Perhaps you are interested in how the mind works and why human beings act the way they do. If so, then you might want to pursue a psychology degree. As a species, we have long been fascinated by the human mind and how it operates, as it reveals to us each of our motivations.

A psychology degree can grant you access to several different career fields and paths. Let's look at six of those right now.

Human Services

Many individuals who pursue a major in psychology want to help people in various ways. Human services allow you to do that. Some jobs in this area include:

• Group home workers

• Detention center employees

• Social service clerks

• Assistants in welfare agencies

There has been an emphasis lately on trying to scale back for-profit prisons and not giving drug offenders lengthy sentences. The alternative would be to seek treatment and counseling for these individuals, who are disproportionality people of color. With a psych degree, you can be on the front line of that initiative.

Working in a group home or at a welfare agency can also be quite rewarding. You'll be doing work that makes a real societal difference. It's worth noting, though, that most of these jobs don't pay very much.

Education Careers

Education careers are another area where a psychology degree is a big bonus. In some, it's a requirement. These would be positions like:

• Head start program employees

• Teacher's assistants

• Daycare center employees

If you went this route, be sure that you enjoy spending time with children. There's always a need for individuals to work with special needs kids. Again, while these are socially conscious jobs, don't expect a high salary.

Medical Profession Jobs

There are several jobs that you can have with a psychology degree that you could lump into the medical profession category. In this area, you'd be looking at positions as diverse as rehabilitation assistants, home care aides, case technicians, youth counselors, or psychiatric nursing assistants.  

If you're interested in one of these positions, then you might try it for a while and see if you like it, while at the same time, you could keep going to school in pursuit of a Master's or a Doctorate. That would enable you to seek higher-paying work. Otherwise, you might need ways to supplement your income.

Business Careers

You might also choose to use your psychology degree and step into the business arena. There are jobs in customer service, human resources, or sales where a psych degree will benefit you.

In business, it helps to know how people think and what motivates them. Some individuals with psych degrees become excellent salespeople because they know how to appeal to a potential customer's pain points.

In other cases, you might wish to become an entrepreneur. A psych degree could be just as beneficial to you there as a business or marketing degree.

Mental Health Careers

You can always get a job in the mental health field with a psychology degree. Some individuals with depression or bipolar disorder choose to get into this field because they want to make a difference for others. If you have family members with mental illness, that might be another reason to go in this direction.

You could assist a counselor. Other options would be working as a crisis hotline operator or working in a medical facility as a record keeper.

Regrettably, these are also jobs that don't generally pay a whole lot, even though they do a great deal of good from a societal standpoint. You might work at one of these jobs while continuing your education, or you might need to supplement your income, depending on whether you live in an expensive part of the country.

Marketing or Advertising

Since you need to know what makes humans tick when you're in marketing or advertising, either one might be suitable career paths for the individual with a psychology degree. These are some of the more potentially profitable positions you could hold with this background.

You can work for many different company types, or you might even start your own. With strong business acumen and a psych degree, you have an excellent chance of success starting your own business. Just select the niche that appeals to you.

You're in no way limited with a psych degree in terms of what you can do with your life. Think about what matters most to you, and look for a job based on that criteria.