College Majors and Careers

I most likely will major in Psychology however I do have a small interest in nutrition and health sciences.

Clinical Psychologist (potentially specializing in eating disorders)
Average Pay: The national median salary is reported to be $67,650 per year however it does greatly vary based on location and experience. However the average salary of a clinical psychologist in San Francisco is around $97,000 per year.
Education: A two-year master's degree will qualify students to practice a variety of fields including marriage and family counseling (somewhat interested in this). Internships are very important for attaining both a masters and doctoral degree. In order to become a licensed clinical psychologist an undergraduate degree plus a doctorate degree is required totaling 8-12 years of education.
Personality Type: patience, pay close attention to detail, read others well, compassionate, emotionally stable, logical.

Child Psychologist
Average Pay: Average is reported to be $68,640, with a lower salary range for newly certified child psychologists which gradually increases with experience. The reported average salary for a child psychologist in San Francisco is $88,000.
Education: A doctoral degree is required, taking anywhere from 8-12 years again. After earning a degree a two year internship is required along with passing a state and national test.
Personality type: creative, calm, independent, good communicator.

Dietitian 
Average Pay: The national average is $56,170 however the average salary in San Francisco is $67,000.
Education: Minimum of a bachelor's degree, completion of an internship program usual running 6 months to a year, passing national exam.
Personality Type: analytical, organized, good listener, reasonable.


Thinking about what I want to be doing 10 years from now is very tough. I've always been interested in Psychology however when it becomes broken down into actual specific career paths I feel very stuck. As of now I'm not entirely sure how dedicated I would be to devoting 8-12 years still in school. However that time spent would fully prepare me for a seemingly successful future. I'm not set on a career specifically for the money however there is a huge salary range depending on your degree. It's just an impossible choice at this point in time to know how devoted I am to wanting to complete a doctoral degree. I've never been the kind of person who wants to fully excel in every aspect of life which makes me think I wouldn't necessarily be right for any career that required that many years of education. But then I begin to think, again, that I am only 17 right now and my only knowledge of "education" has been highschool level classes. A college education is specified to courses pertaining to specific interests and allows students to be much more independent. So, as of now, I still don't know how willing I am to spend 8-12 more years working towards a career.