Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 2001, Vol. 32, No. 1,5-11 Copyright 2001 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 0735-7028/01/S5.00 DOI: 10.1037//0735-7028.32.1.5 Examining Careers in Sport Psychology: Who Is Working and Who Is Making Money? Andrew W. Meyers, Jennifer K. Coleman, James P. Whelan, and Robyn S. Mehlenbeck The University of Memphis Can psychologists earn a living working in sport psychology? The authors surveyed all professional members of American Psychological Association Division 47 and the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology regarding their income and work in sport psychology. Four hundred and thirty-three individuals responded. Sport scientists were more likely to be working in academic settings and had incomes consistent with psychologists in academia. Sport scientists in applied settings were less successful financially. Clinical and counseling psychologists in applied settings were supplementing their incomes through applied sport psychology work. Part-time, supplemental involvement in sport psychol- ogy appears more practical today than full-time employment. Sport psychology offers professional psychologists a relatively new area of specialization as well as a potential additional source of income. Professional practice interest in the area has grown in recent years (Hays, 1995), but can a professional psychologist earn a living in this subspecialty? Petrie and Diehl (1995) surveyed 1,000 members of the clinical psychology division of the American Psychological Association (APA) and found that 22% of the respondents had consulted with athletes or teams and that 48% had provided therapy to this population. Reflecting a growing interest in sport psychology, two professional organizations have emerged (APA Division 47, which is the Division of Exercise and Sport Psychology, and the Asso- ciation for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology ANDREW W. MEYERS received his PhD in clinical psychology from the Pennsylvania State University. He is professor and chairman of the De- partment of Psychology at The University of Memphis. His applied and research interests focus on addictive behaviors and the psychology of sport, exercise, and health. JENNIFER K. COLEMAN recently received her PhD in clinical psychology from The University of Memphis. She is completing her postdoctoral training as the early childhood mental health consultant on a transdisci- plinary team at the Center for Developmental Learning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. JAMES P. WHELAN received his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Memphis. He is an associate professor and director of the training clinic in the Department of Psychology at The University of Memphis. His research interests include sport and exercise psychology and the assessment and treatment of problem gambling. ROBYN S. MEHLENBECK received her PhD in clinical psychology from The University of Memphis. She is currently a staff psychologist at Rhode Island Hospital and Saint Anne's Hospital, working with children with medical issues, and is a clinical assistant professor at Brown University School of Medicine. SUPPORT FOR THIS RESEARCH was provided by a Centers of Excellence grant from the State of Tennessee. CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS ARTICLE should be addressed to An- drew W. Meyers, Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152-6400. Electronic mail may be sent to ameyers@memphis.edu. [AAASP]), three academic journals (Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, and The Span Psychologist) have been established, and a number of books related to this field have recently appeared. AAASP's most recent Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Span Psychology (Sachs, Burke, & Gomer, 1998) identified 112 programs, a 26% increase over the past 15 years (Sachs & Burke, 1986). The July 1996 special issue of The APA Monitor (American Psychological Association, 1996) was largely devoted to psychologists' roles in sport and exercise and their extension of these roles to the general population. The employment of full-time sport psychologists by the United States Olympic Committee and several major univer- sities has supplied another sign of the viability of the area. Applied sport psychology involves performance enhancement, life skills training, organizational consulting with teams, clinical and counseling interventions with athletes, and rehabilitation (Danish, Petitpas, & Hale, 1993). Applied sport psychology work has the potential to be both financially and personally gratifying. Murphy's (1995) recent book on clinical sport psychology and the psychological skills training program for athletes described by Martin and Toogood (1997) serve as examples of this work. Sport psychology is an interdisciplinary field with academic training in physical education, sport and exercise science, psychol- ogy, and counseling departments (Van Raalte & Williams, 1994). Most of the professional employment opportunities in sport psy- chology require a doctoral degree (Van Raalte & Williams, 1994). Within the field of sport psychology, there are three typical pro- fessional career tracks. Those interested in teaching, doing re- search, and doing applied sport psychology work with athletes typically pursue a doctoral degree in sport sciences with additional training in clinical or counseling psychology and seek primary employment in academic sport sciences departments. Individuals interested in teaching and doing research in psychology who are also interested in doing applied work with athletes tend to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology with addi- tional training in sport sciences. These individuals typically seek an academic psychology position. Those mainly interested in pro- viding clinical and counseling services to various populations, including athletes, typically pursue a doctoral degree in clinical or