Forensic psychologists are hired across a wide range of sectors, from federal law enforcement agencies and state prisons to private law firms and universities. The field sits at the intersection of psychology and the legal system, and the employers reflect that. The median salary for psychologists in this specialty area is $117,580, and employment is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the national average for all occupations.
Federal Law Enforcement Agencies
The FBI is one of the most prominent federal employers. Its Behavioral Analysis Units (BAUs) employ mental health practitioners alongside agents and analysts to work cases involving terrorism, cybercrime, and violent crimes against both children and adults. The work ranges from criminal investigative analysis (building behavioral profiles of offenders) to threat assessments, where practitioners evaluate whether an individual is moving toward an attack on an identified target. The FBI’s Behavioral Threat Assessment Center provides threat management support to law enforcement partners across the country, including state, local, tribal, and campus police.
Beyond the FBI, the broader federal executive branch is one of the most common employers of forensic psychologists. The Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Homeland Security, and various branches of the military all hire for roles that involve evaluating individuals, assessing risk, and supporting operational decision-making.
Military and Intelligence
The Department of Defense employs forensic psychologists in roles that include selecting personnel, training first responders, and working with veterans returning from deployment. Military forensic psychologists may also conduct fitness-for-duty evaluations or provide consultation on interrogation strategies. While specific intelligence agency roles are less publicly documented, the intersection of behavioral science and national security creates demand for psychologists with forensic training in classified settings as well.
State Government and Corrections
State-level agencies are major employers. Departments of corrections, juvenile justice agencies, and state psychiatric hospitals all need forensic psychologists on staff. New York’s Office of Children and Family Services, for example, hires forensic psychologists to work in secure juvenile facilities through its Division for Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth. These roles typically require experience in correctional facilities or forensic mental health settings.
Inside prisons and detention centers, forensic psychologists assess inmates, provide counseling, and contribute to rehabilitation efforts. Correctional psychologists specifically evaluate offenders for classification purposes (determining security levels and housing), treat mental health conditions, and help with reentry planning once someone is released. They also work with correctional staff, addressing burnout, critical incident stress, and operational psychology needs. This is one of the most hands-on, clinically intensive settings in the field.
Courts and the Judicial System
Family courts, criminal courts, and juvenile courts all rely on forensic psychologists to answer specific legal questions. In family law, forensic psychologists conduct child custody evaluations, parental fitness assessments, and risk evaluations when child maltreatment is alleged. These evaluations directly shape court decisions about reunification, supervised visitation, and which parent receives custody. Evaluators assess things like a parent’s understanding of what occurred, the causes of alleged harm, and how well the parent’s functioning matches the child’s needs. Parent-child interaction observations are a standard part of this process.
In criminal court, forensic psychologists evaluate defendants’ competency to stand trial, assess the risk of future violence, and provide expert opinions on mental state at the time of an offense. Some courts employ forensic psychologists directly through court evaluation services, while others contract with independent practitioners on a case-by-case basis.
Private Law Firms
Attorneys on both sides of civil and criminal cases hire forensic psychologists as expert witnesses and consultants. In civil litigation, forensic psychologists assess plaintiffs for emotional injuries like PTSD, evaluating whether symptoms are genuine or exaggerated based on psychological testing. Defense attorneys hire them to challenge those same claims.
In criminal cases, forensic psychologists provide testimony on scientifically complex topics: the reliability of child testimony, how memory and suggestibility affect witness accounts, the validity of syndrome-based evidence, and the psychology behind false allegations and recantations. Attorneys also retain forensic psychologists in domestic violence cases to assess victims of intimate partner violence, sometimes in connection with charges brought against those victims themselves. Law firms and prosecutors’ offices rank among the most common employers in this field.
Health Practitioners and Insurance Companies
Private practices and health practitioner offices employ forensic psychologists who conduct evaluations on referral from attorneys, courts, or insurance companies. Insurance companies specifically hire forensic psychologists to evaluate disability claims, assess the psychological impact of workplace injuries, and provide independent medical examinations. These roles involve less courtroom testimony and more standardized assessment work, but the forensic framing is the same: the psychologist is answering a specific legal or administrative question, not providing ongoing therapy.
Universities and Research Institutions
Academic departments hire forensic psychologists as faculty members in doctoral psychology programs. At Nova Southeastern University, for instance, clinical forensic psychology faculty teach courses in both clinical and forensic psychology, mentor doctoral students in research, and serve on department and national committees. These positions combine teaching with research productivity, and faculty often maintain small forensic practices or consulting roles alongside their academic work. Universities with forensic psychology programs, clinical psychology doctoral programs, or criminal justice departments are the most likely to have these positions.
Police Departments and Public Safety
Law enforcement agencies hire forensic psychologists for pre-employment screenings of police officer candidates, fitness-for-duty evaluations of current officers, and critical incident debriefings after traumatic events. Police psychology is considered a distinct component within the broader forensic psychology field. Some larger departments employ psychologists directly, while smaller agencies contract with private practitioners. These roles focus on keeping officers psychologically fit for duty and reducing liability for the department.
Where the Most Jobs Are
The Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies federal executive branches, health practitioners’ offices, prosecutors’ offices, law firms, and insurance companies as the industries that most frequently employ forensic psychologists. The field is broad enough that career paths look very different depending on the sector. A forensic psychologist in a federal prison spends their days conducting intake assessments and providing group therapy. One working with law firms spends their time reviewing case files and testifying in depositions. A university-based forensic psychologist splits time between a lecture hall and a research lab. The common thread is applying psychological expertise to questions that have legal consequences.