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Learn about forensic psychology: Discover what forensic psychologists do and their salary potential to decide whether it’s the right path for you.
What Education is Required to Become a Forensic Psychologist?
To qualify for a forensic psychologist’s license, you will likely need a doctorate in psychology and 1,500-6,000 hours of supervised field training.
The American Psychological Association (APA) specifically recommends a doctorate in clinical or counseling psychology.
Concentration tracks and self-directed specializations in forensic psychology are readily available in doctoral clinical and counseling psychology programs.
Forensic psychology has garnered a high profile in popular culture. In practice, though, the field bears little resemblance to the slick portrayals found in movies and television. This guide explores the realities of what forensic psychologists do, entry requirements, and potential salaries.
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What Is a Forensic Psychologist?
Forensic psychologists operate at the intersection of psychology and law enforcement. They apply principles of clinical psychology to conduct assessments and evaluate the psychological states of individuals in contact with the police, judicial, and correctional systems.
Specific job duties may include:
Assessing and interviewing subjects involved in criminal or civil proceedings
Providing expert opinions and advice to police, attorneys, judges, and corrections officials
Determining whether a person is psychologically fit to stand trial
Evaluating the level of future risk an offender poses to society
Some skills that can help you succeed as a forensic psychologist include strong interpersonal communication, effective crisis management and conflict resolution, and critical thinking.
How Much Do Forensic Psychologists Make?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes forensic psychologists in its “psychologists, all other” category. As of May 2023, these psychologists earned a median annual salary of $117,750.
Many factors can impact your actual earnings, including your location, employment setting, and experience level.
The following table lists the median annual salaries of psychologists working for various types of employers. Forensic psychologists working in scientific research and development earned the highest median annual salary, followed by educational support services and local government.
Forensic Psychologist Salaries
Employer Type
Median Annual Salary (May 2023)
Scientific Research and Development Services
$131,220
Educational Support Services
$123,260
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals
$118,690
Specialty Hospitals
$118,280
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service
Forensic psychologists work in various settings, including police departments, judicial institutions, correctional and rehabilitation facilities, and government agencies.
The BLS does not specifically track data for forensic psychologists, but the agency’s “psychologists, all other” category reveals notable employment trends. Federal, state, and local governments employ about 40% of practitioners in this category.
Forensic Psychologist Employment
Employer Type
Percent of Psychologists Employed
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service
39%
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
13%
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals
6%
Outpatient Care Centers
5%
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals
In the United States, state licensing boards regulate forensic psychologist licensing. Each licensing body has separate requirements but generally include:
A doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology
Note that some states and federal government jobs require that your doctoral degree be accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). If you do not attend an APA-accredited program or equivalent, licensing boards may request to review the program’s curriculum.
Finally, consider common work settings for forensic psychologists and understand that employers may prefer or require that you have specialized knowledge or training in specific processes and systems. For example, this may include experience working with survivors of crime, witnesses, people convicted of crimes, lawyers, and law enforcement professionals.
Is Becoming a Forensic Psychologist Right for You?
Working as a forensic psychologist can offer many rewards and unique challenges that make this field not right for everyone. Considering the pros and cons can help you evaluate your aptitude for this career path:
Pros
Positive and rewarding social and individual impact
Creative problem-solving and critical thinking
High earning potential
Highly varied and interdisciplinary duties — every day is different
Cons
High risk of psychological and emotional burnout due to the intense nature of typical job duties
Large amounts of administrative documentation
Systemic limitations may impact the ability to help survivors of crime
Work hours can be long and abnormal
Career Spotlight: Dale M. Siperstein, MFT, Ph.D., ABPP, Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist
Dale M. Siperstein
Dale M. Siperstein, MFT, Ph.D., ABPP, is a licensed psychologist and marriage and family therapist. She is a specialist in forensic psychology, certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology and the American Board of Forensic Psychology.
Dr. Siperstein specializes in treating children, along with personality and cognitive assessment of children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Siperstein has been a court-appointed child custody evaluator, special master, mediator, co-parent facilitator, and expert witness in civil, family, dependency, and administrative courts.
From the very early age of 10, I knew that I wanted to be a psychologist. My father was a decorated WWII veteran, and I was always aware that his service and liberating the suffering of people was heroic, but I saw first-hand that it came with significant personal sacrifices.
I think that I always had it in the back of my mind that I, too, would help alleviate other’s suffering, but I was curious about the way the mind worked and the complexities of symptoms — which led me to psychology.
I grew up in a rather large extended family that employed four generations of family members. This was fertile ground for significant conflict, in-fighting, alliances, and estrangements. I learned early on that one should lean on the legal system to resolve conflict, as various members of my family were in litigation with each other.
So, while I did not deliberately decide to pursue a career in forensic psychology, I was drawn toward understanding the application of the science of psychology to questions and issues related to law and the legal system.
My choice of graduate program was the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) in Berkeley, California, to pursue my Ph.D. CSPP (now merged with Alliant International University) was accredited by both the American Psychological Association and Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
It was the first free-standing school of professional psychology in the nation, as the goal was to train doctoral-level psychologists in professional practice models. Before applying to this program, I had majored in psychology at University of Southern California as an undergraduate.
