Being a psychologist can be rewarding, but it's an extraordinary time and financial commitment. It requires no less than a doctorate, and that'll put you a student loan hoc just up until your about ready to die. Then there are the hundreds and hundreds of hours of apprenticeship, supervision and experience required.
The pay can be good, but there are some subtleties you should know, depending on where you're from. Psychologists mostly assess. They mostly run programs. They mostly don’t see clients. If what you want to do is be on the ground level talking to clients every day, you might want to look at a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed mental health counselor or another similar position. There are pros and cons to each position, so do your research.
In the behavioral sciences, becoming wealthy isn’t a realistic goal. This is a “love for the profession” kind of thing. But it’s rewarding beyond measure.
