Key Takeaways
- Forensic psychiatrists earn between $232,000 and $266,000 annually, with outpatient care paying more.
- Top-paying states like Oregon and California offer salaries up to $325,000 annually.
- Forensic psychiatry ranks among the highest-paying psychiatry subspecialties, earning up to $330,000.
- Steady salary growth reflects increasing demand in legal, correctional, and telehealth settings.
Forensic psychiatry is a subspecialty of psychiatry that combines the fields of psychiatry and law. Practitioners typically earn around $232,000 a year, though some sources claim the income can be even higher.
Due to the unique nature of this work, you can expect to receive a fair salary compared to those who deal with these fields individually.
However, a forensic psychiatrist’s salary depends on various factors.
This salary guide highlights the potential earnings of forensic psychiatrists.
Table of Contents
What’s the Average Forensic Psychiatrist’s Salary?
The average salary for a forensic psychiatrist in the U.S. in 2024 is generally between $232,000 and $266,000 per year.
- Average Median Salary: $232,336
- Lowest 10%: $189,473
- Top 10%: $278,616
- Average Hourly Wage: ~$120 – $128
- Average Salary in Outpatient Care: ~$265,000
- Average Salary in Hospitals: ~$233,000
Forensic psychiatrists in the U.S. earn an average median salary of approximately $232,000 in 2024, with lower earnings of around $189,000 (10th percentile) and higher salaries reaching up to $278,600 (90th percentile).
The average hourly wage ranges from $120 to $128, and positions in outpatient care often provide higher compensation, averaging around $265,000, compared to $233,000 in hospital settings.
This reflects the specialized expertise required in combining psychiatry with legal and criminal justice knowledge.
Make the most of your salary by carefully planning your finances.
Forensic Psychiatrist Salary By State
Forensic psychiatrists’ salaries vary significantly across U.S. states, with distinct differences between the highest- and lowest-paying regions.
High-paying states such as Oregon and California compensate generously, driven by factors like the high cost of living and specialized service needs.
Meanwhile, states like Mississippi and Louisiana offer comparatively lower salaries, aligning with their more moderate living expenses and a limited market for forensic services.
5 Top-Paying States
- Oregon: $325,000
- California: $293,000
- Alaska: $282,000
- New York: $275,000
- Vermont: $268,000
These states provide significantly higher salaries for forensic psychiatrists due to factors like demand, the cost of living, and specific legal and healthcare structures that prioritize psychiatric care in forensic contexts.
For instance, California’s extensive healthcare network and Oregon’s higher demand for specialized psychiatric services have driven up wages in these regions.
5 Lowest-paying States
- Mississippi: $195,000
- Louisiana: $200,000
- Kentucky: $203,000
- Arkansas: $205,000
- West Virginia: $210,000
These states offer lower average salaries partly due to lower living costs and a more limited demand for forensic psychiatric expertise.
Additionally, smaller state budgets for specialized medical services may contribute to these disparities. Nevertheless, these states may still appeal to professionals who prefer lower costs of living or less competitive job markets.
Psychiatrist Pay by Subspecialties
Forensic psychiatry is one of the highest-paying subspecialties in psychiatry.
Compensation within different psychiatry subspecialties varies widely. There are fields where you earn significantly more, like working in Child & Adolescent and Geriatric Psychiatry. Inversely, some fields pay less, such as psychosomatic medicine and telepsychiatry.
Top Paying Psychiatrist Subspecialties
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: $320,000 – $350,000
- Geriatric Psychiatry: $310,000 – $340,000
- Forensic Psychiatry: $300,000 – $330,000
- Addiction Psychiatry: $295,000 – $325,000
- Neuropsychiatry: $290,000 – $320,000
Higher compensation in these fields reflects strong demand and specialized expertise requirements. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, for instance, is crucial due to the increasing mental health concerns among youth.
Geriatric Psychiatry, on the other hand, supports the aging population’s needs, with unique challenges and specialized care requirements in both cases.
Lowest-Paying Psychiatrist Subspecialties
- Psychosomatic Medicine: $250,000 – $275,000
- General Psychiatry: $255,000 – $280,000
- Community Psychiatry: $260,000 – $285,000
- Telepsychiatry: $265,000 – $290,000
- Sleep Psychiatry: $270,000 – $295,000
Forensic Psychiatrist Salary Trend
The trend in forensic psychiatrist salaries has shown steady growth in recent years, driven by rising demand for specialized psychiatric expertise in legal and correctional settings.
Forensic psychiatrists entering the field today can expect robust salary potential, especially as they gain experience and take on complex cases that require courtroom testimony or high-stakes evaluations.
In 2020, forensic psychiatrists earned an average of $215,000, reflecting a steady but modest market that relied on traditional court evaluations and corrective work.
By 2021, salaries rose to $225,000, partially influenced by a growing recognition of forensic psychiatry’s importance in correctional facilities and legal processes.
The expansion of telehealth also made forensic services more accessible, raising demand and, with it, compensation.
In 2022, the average salary jumped to $245,000, a significant increase fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects. During this period, forensic psychiatrists became essential for evaluating mental health issues within pandemic-affected populations and urban areas.
This mostly motivated the increase in compensation to offset high living costs and attract qualified professionals.
Salaries continued to rise in 2023, reaching around $260,000. This increase was likely a response to the escalating need for forensic mental health evaluations as cases gained more visibility.
In 2024, the average hit over $275,000.
You Too Can Thrive
Several factors determine a forensic psychiatrist’s salary, including location, subspecialties, and demand. However, the average forensic psychiatrist can earn over $270k per annum.
Judging from the steady growth curve over the past four years, one can say it’s still a lucrative career to consider. And if you’re already practicing, there’s a chance you can review your salary and negotiate better compensation.
Should you help with any of these services, you can contact us. We’ve helped over a thousand other physicians negotiate better compensation over the years.
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