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Forensic psychologist demographics and statistics in the US

Forensic psychologist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates forensic psychologist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our forensic psychologist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about forensic psychologists after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 7,336 forensic psychologists currently employed in the United States.
  • 63.3% of all forensic psychologists are women, while 36.7% are men.
  • The average forensic psychologist age is 46 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of forensic psychologists is White (76.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.6%), Black or African American (5.1%) and Asian (4.2%).
  • Forensic psychologists are most in-demand in Bakersfield, CA.
  • Santa Rosa, CA pays an annual average wage of $127,409, the highest in the US.
  • In 2022, women forensic psychologists earned 95% of what men earned.
  • Delaware is the best state for forensic psychologists to live.
  • Forensic psychologists are 48% more likely to work at government companies in comparison to private companies.
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Forensic psychologist demographics by:

Forensic psychologist gender statistics

63.3% of forensic psychologists are women and 36.7% of forensic psychologists are men.
  • Female, 63.3%
  • Male, 36.7%

Forensic psychologist gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Female63.3%
Male36.7%

Forensic psychologist gender pay gap

Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$79,827
female-income
Female income
$75,539

Forensic psychologist gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in forensic psychologist positions over time. Currently, 63.3% of forensic psychologists are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Forensic psychologist gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201043.08%56.92%
201141.02%58.98%
201237.98%62.02%
201336.13%63.87%
201438.25%61.75%
201536.47%63.53%
201635.67%64.33%
201734.95%65.05%
201839.94%60.06%
201936.23%63.77%
202035.64%64.36%
202136.73%63.27%

Forensic psychologist related jobs gender ratio

We compared forensic psychologists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, econometrician and political advisor have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Home Economist4%96%
Educational Diagnostician11%89%
Senior Behavioral Scientist15%85%
Forensic Psychologist37%63%
Agricultural Economist75%25%
Political Advisor76%24%
Econometrician77%23%

Forensic psychologist demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among forensic psychologists is White, which makes up 76.3% of all forensic psychologists. Comparatively, 10.6% of forensic psychologists are Hispanic or Latino and 5.1% of forensic psychologists are Black or African American.
  • White, 76.3%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 10.6%
  • Black or African American, 5.1%
  • Asian, 4.2%
  • Unknown, 3.6%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%

Forensic psychologist race

Forensic psychologist racePercentages
White76.3%
Hispanic or Latino10.6%
Black or African American5.1%
Asian4.2%
Unknown3.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%

Forensic psychologist race and ethnicity over time

See how forensic psychologist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Forensic psychologist race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201082.12%4.65%3.35%7.97%
201181.61%4.89%3.17%8.43%
201280.79%5.38%3.38%8.64%
201380.72%4.86%3.70%8.75%
201480.35%4.90%3.79%9.02%
201581.65%4.61%3.71%8.34%
201680.91%4.46%3.92%8.60%
201780.34%4.71%3.57%9.12%
201882.25%3.74%3.58%8.61%
201979.43%4.57%4.19%9.92%
202076.38%5.38%4.15%10.10%
202176.30%5.05%4.19%10.60%

Forensic psychologist wage gap by race

According to our data, white forensic psychologists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown forensic psychologists have the lowest average salary at $76,077.
$85,000
$83,000
$81,000
$79,000
$77,000
$75,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$76,077
White$82,267
Black or African American$80,052
Asian$80,047
Hispanic or Latino$80,825

Average forensic psychologist age

See how the average age of forensic psychologists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Forensic psychologist age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Unknown47
White5143
Black or African American4543
Asian4544
Hispanic or Latino46.539

Forensic psychologist age breakdown

The average age of forensic psychologists is 40+ years years old, representing 65% of the forensic psychologist population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Forensic psychologist age breakdown

Forensic Psychologist YearsPercentages
40+ years65%
30-40 years29%
20-30 years5%

Forensic psychologist educational attainment

The most common degree for forensic psychologists is bachelor's degree, with 36% of forensic psychologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 36% and doctoral degree degree at 23%.
  • Bachelor's, 36%
  • Doctorate, 36%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

Forensic psychologists by degree level

Forensic psychologist degreePercentages
Bachelor's36%
Doctorate36%
Master's23%
Associate2%
Other Degrees3%

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Forensic psychologist wage gap by degree level

$95,000
$91,000
$87,000
$83,000
$79,000
$75,000
$71,000
Master's Degree
Doctorate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$74,570
Doctorate Degree$93,229

Forensic psychologist employment statistics

Most forensic psychologists work for a government in the government industry.

