A forensic psychologist, who is also known as a forensic psychology expert or a forensic examiner, refers to a mental health professional who applies their understanding of human behavior to legal situations, including civil and criminal court cases. In general, these professionals work in courts, prisons, mental hospitals, and government agencies. They are the ones in charge of providing testimony during court cases, performing psychological evaluations of the suspects and defendants that are involved in a crime and conducting research on criminal behavior patterns.
If you are a job seeker or an employer in the criminal justice industry, you may want to check out a lot of things about forensic psychologists below, including about job description, duties and responsibilities or the things that they do, and salary below.
Read also: Education for a Forensic Psychologist
Job Description
Apparently, the job description of the forensic psychologist varies between specialties. In the criminal justice industry, they use their expertise in order to determine what actually happened during crimes. They will interview a few people, including witnesses, criminals, and victims. Besides, they will also help lawyers to choose jury members. Forensic psychologists are the ones that play a role in the criminal justice industry as they are the ones that determine whether juries or judges should accept the testimony of people as valid.
Here’s everything you need to hear from Portland Community College instructor Dr. Tatiana Snyder about explore what it takes to become a Forensic Psychologist:
For those who want to hire forensic psychologists and want to advertise your vacancies and find qualified candidates, you can check out some examples of the job description below provided by Indeed. Feel free to use the following examples or to modify responsibilities, requirements, or some other things based on your needs.
Example 1:
Forensic Psychologist, Court Clinic Forensic ServicesSeeking licensed clinical psychologist to perform court-ordered diagnostic evaluations on adult offenders. (Full Time preferred, Part Time considered). The Court Clinic is one of ten forensic centers in Ohio that conducts forensic assessments of adult defendants for six different counties in southern Ohio. The Court Clinic is one of the busiest forensic centers in Ohio. The psychologist will be responsible for completing psychological assessments which address competence to stand trial, not guilty by reason of insanity, risk of dangerousness, risk of sexually re-offending, and reports for specialty courts. Duties: Conduct evaluations for persons referred to the clinic by the Criminal Courts. Duties will include face-to-face interviews and/or virtual evaluations, collection and review of collateral information, and the administering/interpreting psychological testing (when indicated). Consultation with attorneys, probation and court officials as needed, and provide expert testimony, as required. Prepare written report of findings, recommendations, and opinions within statutory timeframes. Maintain and complete timely and necessary documentation that meets the standards of agency policy. Staff will also participate in training with other professional staff (as needed). Qualifications: Some forensic experience is required. All applicants should be comfortable conducting diagnostic assessments and writing integrated reports to be submitted to Courts. Applicant must be a psychologist licensed or license eligible in Ohio. Competitive salary and benefits, in addition to a signing bonus. Job Types: Full-time, Part-time Benefits:
Schedule: 8 hour shift Day shift: Monday to Friday Work setting: Clinic Ability to commute/relocate: Cincinnati, OH 45202: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (required) Willingness to travel: 25% Location: One location |
Example 2:
Those that are able to receive the COVID-19 vaccination will be required to do so as a requirement of employment at Netcare Access.Benefits:
General Description: Responsible for performing court-ordered psychological evaluations of adults and juveniles referred by the criminal division of the Common Pleas system, including but not limited to competency to stand trial, sanity, juvenile bindover, and second opinion, and informal evaluations. Has well-developed clinical assessment skills, including psychological testing and report writing. Carries out responsibilities under the supervision of the Director, Forensic & Specialized Assessment Services. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: A. Performs court-ordered forensic assessments of individuals referred by the criminal and court systems. B. Prepares comprehensive, professional reports to referral sources within statutory timeframes. C. Maintains timely and complete documentation of services and activities that meet the standards of Netcare and accrediting agencies. D. Performs other duties as assigned. Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: A. Knowledge of the theories and principles of clinical and forensic psychology, clinical and forensic assessment, and diagnosis. B. Knowledge of psychological testing principles and practices. C. Knowledge of methods of compiling, organizing, analyzing and interpreting data. D. Ability to write comprehensive and integrative reports. E. Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. F. Ability to establish and maintain an effective working relationship with others. G. Exhibits flexibility and ability to manage multiple demands in a fast-paced environment. H. Ability to work in alternate locations as assigned. I. Knowledge of the criminal justice system and pertinent Ohio revised code and ODMH statutes regarding the delivery of forensic services. J. Demonstrated experience and/or training in substance abuse disorder assessment and/or treatment. Minimum Qualifications:
*Applicants are considered for all positions in accordance with statutes and regulations concerning non-discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, non-disqualifying disability, veteran status, or other protected classification. Netcare is an equal opportunity employer, as well as a substance and tobacco free workplace. All offers of employment are contingent on satisfactory pre-employment drug screen, criminal background investigation and TB test results. Work Remotely: Yes Job Type: Full-time Benefits:
Schedule: 8 hour shift Education: Doctorate (required) Experience: Forensic Psychology; 1 year (required) License/Certification: Licensed Psychologist Credentials Location: One location |
Duties & Responsibilities
For anyone who is interested in forensic psychologist, you may want to know their duties and responsibilities. So, what do forensic psychologists do?
