Average forensic psychologist salary
$83,065
$39.94 hourly rate
Entry-level forensic psychologist salary
$56,000 yearly salary
Updated April 25, 2024
How much does a forensic psychologist make?
The average forensic psychologist salary in the United States is $83,065. Forensic psychologist salaries typically range between $56,000 and $121,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for forensic psychologists is $39.94 per hour. Forensic psychologist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Forensic psychologists earn the highest average salary in California.
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Forensic psychologist salary by:
- State
- City
- Company
- Industry
- Trends
Where can a Forensic Psychologist earn more?
Compare salary by location
Vs
153k
133k
113k
93k
73k
53k
33k
Ashburn, VA$127,409
Compare salary by company
Vs
124k
104k
84k
64k
44k
24k
4k
Wellpath$94,539
State of Ohio$34,469
Forensic Psychologist salary estimates from across the web
Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a forensic psychologist typically falls between $78,990 and $170,008.
Average forensic psychologist salary by state
The average forensic psychologist salary in California, Delaware, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average forensic psychologist salary states are South Carolina, West Virginia, and South Dakota.
- State View
- County View
Average Salary:
Highest paying states for forensic psychologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $111,367 | $53.54 |
| 2 | California | $114,588 | $55.09 |
| 3 | Washington | $110,948 | $53.34 |
| 4 | Illinois | $95,083 | $45.71 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $104,604 | $50.29 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $103,858 | $49.93 |
| 7 | Virginia | $96,309 | $46.30 |
| 8 | Nevada | $89,449 | $43.00 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $97,161 | $46.71 |
| 10 | Maryland | $91,314 | $43.90 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $89,109 | $42.84 |
| 12 | Ohio | $88,354 | $42.48 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $85,562 | $41.14 |
| 14 | Oregon | $87,308 | $41.98 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $94,086 | $45.23 |
| 16 | Utah | $90,552 | $43.53 |
| 17 | Colorado | $89,062 | $42.82 |
| 18 | Vermont | $93,071 | $44.75 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $88,756 | $42.67 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $88,480 | $42.54 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $89,087 | $42.83 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $86,792 | $41.73 |
| 23 | Indiana | $83,114 | $39.96 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $80,743 | $38.82 |
| 25 | Alaska | $85,958 | $41.33 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $77,668 | $37.34 |
| 27 | New York | $85,092 | $40.91 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $87,002 | $41.83 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $80,926 | $38.91 |
| 30 | Arizona | $77,199 | $37.11 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $76,129 | $36.60 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $73,929 | $35.54 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $77,479 | $37.25 |
| 34 | Texas | $79,497 | $38.22 |
| 35 | Idaho | $84,002 | $40.39 |
| 36 | Michigan | $76,819 | $36.93 |
| 37 | Georgia | $74,745 | $35.94 |
| 38 | Montana | $69,089 | $33.22 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $56,054 | $26.95 |
| 40 | Kansas | $72,944 | $35.07 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $72,528 | $34.87 |
| 42 | Alabama | $74,006 | $35.58 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $66,256 | $31.85 |
| 44 | Iowa | $74,157 | $35.65 |
| 45 | Maine | $70,706 | $33.99 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $65,973 | $31.72 |
| 47 | Missouri | $67,523 | $32.46 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $66,236 | $31.84 |
| 49 | Florida | $63,407 | $30.48 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $66,495 | $31.97 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $65,592 | $31.53 |
Top forensic psychologist jobs near you
Highest paying cities for forensic psychologists
The highest-paying cities for forensic psychologists are Santa Rosa, CA, Olympia, WA, and New Bedford, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $127,409 | $61.25 |
| 2 | Olympia, WA | $112,258 | $53.97 |
| 3 | New Bedford, MA | $98,144 | $47.18 |
| 4 | Pueblo, CO | $90,380 | $43.45 |
| 5 | Massillon, OH | $89,287 | $42.93 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | $89,093 | $42.83 |
| 7 | Concord, NH | $86,465 | $41.57 |
| 8 | Houston, TX | $77,739 | $37.37 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | $75,368 | $36.23 |
| 10 | Pembroke Pines, FL | $62,584 | $30.09 |
Forensic Psychologist salary details
A forensic psychologist's salary ranges from $56,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $121,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a forensic psychologist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $121,000 | $10,083 | $58 |
| 75th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| Average | $83,065 | $6,922 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| 10th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
Highest paying forensic psychologist jobs
The highest paying types of forensic psychologists are psychologist, clinical psychologist, and developmental psychologist.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychotherapist | $69,921 | $5,827 | $33.62 | 20,520 |
| Health Psychologist | $81,412 | $6,784 | $39.14 | 58,741 |
| Psychologist | $97,803 | $8,150 | $47.02 | 12,516 |
| Clinical Psychologist | $97,659 | $8,138 | $46.95 | 69,762 |
Top companies hiring forensic psychologists now:
- Minnesota Judicial Branch Jobs (2)
- Palestine Regional Medical Center Jobs (1)
- University of Massachusetts Medical School Jobs (2)
- Freedom House Recovery Center Jobs (1)
- The Center for Health Care Services Jobs (1)
Which companies pay forensic psychologists the most?
