Introduction
One of the most lucrative and in-demand subfields of forensics is pathology. These “death detectives” are licensed physicians with special training to perform autopsies and determine the cause of death, disease, or injury. In this article we have mentioned about Forensic Pathologist Salary, their average salary, entry level salary and many more.
Also, they’re typically certified by the American Board of Pathology (ABP) in the forensic pathology subspecialty. This process can take four to five years after medical school, including completing qualifying residency and fellowship programs.
Forensic Pathologist Salary is $103,062 per year
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ 2022)—an organization that has provided more than $42 million to research in pathology—details some of the most pressing responsibilities of forensic pathologists.
Average Forensic pathologist salary
$103,062/ year
Avg. Base Salary (USD)
Starting salary for Forensic pathologist
The average starting salary for forensic pathologists in their first year on the job is $80,000 a year if they are employed by government agencies, and considerably higher for professionals working at private crime labs according to the salary data reported by CriminalJusticeOnlineBlog.com.
Hourly wage for Forensic pathologist
The average hourly rate for forensic pathologists employed in the United States is $118 per hour according to the salary figures reported by HealthcareWorkerSalary.com.
The 10% of the best paid pathologists earn an hourly wage of $161 or more, and the 10% on the lower end of the scale are paid $85 per hour or less.
Jobstat reports a median hourly pay of $71.95 for this occupation. The highest hourly wage recorded is $116.86 and the lowest, $11.08 per hour.
Career Outlooks for forensic pathologist
There is ample evidence of opportunities for aspiring forensic pathologists in years to come.
According to a recent article in the American Bar Association (ABA 2022), there is a profound shortage of forensic pathologists, which is delaying autopsies across the US.
The National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) adds that roughly 500,000 deaths annually are referred to coroners or medical examiners for autopsies, and nearly twice as many forensic pathologists are needed to fill this demand.
As it stands, NAME (2022) recommends that pathologists perform a maximum of 250 to 350 autopsies annually. Still, this number is being exceeded as the demand for these services far exceeds the supply of qualified practitioners.
Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2021) doesn’t report specifically on forensic pathologists, it offers data on two closely related occupations: forensic scientists and doctors.
The BLS (2021) projects that there will be an explosion in demand in both of these fields between 2020 and 2030.
For forensic science technicians, there’s an anticipated 16 percent increase in job openings (BLS 2021), and for physicians and surgeons, it’s 3 percent (BLS 2021).
Opportunities in both of these fields are poised to increase much more rapidly than the average growth expected for all occupations (8 percent).
How much a forensic pathologist make?
As with most fields, the forensic pathologist’s salary varies according to experience, location, employer, and specialization.
However, it’s important to remember that salaries for hospital-based pathologists tend to be higher than those for medicolegal forensic pathologists who work in facilities such as coroners’ or medical examiners’ offices.
This may be one factor contributing to the current shortage of forensic pathologists.
As mentioned previously, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not keep data specifically on forensic pathologists.
In addition, PayScale (2022)—another aggregator of self-reported salaries—found very generous salaries among its 50 responding pathologists, ranging from $81,000 to $353,000. In more precise terms, PayScale (2022) found the following percentiles:
- 10th percentile: $194,000
- 25th percentile: $194,000
- 50th percentile (median): $213,000
- 75th percentile: $298,000
- 90th percentile: $230,000
Here are PayScale’s (2022) median annual salaries for forensic pathologists according to different brackets of time on the job:
- Entry-level (0-5 years) – 11 individuals reporting: $193,871
- Mid-career (5-9 years) – 9 individuals reporting: $212,500
- Experienced (10-19 years) – 15 individuals reporting: $297,736
- Late-career (20+ years) – 14 individuals reporting: $230,078
By comparison, coroners—an occupation that typically requires at least a bachelor’s degree—make substantially less money. Here are the salary percentiles among the 38 responding coroners according to PayScale (2022):
- 10th percentile: $40,000
- 25th percentile: $53,000
- 50th percentile (median): $57,000
- 75th percentile: $64,000
- 90th percentile: $28,000
Since individuals certified in this profession must be licensed doctors before pursuing this pathology specialty, it’s worth examining physicians’ salaries.