Company size where forensic psychologists work

Below, you can see the size of companies where forensic psychologists work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Forensic psychologist jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees2%
50 - 100 employees21%
100 - 500 employees35%
500 - 1,000 employees8%
1,000 - 10,000 employees27%
> 10,000 employees8%

Forensic psychologist jobs by company type

Employees with the forensic psychologist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most forensic psychologists prefer to work at government companies over private companies.

Education

Private

Government

Forensic psychologist jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education9%
Private43%
Government48%

Forensic psychologist jobs by industry

The most common industries for forensic psychologists are government, health care and education.

Government

Health Care

Education

Professional

Media

Forensic psychologist industry statistics

Forensic psychologist turnover and employment statistics

Forensic psychologist unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for forensic psychologists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Forensic psychologist unemployment rate by year

YearForensic psychologist unemployment rate
20101.20%
20111.58%
20121.40%
20131.11%
20141.11%
20150.77%
20160.85%
20170.90%
20180.44%
20190.61%
20200.96%
20210.92%

Average forensic psychologist tenure

The average forensic psychologist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 202 forensic psychologists resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Forensic psychologist tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year19%
1-2 years26%
3-4 years13%
5-7 years14%
8-10 years9%
11+ years18%

Forensic psychologist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of forensic psychologists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Environmental Economist7.51%16,568
Rural Sociologist10.82%7,681
Psychology Associate11.87%6,332
Land Planner13.00%14,910
Forensic Psychologist19.82%-

Similar forensic psychologist jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Environmental Economist7.51%16,568
Rural Sociologist10.82%7,681
Psychology Associate11.87%6,332
Land Planner13.00%14,910

Foreign languages spoken by forensic psychologists

The most common foreign language among forensic psychologists is Spanish at 66.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 11.1% and French is the third-most popular at 11.1%.
  • Spanish, 66.7%
  • German, 11.1%
  • French, 11.1%
  • Vietnamese, 11.1%

Forensic psychologist languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish66.7%
German11.1%
French11.1%
Vietnamese11.1%

Forensic psychologist jobs

Forensic psychologist location demographics

Where do forensic psychologists earn the most?

Forensic psychologists earn the most in California, where the average forensic psychologist salary is $114,588. The map here shows where forensic psychologists earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Forensic Psychologists?

By looking through more than 202 resumes, we found that the most popular places for forensic psychologists are Tampa, FL and Chicago, IL.
Number of Forensic Psychologists

Forensic psychologist jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1California608$114,588
2Illinois270$95,083
3New York258$85,092
4Texas196$79,497
5Maryland171$91,314
6North Carolina161$85,562
7Pennsylvania150$89,109
8Georgia150$74,745
9Florida131$63,407
10Virginia126$96,309
11Washington124$110,948
12Ohio114$88,354
13New Jersey106$104,604
14Massachusetts98$97,161
15Arizona94$77,199
16Wisconsin90$80,743
17Colorado81$89,062
18Indiana74$83,114
19Oregon72$87,308
20South Carolina69$66,256
21Oklahoma68$73,929
22Michigan68$76,819
23Minnesota58$89,087
24Missouri52$67,523
25Connecticut36$103,858
26Nebraska35$76,129
27Nevada32$89,449
28Delaware31$111,367
29Louisiana27$88,480
30New Mexico27$77,479
31District of Columbia26$94,086
32Utah24$90,552
33Tennessee24$88,756
34Kentucky23$65,592
35Kansas22$72,944
36Hawaii19$56,054
37Montana17$69,089
38Arkansas17$72,528
39Iowa17$74,157
40New Hampshire14$87,002
41Alabama14$74,006
42Wyoming13$77,668
43North Dakota12$80,926
44South Dakota12$65,973
45Rhode Island11$86,792
46Alaska11$85,958
47Maine11$70,706
48West Virginia10$66,236
49Mississippi10$66,495
50Idaho9$84,002
51Vermont3$93,071

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