How to hire school psychologists

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Assess an individual child's needs, limitations, and potential, using observation, review of school records, and consultation with parents and school personnel.
• Collaborate with other educational professionals to develop teaching strategies and school programs.
• Collect and analyze data to evaluate the effectiveness of academic programs and other services, such as behavioral management systems.
• Compile and interpret students' test results, along with information from teachers and parents, to diagnose conditions and to help assess eligibility for special services.
• Interpret test results and prepare psychological reports for teachers, administrators, and parents.
• Maintain student records, including special education reports, confidential records, records of services provided, and behavioral data.
• Report any pertinent information to the proper authorities in cases of child endangerment, neglect, or abuse.
• Select, administer, and score psychological tests.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Master's degree]
• Strong reading comprehension, speaking, active listening, critical thinking, writing and monitoring skills
• Working knowledge of psychology, therapy and counseling, education and training and English Language
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $46.15 an hour ($95,990 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for school psychologists

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to assess an individual child's needs, limitations, and potential, using observation, review of school records, and consultation with parents and school personnel. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with other educational professionals to develop teaching strategies and school programs. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to collect and analyze data to evaluate the effectiveness of academic programs and other services, such as behavioral management systems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to compile and interpret students' test results, along with information from teachers and parents, to diagnose conditions and to help assess eligibility for special services. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
6. Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
7. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What school psychologists do

• Assess an individual child's needs, limitations, and potential, using observation, review of school records, and consultation with parents and school personnel.
• Collaborate with other educational professionals to develop teaching strategies and school programs.
• Collect and analyze data to evaluate the effectiveness of academic programs and other services, such as behavioral management systems.
• Compile and interpret students' test results, along with information from teachers and parents, to diagnose conditions and to help assess eligibility for special services.
• Interpret test results and prepare psychological reports for teachers, administrators, and parents.
• Maintain student records, including special education reports, confidential records, records of services provided, and behavioral data.
• Report any pertinent information to the proper authorities in cases of child endangerment, neglect, or abuse.
• Select, administer, and score psychological tests.

Skills that matter most

Reading ComprehensionSpeakingActive ListeningCritical ThinkingWritingMonitoringPsychologyTherapy and CounselingEducation and TrainingEnglish Language

Education, experience and outlook for school psychologists

• Typical education to start: Master's degree (BLS)
• Training on the job: Internship/residency (BLS)
• Job outlook: +0.8% over ten years, little or no change · about 3,400 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay school psychologists

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See school psychologists pay in every state

Related hiring guides

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Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.