In fact, among the 727,000 physicians and surgeons currently employed, the BLS (2021) found a median annual salary in excess of $208,000. (The BLS does not report salaries above a specific range.) This is substantially higher than the average salary across all professions at $56,310 (BLS May 2021).
Salary by state for Forensic pathologist
Forensic pathologists’ annual salaries depend on geographical location and can vary significantly from state to state.
Based on the salary data provided by Indeed, forensic pathologists based in California earn $176,000 a year on average, those working in Texas make $157,000 annually on average, and professionals based in New York earn an average annual salary of $197,000 a year.
The median annual pay for forensic pathologists employed in Massachusetts is $192,000 a year, and professionals working in Washington earn around $160,000 a year.
Forensic pathologists based in Florida earn $154,000 a year on average, those working in Nevada are paid around $137,000 a year, and professionals employed in Michigan make about $164,000 a year.
Forensic pathologists working in Illinois earn $179,000 a year on average, those based in Maine make $140,000 a year on average, and professionals working in Alabama earn around $163,000 a year.
The average salary for pathologists employed in New Jersey is $176,000 a year, for those working in Alaska, it is $129,000 a year, and for professionals based in Hawaii it is $107,000 a year.
Forensic pathologists working in New Hampshire earn $160,000 a year on average, those based in Idaho are paid a median yearly wage of $111,000, and professionals working in Arizona make $139,999 a year on average based on the salary figures reported by Indeed.
Salary by city for Forensic pathologist
Forensic pathologists’ average salaries can also vary considerably from city to city. Pathologists based in New York earn an average annual pay of $211,000, those working in Houston earn an average annual income of $174,000, and professionals employed in Dallas earn a salary of $159,000 a year on average.
Forensic pathologists working in Chicago earn $183,000 a year on average, those based in Boston are paid around $194,000 a year, and professionals based in Los Angeles earn a median salary of $167,000 a year.
Forensic pathologists employed in San Francisco earn $211,000 a year on average, those based in Atlanta earn around $193,000 a year, and professionals working in Seattle are paid $165,000 a year on average.
Pathologists based in Miami earn around $149,000 a year, those working in Washington are paid around $194,000 annually, and professionals working in Philadelphia earn an income of $162,000 a year on average .
What are the educational requirements to become a forensic pathologist?
As a medical doctor, a forensic pathologist must complete medical school at least to become an active pathologist. The common educational path for aspiring forensic pathologists is as follows:
Forensic pathologists are required to undergo extensive education and experience before they can work in their field.
Complete a bachelor’s degree in biology or a related field.
Earn a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) degree by attending and completing medical school.
Complete a three-to-four year pathology residency.
Complete a one-to-two-year fellowship in forensic pathology.
In total, a forensic pathologist may spend an average of 12 to 13 years completing the educational requirements to pursue this career. After the completion of the residency and fellowship, forensic pathologists must then obtain a certification from the American Board of Pathology to actively practice pathology.
This certification requires individuals to take two different exams that consist of both practical applications and written answers. After obtaining this certification, forensic pathologists must take and pass the recertification exam every 10 years, as well as participate in continuing medical education.
Forensic pathologist salaries by state
Here are the average salaries of forensic pathologists in each state, although these averages are always fluctuating and frequently updated on Indeed salaries:
- Alabama: $53,762 per year
- Alaska: $84,780 per year
- Arizona: $64,786 per year
- Arkansas: $56,824 per year
- California: $77,771 per year
- Colorado: $62,262 per year
- Connecticut: $73,380 per year
- Delaware: $59,706 per year
- Florida: $54,000 per year
- Georgia: $61,255 per year
- Hawaii: $47,802 per year
- Idaho: $42,480 per year
- Illinois: $57,002 per year
- Indiana: $45,167 per year
- Iowa: $65,782 per year
- Kansas: $50,761 per year
- Kentucky: $51,223 per year
How much tax will you have to pay as a Forensic Pathologist?
For an individual filer in this tax bracket, you would have an estimated average federal tax in 2018 of 32%.
After a federal tax rate of 32% has been taken out, Forensic Pathologists could expect to have a take-home pay of $139,137/year, with each paycheck equaling approximately $5,797.