Just like the other jobs in the criminology industry, the duties and responsibilities of a forensic psychologist are many and vary. The common duties and responsibilities of a forensic psychologist include:
- Applying psychology to the terminal justice system
- Accessing the state of mind of the offender at the time of offense
- Accessing competency of individuals to stand trial
- Accessing risk of reoffending
- Accessing witness credibility
- Evaluating child custody in divorce
- Preparing for and providing testimony in court
- Accessing consistency of factual information from more than one source
- Giving advice to police about mental illness and criminal psychology
- Consulting with attorneys on mental health issues in the court system
- Teaming up with at-risk populations such as trauma survivors
- Designing correctional programs
Salary
The salary of the forensic psychologist can vary. For example, last year, Indeed estimated that forensic psychologists made an annual average salary of $95,374. However, an aggregator of self-reported salary data called PayScale found a variety of salaries in this field among its 136 reporting forensic psychologists, ranging from $52,000 to $93,000. In more granular terms, the same source reported the salary percentiles below:
- 10th percentile: $52,000
- 25th percentile: $68,000
- 50th percentile (median): $82,000
- 75th percentile: $89,000
- 90th percentile: $93,000
Aside from that, PayScale also found that experience was one of the most impactful factors on salary. Below are the median annual salaries among different experience brackets of forensic psychologists:
- Entry-level (0-4 years) – reported by 20 individuals: $51,521
- Mid-career (5-9 years) – reported by 30 individuals: $82,679
- Experienced (10-20 years) – reported by 16 individuals: $88,832
Sadly, there is no data about the late-career forensic psychologists provided by PayScale. For comparative purposes, there is data offered by BLS on clinical, counseling, and school psychologists. Remember that this general category of psychologists will be used as a proxy for forensic psychologists because reliably differentiated data is not available.
What makes it interesting is that salary percentiles among psychologists as a whole were similar to those found among reporting forensic psychologists of PayScale (BLS May 2020), as follows:
- 10th percentile: $44,500
- 25th percentile: $76,730
- 50th percentile (median): $105,780
- 75th percentile: $119,460
- 90th percentile: $133,470
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics or BLS, the top-paying industries for psychologists nationwide include:
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners (1,340 employed): $133,660 annual mean salary
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services: (40 employed) $116,210
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (unknown): $104,360
- Local Government (90 employed): $101,410
- Individual and Family Services (unknown): $100,640
It is worth noting that only one of the top-paying industries (Offices of Other Health Practitioners) was a top-employer of psychologists across the country:
- Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) (8,240 psychologists employed): $99,940 annual mean salary
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners (1,340 employed): $133,660
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (880 employed): $86,160
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (700 employed): $90,160
- Offices of Physicians (570 employed): $89,000
As stated in the beginning, the salaries for psychologists also tended to vary based on religion. BLS reported the top-paying states in this field included:
- California (unknown): $124,910 annual mean salary
- Alaska (unknown): $118,270
- Illinois (1,060 psychologists employed): $115,340
- Virginia (450 employed): $109,060
- Colorado (350 employed): $103,560
It is actually interesting to know that the top employers in this field were located throughout other areas of the United States in the states that have large populations, such as:
- Florida (1,100 psychologists employed): $97,940 annual mean salary
- Illinois (1,060 psychologists employed): $115,340
- Texas (830 employed): $98,410
- Maryland (600 employed): $100,060
- Massachusetts (560 employed): $93,970
Apparently, four of the top 10 highest paying metropolitan areas for psychologists were located in California, including:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (unknown): $138,810 annual mean salary
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA (130 psychologists employed): $126,040
- Jacksonville, FL (50 employed): $125,230
- Salinas, CA (unknown): $122,230
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI: $118,550
- Anchorage, AK (unknown): $116,710
- Fresno, CA (40 employed): $116,490
- Dayton, OH (120 employed): $115,120
- Richmond, VA (140 employed): $107,130
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (670 employed): $104,890
That’s why it is not surprising that the top-employed metropolitan areas for psychologists tended to fall in the large cities of the country, such as:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (960 psychologists employed): $118,550 annual mean salary
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (670 employed): $104,890
- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH (510 employed): $91,790
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (450 employed): $94,960
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (400 employed): $99,900
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (380): $98,880
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL (320 employed): $80,810
- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA (280 employed): $104,270
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (270 employed): $102,740
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD (260 employed): salary unknown
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
