Forensic Psychology Salary

You may want to pursue a career in forensic psychology because of a passion to help people, but at the end of the day, you need to know how much you can make in this industry. Every forensic psychologist salary is a little different based on where a person works and how long he or she has been in the field. Nevertheless, statistics may reveal some average figures that you can look to as a prediction for your future earnings. The forensic psychology salary levels below should give you a general view of what you can look forward to in this career.

Note that the salary levels listed here are courtesy of PayScale.com.

Forensic Psychology Salary by Gender

Statistically, men earn more money in forensic psychology than women do. This is ironic because 2/3 of the forensic psychologists in the US are women. On average, a female forensic psychologist salary will range from $47,000 to $76,000 annually. For men, those numbers jump to $51,000 and $105,000 a year. Many of the male employees in this field own their own psychology firms, giving them a chance to earn more money every year. This may explain the gap in pay scales.

Forensic Psychology Salary by Location

The New England area offers the highest paying forensic psychology jobs in the work force. The average forensic psychologist salary in Washington, D.C. is $60,000 to $245,000. Those staggering rats may be largely due to the governmental job opportunities in that area. In New York City, New York, the salary ranges extend from $15,000 a year to $99,000, with the lower number reflecting entry level positions and part time work in forensic psychology.

Florida is another good area for high salary levels in forensic psychology. The average forensic psychologist in this area earns between $60,000 and $86,000 a year. Similarly, parts of the West Coast offer high salary levels for forensic psychologists. The salary range for Los Angeles, California is $46,000 to $66,000. You can use information like that to determine where you might want to work in the future. Just make sure you take the cost of living into account, as that will make a big difference in the amount of money you actually take home in a certain location.

Forensic Psychology Salary by Degree

The type of degree you earn will have a large impact on the amount of money you can earn. For the most part, you must have a doctorate to participate in forensic psychology at all. However, there are some jobs open to those with bachelor’s degrees. The pay scale for those positions ranges from $39,000 a year to $83,000 a year. These job openings are few and far between, so you will likely have to get a doctorate if you want to work in this field.

There are two different kinds of doctoral degrees you can get for this profession: PsyD and PhD. Both of these degrees represent a doctorate in psychology. The only difference is the general program that you will go through to earn each degree. The variance in salary levels between the two is minimal, but graduates with a PsyD have a slightly higher national average. Those with a PhD earn an average of $55,000 to $91,000 a year, while those with a PsyD earn an average of $50,000 to $107,000 a year. At the end of the day, you will likely make the same money regardless of which doctorate degree you earn.

Forensic Psychology Salary Compared to Other Psychology Salaries

Forensic psychology salary levels are comparable to others in the field of psychology. The average clinical psychologist will earn $39,000 to $151,000 a year, and the average general psychologist earns between $32,000 and $123,000 annually. Student services coordinators represent some of the lower earnings in this field, making $25,000 to $51,000 a year. If you choose to move from a traditional psychology career to a forensic psychology career over time, you should not have trouble earning comparable money.

Conclusion

While forensic psychology does require an extensive amount of education, the time may prove well worth it in the end. The annual pay rates for forensic psychologists can be quite high, as long as you make an effort to progress in your career. Take the time to explore this subject before determining if this is the right career path for you. If it is, you will have all the joys of a forensic psychology salary waiting for you after you graduate.