Forensic Pathologist Salary Differ By Years
| Forensic Pathologist Salary in 2022 | $103062 |
| Forensic Pathologist Salary in 2021 | $282,590 |
| Forensic Pathologist Salary in 2020 | $60,118 |
| Forensic Pathologist Salary in 2019 | $308,000 |
| Forensic Pathologist Salary in 2018 | $74,000 – $310,000 |
FAQ’s About Forensic Pathologist Salary
How much does a forensic doctor earns in USA?
Salary Ranges for Forensic Doctors
The salaries of Forensic Doctors in the US range from $18,091 to $487,331 , with a median salary of $87,584 .
The middle 57% of Forensic Doctors makes between $87,584 and $220,767, with the top 86% making $487,331.
Do forensic pathologists get paid a lot?
Here are PayScale’s (2022) median annual salaries for forensic pathologists according to different brackets of time on the job:
Entry-level (0-5 years) – 11 individuals reporting: $193,871. Mid-career (5-9 years) – 9 individuals reporting: $212,500. Experienced (10-19 years) – 15 individuals reporting: $297,736.
What is the highest salary of forensic pathologist?
The salaries of Forensic Pathologists in the US range from $33,829 to $780,297 , with a median salary of $165,030 . The middle 57% of Forensic Pathologists makes between $165,030 and $370,043, with the top 86% making $780,297.
What state pays forensic pathologists the most?
Additionally, San Francisco and Los Angeles have the highest paying forensic pathologist average salaries in the nation.
Is there a high demand for forensic pathologist?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), all other physicians including those specializing in forensic pathology will see an employment increase of 8% between 2018 and 2028.
How many hours do forensic pathologists work?
Working Conditions
Forensic pathologists often work 10-12 hour days, especially when they’re required to travel to crime scenes. They spend the majority of their days in laboratories examining biological specimens and conducting autopsies. Sometimes they’re required to stand for hours at a time.
How many years does it take to be a forensic pathologist?
It takes an average of 13 years of training and education to become a forensic pathologist. That includes a four-year undergraduate degree, four-year medical school, four-year residency and one-year fellowship. Time frames can vary depending on the length of your residency and fellowship.
Do forensic pathologists work alone?
In determining the cause of death, a forensic pathologist does not work alone. Generally, a forensic pathologist seeks help from other specialists, such as a toxicologist.
What qualifications does a forensic pathologist need?
If you want to be a Forensic Pathologist, you have to start your training in general histopathology, and then specialise after a minimum of about 2 years. So, that is about 12 years in total until you become a consultant pathologist, although you will be (well) paid for the last 7 years of that.
How much does a Pathologist I (Forensic Pathologist) in United States make?
The national average salary for a Pathologist I (Forensic Pathologist) is $85,415 per year in United States. Filter by location to see a Pathologist I (Forensic Pathologist) salaries in your area. Salaries estimates are based on 12 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Pathologist I (Forensic Pathologist) employees.
What is the highest salary for a Pathologist I (Forensic Pathologist) in United States?
The highest salary for a Pathologist I (Forensic Pathologist) in United States is $1,36,650 per year.
What is the lowest salary for a Pathologist I (Forensic Pathologist) in United States?
The lowest salary for a Pathologist I (Forensic Pathologist) in United States is $53,390 per year.
Conclusion
Forensic pathologists with significant experience in the field can expect to earn up to $600,000 a year, and the higher end of the pay scale is usually reserved for professionals in roles such as chief medical examiner or chief consultant. In this article we have mentioned about Forensic Pathologist Salary, their average salary, entry level salary and many more.
Forensic Pathologist Salary is $103,062 per year
Based on the salary data reported by PathologyBlawg.com, forensic pathologists who are not employed as chiefs of offices generally earn salaries in the range from $100,000 to $200,000 a year, with few pathologists in chief roles reporting an annual pay of over $200,000.
Forensic pathologists typically work in laboratories, morgues, at crime scenes, and in medical examiners’ offices. They can also be employed by the federal, state and local governments, police departments, universities and professional schools, and hospitals, or they can work as consultants.
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