As professionals who combine a high degree of psychological and legal expertise, forensic psychologists are in demand as both consultants on family and workplace issues and as expert witnesses for defense and prosecution teams. These professionals are highly compensated for their advanced knowledge of psycholegal issues.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services expects the number of jobs for these professionals to increase by 5.5% in Ohio between 2012 and 2022. This level of growth should generate an average of 143 jobs a year in the state. Expectations for job growth between 2010 and 2020 are even higher in a number of cities in Ohio:
- Canton: 0%
- Columbus: 1%
- Dayton:8%
- Cleveland: 2%
- Youngstown: 0%
- Toledo: 7%
According to a 2015 article in The Columbus Dispatch, 10 times as many mentally ill individuals are serving time in prisons as there are patients in the six psychiatric hospitals in Ohio. More than 20% of Ohio’s inmates have a diagnosed mental illness, while more than 8% have a persistent and serious condition such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
Forensic psychologists frequently work to help stabilize such patients. Serious mentally ill inmates are housed at the Allen Oakwood Correctional Facility, and the authorities are in the process of adding more beds at this facility to better care for such individuals. The state is also opening residential treatment units at five prisons.
Salaries for Forensic Psychologists Throughout Ohio
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported the salaries of forensic psychologists in the state as of 2014. The median salary for these professionals was $71,869—4.3% higher than the national median for forensic psychologists. Experienced professionals in the 75th percentile of this occupational category earned $88,213 a year in Ohio, while those starting out in the 25th percentile earned an average of $47,029.
This agency also provides the salaries of forensic psychologists in Ohio’s major metropolitan areas for 2014:
Forensic Psychologist Salaries in Ohio’s Metropolitan and Rural Areas
Shown below for comparative purposes is salary data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for forensic psychologists throughout Ohio (2014):
