Salary of Forensic Psychologists
Forensic psychologists are interested in legal issues related to mental function. Unlike forensic psychiatrists, forensic psychologists are not medical doctors, but they work for the same purpose --- to serve as experts who can unravel and explain behavior to the court with the intent of sentencing or solving or preventing crime. A forensic psychologist who does well in the field may earn $100,000 or more per year, although most forensic psychologists earn a little less.
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Pay Rates
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), average wages for psychologists who don't fall into the clinical, school, counseling or industrial-organizational category is $84,220 per year, based on 2009 information. Wages range from $41,070 to $117,470. The Allcriminaljusticeschools.com website, which references BLS data from 2010, asserts that forensic psychologists earn a median annual salary of $66,040, with top earners making $109,000. Forensic psychologists thus appear to be slightly above the 25th percentile of workers in the "psychologists, all other" category, as those in the 25th percentile earn $61,340. The Reid Psychiatry website claims that forensic psychologists may earn $150 to $400 per hour. Forensicpsychology.net lists a range of $41,000 to $82,000 per year.
Salaried Versus Hourly
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Forensic psychologists usually work on a per hour basis just like lawyers do, consulting with many agencies as independent contractors. These workers can set the number of cases they take and therefore have more flexibility in their overall yearly earnings. However, some psychologists are salaried. The best forensic psychologists in lead positions who are salaried earn $100,000 or more, according to Reid Psychiatry.
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Contingency and Flat Fee
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Like forensic psychiatrists, if a forensic psychologist is paid hourly, he does not receive flat fees on contingency, according to Reid Psychiatry. This is because forensic psychologists must make it evident that compensation is not impacting testimony. Often they are paid in advance so that others know testimony is not the result of a psychologist fearing lack of payment.
Compensation by Region
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Where a forensic psychologist works impacts his salary. According to the BLS, the best states for psychologists in the "psychologists, all other" category based on 2009 information include Arizona, where salaries average $101,100 per year, New Hampshire ($97,290), California ($96,050), the District of Columbia ($96,040) and Connecticut ($91,360). The Bestsampleresume.com lists wages by region just for forensic psychologists. According to this website, as of 2011, the top-paying states are Mississippi ($101,000), the District of Columbia ($94,000), New York ($91,000) and Wyoming ($92,000). The lowest paying state, to provide a concept of pay range, is Louisiana, with compensation of just $59,000 per year.
Considerations
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As the BLS points out, some psychologists --- about 31 percent, according to 2008 data --- belong to unions, which stabilizes minimum pay somewhat. Additionally, the BLS projects that the psychology field as a whole will increase 12 percent through 2018. Projections just for the "psychologists, all other" category are higher at 14 percent. As the field grows, compensation is improving. Between 2008 and 2009, the "psychologists, all other" category saw a rise in pay of 1.6 percent.
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References
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