officers with less than two years of service earn a monthly baseline salary of $3,826.20. This number increases as the service member gets promoted to higher ranks and/or has more years of service under their belt.
Although civilian jobs tend to have higher baseline salaries, the military provides numerous benefits to service members including housing allowances, educational benefits like tuition assistance programs, paid time off, healthcare, access to VA home loans and more. In addition, it’s worth noting that many military healthcare jobs may be eligible for ample sign-on bonuses (some offer bonuses of up to $65,000).
If you work as a civilian, however, your salary may be more influenced by your location, years of experience, type of employer, credentials and more. According to the 2023 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for clinical and counseling psychologists nationwide is $95,830. The states with the highest median annual wages for this group are New Jersey, Oregon and California.
Is military psychology right for you?
With so many psychological niches to choose from, it can be challenging for a budding psychologist to figure out which avenue(s) they want to pursue.
“One of the tasks of anybody going into psychology is to figure out the population you click with. Not everybody will click with the military population, but I really do,” Gebhardt said. “I have such a profound respect for people who have chosen to put their lives on the line to serve their country that I just felt so compelled to work with them.”
On top of the gratification of helping people who have sacrificed much for their country, Gebhardt said there are other merits of working with folks in the military.
“I think it’s incredibly rewarding because you’re never going to get a population that has a better work ethic than in the military. If they can get past the stigma they may carry, they can make exponential gains quickly if they hone that work ethic that they’ve learned in the military towards working on their mental health.”
If they can get past the stigma they may carry, they can make exponential gains quickly if they hone that work ethic that they’ve learned in the military…
Overcoming the stigma of seeking mental healthcare is a prevalent challenge Gebhardt faces with her patients, but it’s one that she’s learned to embrace.
“That’s actually a challenge that I now love working with, when clients come in with beliefs like ‘Emotions are useless, I don’t need them,’ or ‘vulnerability is weakness.’ These beliefs, along with a general skepticism about mental health treatment, can oftentimes come up at the start of your work with somebody and so that’s why I think it can take longer sometimes [to see progress]—you have to build that rapport and that trust first. You have to help them overcome some of those misconceptions and stigmatizing beliefs they may have internalized through the military or prior life experiences.”
Ready to take the first step?
If the mission of military psychologists resonates with you, there are a lot of opportunities to enter the field. Start by researching psychology education programs today, especially ones that offer concentrations in military psychology. You could also speak with a military recruiter to learn more about the opportunities in their branches.
“The military has come a long way in terms of supporting service members in getting mental healthcare, and there’s still much more work to be done,” Gebhardt said.
As a military psychologist, you could be a part of the next generation of mental health professionals working to improve access to and the quality of mental healthcare for our nation’s military, veterans and their families.