◆ Education

What a school psychologist
really does.

14 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.

14evidenced tasks
63,940in the US (2025)
$95,990median pay / year
10systems it runs on
See the 14 tasks ↓Open in the atlasThe full career map →
This is what one task looks like here
Collaborate to create safe school environments
Convene the multidisciplinary team for a safety-review meeting, bring …4 sources agree

The shape of the day

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The work, task by task

14 tasks
Hands on the work11
Collaborate to create safe school environments+
Convene the multidisciplinary team for a safety-review meeting, bring the latest behavior incident logs, schoolwide climate survey results, and three recommended interventions, and draft an action plan with assigned owners and review dates.
escojdonetwiki4 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Offer counseling to students+
Offer short-term counseling to Maya Alvarez and two other referred sixth graders this term, set weekly 30-minute sessions during school hours, notify parents and homeroom teachers of objectives and confidentiality limits, and document consents before the first meeting.
jdonetwiki3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Support family-school partnerships+
Arrange a half-hour family-school conference with Jorge Ramirez's parents and his homeroom teacher next Thursday to review assessment findings, set shared goals, and list home strategies; send the agenda, interpreter request, and follow-up notes to all attendees afterward.
escojdwiki3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Create behavioral intervention plans+
Draft a three-tiered behavioral intervention plan for Logan Peters that lists target behaviors, measurable goals, classroom strategies, reinforcement schedule, and review dates, then share it with his special education teacher and parents for input before implementation.
jdwiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Interpret psychological tests+
Write a clear psychoeducational report interpreting cognitive and achievement test results for Maya Santos, age nine, tie specific subtest scores to classroom challenges, recommend accommodations for reading and working memory, and list next-step interventions for her teacher and case manager within five school days.
esco
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Facilitate peer mediation sessions+
Schedule a peer mediation circle for sixth graders from Room 12 and Room 14 on Thursday at lunch, notify the two involved students' parents and homeroom teachers, prepare a one-page mediation ground rules sheet, and request a quiet room.
jd
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Provide crisis, grief, or emergency counseling+
Respond to an immediate crisis in the cafeteria now: go to the student, provide brief safety assessment, phone the parent, alert the principal and school nurse, document the incident and referrals, and arrange same-day follow-up counseling.
jd
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Use evidence-based practices to promote positive mental health+
Design a six-week small group plan to teach coping skills and problem solving for three eighth graders showing anxiety, list evidence-based activities, measurable goals, teacher supports, and dates to review progress with counselors and parents.
jd
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Grow the practice1
Watch and assess1
Work with people1

What the work runs on

named inside the evidenced tasks
7 tasksMicrosoft Wordcaptures meeting notes, records action plans with owners and deadlines, and circulates the agreed plan to staffOpen its task library →
4 tasksGoogle Meetscheduling and running virtual counseling sessions with parents or students when in-person isn't possible
3 tasksMicrosoft Excelsummarizes incident logs and survey results into tables for discussionOpen its task library →
2 tasksEwing Solutions QuickWriterformats and generates detailed psychoeducational reports linking test data to recommendations
1 taskCentris Group IEP Directcreating and sharing formal behavior goals and intervention documentation within the student's IEP records
1 taskInstructionallays out lesson plans, activities, and progress monitoring for instructional interventions
1 taskMicrosoft PowerPointcreates a brief plan presentation for staff and parent meetings
1 taskGlobal Education Technologies EXCENTrecords test administrations, scores standardized measures, and keeps interpretation notes linked to the student file
Browse every evidenced software task →

The same task, four heights

this page is height one
ExecuteDo today's task, with fewer mistakesyou are here → ImproveMake it easy for the next person to acceptin the atlas → DecideWork out the right move when it is unclearin the atlas → BecomeLearn the pattern so it stops coming backin the atlas →

Can AI actually do this job?

the honest answer

It can

where it genuinely helps
  • Explain the theory behind the work
  • Draft, tidy and structure your writing
  • Rehearse a hard conversation before you have it
  • Build a study plan that fits your gaps

It cannot

where it stops, completely
  • Be in the room where a school psychologist actually works
  • Carry the responsibility when the call is wrong — that weight stays yours
  • Notice what no one wrote down: the hesitation, the thing left unsaid
  • Live with the outcome

What the work pays

two countries, two different measures

United States

this exact occupation · BLS 2025
  • $95,990 a year — the middle: half earn more, half earn less
  • The lowest tenth earn near $63,070; the top tenth near $142,330
  • 63,940 people employed in this occupation

Where the evidence lives

open any of it yourself
O*NETThe US Department of Labor's own record of this job6 of these tasks ESCOThe European skills and occupations register4 of these tasks Job descriptionsReal postings, in the wild9 of these tasks WikipediaHow the world describes this work4 of these tasks US Bureau of Labor StatisticsPay and employment, by occupation2025 figures UK NOS SFHGEN42Provide psychological support for team membersnational standard

Close to this work

12 nearby
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Questions people actually ask

Most days mix meetings, testing, and counseling. Mornings often have IEP meetings using Centris Group IEP Direct or paperwork in Microsoft Word and Excel.

Afternoons can be testing sessions (educational or psychological) and short counseling or crisis interventions. You might also run a small group for behavior plans, facilitate peer mediation, or meet parents via Zoom or Google Meet.

Expect Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for reports and presentations; Centris Group IEP Direct for Individualized Education Program (IEP) documentation; and Ewing Solutions QuickWriter or Global Education Technologies EXCENT for record-keeping.

You’ll also use Zoom or Google Meet for remote meetings with parents or staff, and simple instructional systems when coordinating interventions with teachers.

You can use AI for drafting routine text—like initial report outlines or meeting notes—but never for interpreting tests or making diagnoses. Always check and edit AI output before saving it to student records.

Keep confidential data out of public AI services. Use district-approved systems (IEP Direct, QuickWriter, EXCENT) and follow your school’s privacy rules and FERPA; document all changes you make.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, 2025), there were 63,940 employed school psychologists. The median annual wage was $95,990; the lowest tenth earned $63,070 and the top tenth earned $142,330.

Pay varies by district, experience, and state. Use the BLS data as a national snapshot; local salary schedules and union contracts set actual pay.