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Forensic psychology salary in Australia: how it compares to the national average

The median full-time salary for psychologists is about $114,608 per year, which is above the national full-time average of $108,352.

This sits on the Australian full-time average.

Week, hour, and a tax sketch

$2,084 a week · $54.83 an hour if spread over 38 hours

About $83,159 after resident income tax and a 2% Medicare levy.

2026–27 resident rates and a 2% Medicare levy. Not a tax assessment.Open the full line

Forensic psychology salary in Australia

Forensic psychology is a specialised field that applies psychological principles to the legal and criminal justice system. While the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Jobs and Skills Australia do not publish earnings data specifically for forensic psychologists, they do provide figures for the broader occupation of psychologists and psychotherapists. That group includes clinical, organisational, forensic, and other psychologists, and is the best available proxy.

According to the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, the median full-time weekly earnings for psychologists and psychotherapists is $2,204. Annualised over 52 weeks, that is about $114,608 before tax. This figure is for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate, which removes unusually high or low earners and provides a reliable comparison across occupations.

How does forensic psychology pay compare to the national average?

The national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year, according to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026. That is the reference line used on this site. The psychologist median of $2,204 per week sits $120.30 above that line, or about 5.8% higher.

To put that in perspective, here is a resident take-home sketch using 2026–27 tax rates and the 2% Medicare levy:

  • Psychologist median ($114,608): Tax on the first $18,200 is nil; $18,201–$45,000 taxed at 15% ($4,020); $45,001–$114,608 taxed at 30% ($20,882.40); total income tax $24,902.40; plus Medicare levy $2,292.16; total deductions $27,194.56; take-home $87,413.44 per year, or about $1,681 per week.
  • National full-time average ($108,352): Tax: $4,020 (15% bracket) plus $19,005.60 (30% bracket) = $23,025.60; Medicare $2,167.04; total $25,192.64; take-home $83,159.36 per year, or about $1,599 per week.

The psychologist median take-home is about $82 more per week than the average.

State variations

The national average masks differences across states and territories. The full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings for each state (annualised) from the ABS May 2026 release are:

  • New South Wales: $109,658
  • Victoria: $106,137
  • Queensland: $106,064
  • South Australia: $102,450
  • Western Australia: $115,825
  • Tasmania: $96,008
  • Northern Territory: $103,173
  • Australian Capital Territory: $119,090

The psychologist median of $114,608 is above the national average and above every state except Western Australia ($115,825) and the ACT ($119,090). In those two jurisdictions, the psychologist median is slightly below the state average. This reflects the high concentration of public sector and professional services employment in the ACT and WA’s mining-driven economy.

Other earnings benchmarks

For context, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week (about $52,255 per year). Award minimums increased by 4.75% from that date. The median for all employees (full-time and part-time) is $1,436 per week (about $74,672 per year), and the full-time median is about $1,741 per week (about $90,532 per year), according to the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, August 2025. The psychologist median is well above all of these.

Where to find more

If you want to see how your own salary compares, you can place a salary on the line against the national full-time average. For a broader view of how different occupations stack up, visit the job medians page. To understand how the ABS calculates these figures, see how the figures are set.

A note on data limitations

The psychologist median is the best available proxy for forensic psychology, but it is not a perfect match. Forensic psychologists may earn differently depending on their employer (government, private practice, or corrections), experience, and location. The ABS does not publish earnings at the 6-digit ANZSCO level for forensic psychologists, and Jobs and Skills Australia notes that median figures are not produced for occupations with a high standard error. If a precise forensic psychology figure becomes available in future releases, this page will be updated.

Questions

What is the average salary for a forensic psychologist in Australia?

There is no published average or median specifically for forensic psychologists. The best available figure is the median full-time weekly earnings for all psychologists and psychotherapists, which is $2,204 per week (about $114,608 per year), according to the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, as reported by Jobs and Skills Australia.

How does forensic psychology pay compare to other psychology roles?

Forensic psychology is a specialty within psychology, but separate earnings data are not published. The median for all psychologists ($2,204 per week) is higher than the national full-time average ($2,083.70 per week) and above the all-employees median ($1,436 per week). Clinical, organisational, and other specialties may differ, but no official breakdown is available.

What is the take-home pay for a forensic psychologist earning the median?

Using the 2026–27 tax rates and the 2% Medicare levy, a psychologist earning the median full-time salary of $114,608 per year would pay about $27,195 in tax and Medicare, leaving approximately $87,413 per year, or about $1,681 per week. This is about $82 per week more than the take-home pay on the national full-time average of $108,352.

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