Forensic psychologist salaries at Wellpath and The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average forensic psychologist salary at companies like UT Health East Texas and Colorado State Express are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellpath | $94,539 | $45.45 |
| 2 | The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD | $93,769 | $45.08 |
| 3 | UT Health East Texas | $90,478 | $43.50 |
| 4 | Colorado State Express | $87,287 | $41.96 |
| 5 | Minnesota Judicial Branch | $86,802 | $41.73 |
| 6 | Wexford Health Sources | $79,610 | $38.27 |
| 7 | Central Transport | $77,837 | $37.42 |
| 8 | Fort Bend County | $75,675 | $36.38 |
| 9 | GPAC | $73,420 | $35.30 |
| 10 | Washington State University | $70,958 | $34.11 |
| 11 | State Bar of Michigan | $60,085 | $28.89 |
| 12 | Liberty Healthcare | $57,685 | $27.73 |
| 13 | State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia | $49,371 | $23.74 |
| 14 | Colorado Department of Transportation | $45,428 | $21.84 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $43,896 | $21.10 |
| 16 | Georgia Department of Education | $35,156 | $16.90 |
| 17 | State of Ohio | $34,469 | $16.57 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
$80,000$79,000$78,000$77,000$76,000$75,000
MaleFemale
Forensic Psychologist salary by industry
The average forensic psychologist salary varies across industries:
- The average forensic psychologist salary in the manufacturing industry is $101,586, the highest of any industry.
- The average forensic psychologist salary in the finance industry is $86,786.
- Forensic psychologists in the government industry earn an average salary of $63,642, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for forensic psychologists
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $101,586 | $48.84 |
| 2 | Professional | $86,786 | $41.72 |
| 3 | Health Care | $85,053 | $40.89 |
| 4 | Government | $63,642 | $30.60 |
High Paying Forensic Psychologist Jobs
Forensic Psychologist salary trends
The average forensic psychologist salary has risen by $12,384 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average forensic psychologist earned $70,681 annually, but today, they earn $83,065 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for forensic psychologists over the last decade.
Compare forensic psychologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average forensic psychologist salary over time
Compare forensic psychologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Forensic Psychologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $83,100 | $39.93 | +3.8% |
| 2023 | $79,900 | $38.43 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | $79,100 | $38.04 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $76,800 | $36.90 | +2.1% |
| 2020 | $75,200 | $36.13 | +1.2% |
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Recently added forensic psychologist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York State Civil Service | Psychologist 1, Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center, P24107 | New York, NY | 06/30/2023 | $71,496 |
| Fort Bend County | Forensic Psychologist-Behavioral Health Services | Richmond, TX | 06/30/2023 | $89,136 |
| Fort Bend County Road & Bridge | Forensic Psychologist-Behavioral Health Services | Richmond, TX | 06/29/2023 | $89,136 |
| Texas Health and Human Services | Psychologist II-Forensic EVA | Austin, TX | 06/28/2023 | $96,720 |
| Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services | Forensic Psychologist II | Vinita, OK | 06/24/2023 | $70,000 |
| Liberty Healthcare Corporation | Forensic Psychologist (1 Day Weekly | Los Angeles, CA | 06/22/2023 | $125,220 |
| Liberty Healthcare Corporation | Forensic Psychologist (1 Day Weekly | San Diego, CA | 06/11/2023 | $125,220 |
| State of Oklahoma | Forensic Psychologist | Vinita, OK | 06/10/2023 | $76,843 |
| Fort Bend County | Forensic Psychologist-Behavioral Health Services | Richmond, TX | 06/08/2023 | $89,136 |
| Fort Bend County Road & Bridge | Forensic Psychologist-Behavioral Health Services | Richmond, TX | 06/07/2023 | $89,136 |
Show more
Forensic Psychologist salary FAQs
What state pays Forensic Psychologists the most?
How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a Forensic Psychologist?
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See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.Search for forensic psychologist jobs
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Updated April 25, 2024