CSPP took classroom learning and integrated it with the application of knowledge in a variety of field placements. This was a radical departure from what was then the prevalent focus on theory and research and prepared me for my professional journey into clinical and forensic psychology.
Prior to attending graduate school, I volunteered at a suicide crisis helpline, an adult day treatment program, and a children’s partial hospital program. I was also employed at a juveniles in need of supervision shelter and a juvenile detention center.
At the juvenile detention center, I encountered many children who had faced legal trouble stemming from the impact of being raised in chaotic, oppressed, multi-traumatized families and communities. I diversified my experiences in graduate school, working with various patient populations in a state prison medical facility, private psychiatric hospital, residential, outpatient and community mental health settings.
All of these trainings prepared me to work with a multitude of diagnostic and challenging cases in assessment and psychotherapy.
After graduating, I remained at my postdoc training site in Oakland, California, and eventually headed the psychological assessment component there. I also began teaching a class in child assessment and intervention at The Wright Institute.
I concurrently established a private practice, having been licensed as a marriage, family, child therapist. That practice began to grow as I learned that the field was not yet saturated with psychologists who could assess and treat young children. I started providing psychological evaluations on children for mediators in family court, and within a short period of time, I was asked to offer time-share and custody recommendations.
I participated in a six-month training program for child custody evaluators and mediators and attended additional seminars, some through the American Academy for Forensic Psychology. I became more immersed in learning the skills that were essential for working in the forensic sector.
I very much enjoy my forensic work because I am able to assess individuals in highly complex ways in high-stakes evaluations. Assessing individuals and families that present themselves for litigation from an in-depth and rich perspective is very challenging. Having all the information in front of you, figuring out the compelling questions to ask and how to ask them, and putting all the data together into a well-integrated report is satisfying.
These narratives can sometimes serve as an intervention because the person has been listened to and understood. While they may not get the outcome they had hoped for, the report helps them understand their psychology and behavior.
The finished product involves the consolidation of highly critical thinking and integration of behavioral observations, personal history that may include traumatic experiences, collateral information, and personality adjustment, along with thoughtful considerations of the relevant research and legal issues.
After completing one hundred hours of formal education and one thousand hours of experience in forensic psychology, I decided to apply for board certification in forensic psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology. It was one of the most challenging professional activities that I have encountered.
I was required to submit two forensic work samples that demonstrated an advanced understanding of the application and intersection of the law and psychology relevant to the cases. There was a written exam that covered all aspects of forensic psychology and an oral examination on my submitted work samples.
In my professional identity, I am a clinician, a professor, a faculty member, a supervisor, a mentor, a child and adult psychotherapist, an assessment psychologist, and a forensic psychologist. I am at the stage of my career where I pick and choose what kinds of cases I want, how much work I want to take on, and how much I charge for my time.
I treat and evaluate children, adolescents, and adults who have a variety of issues, some require a short-term adjustment, while others are longer-term therapy cases. I am also a faculty member at The Wright Institute in Berkeley.
I have been teaching child assessment and intervention, along with adult psychodiagnostic assessment, two year-long classes to Psy.D. students for over 25 years, and have mentored many students along the way.
You have to be able to convey your thinking into well-written, well integrated, and professional reports that will be read by judges, attorneys, clients, and other professionals involved in the case. You need to have a complex understanding of personality adjustment, psychological assessment, the law and the legal process, the relevant literature, and be attuned to one’s limitations in forming opinions.
When one professional door closes, another door opens. You never know what opportunities will be presented to you, and if you say “no” to something or you don’t get your first choice of graduate school, practicum, internship, or postdoc experience, it is not the end of your dreams for your professional career.
Learn the standard of care for providing services in your community and take professional risks, but always get a consultation from someone whose work you respect. No one can fault you for taking on a case that is out of your wheelhouse, as long as you have understood your role, practiced within your scope, been ethical, and sought consultation and guidance when needed.
Additionally, having a person champion your professional development can make a great deal of difference in your career trajectory.
Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Forensic Psychologist
Forensic psychology explores the human mind in legal and correctional systems. Professionals in this career path evaluate the psychology of people involved in crimes and court cases. They also share their expert opinions in court.
Forensic psychologists conduct psychological assessments, participate in criminal profiling, perform risk assessments on criminal offenders, and serve as criminal justice consultants and expert witnesses. They may also contribute to public policy development, perform or analyze research, and design rehabilitation programs.
You could need 10 years or more to become a fully licensed forensic psychologist. This timeline accounts for both your undergraduate and graduate schooling, along with your supervised clinical fieldwork and examination requirements.
Not usually. Most states require a doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology to qualify for psychologist licensure. In many cases, your doctoral degree will also need special accreditation from the American Psychological Association.
The top 10% of psychologists earn $157,420 per year or more, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data is specific to the agency’s “psychologists, all other” classification, which the BLS uses for forensic psychologists and additional specializations not accounted for in other psychologist category groupings.
