A forensic pathologist may need to work in violent crime scenes.
A forensic pathologist performs autopsies to determine the cause of death in cases of sudden, violent, or unexpected death. She performs forensic scene investigations, such as the correct preservation of medical evidence, and compiles reports of her findings. She may also perform other pathology services such as determining the cause of wounds on victims of crime, and may be asked to provide testimony in court. Her salary depends upon a number of variable factors.
Average Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published salary data for the forensics field as a whole and found that the mean annual salary was $55,070, with the top 10 percent of earners achieving $84,260, as of 2009. Salary comparison website PayScale.com put the annual salary range for a forensic pathologist working in the U.S. at between $42,422 and $162,105 as of January 2011. The precise figure a pathologist receives will depend upon the amount of bonus she is liable for, and she may receive augmentations to her salary, such as pension provision and health cover, dependent upon her contract.
Salary by Experience
A pathologist with between one and four years of professional experience is listed as earning an average of $41,374 to $101,736 per year, according to PayScale as of 2011. An individual with between five and nine years in the field could expect $100,000 to $170,720, while a pathologists who has spent between 10 and 19 years in forensics received a salary ranging from $145,816 to $188,212 per year.
Salary by Employer
The BLS data for the forensic investigation sector as a whole listed the average salary for the federal executive branch as $92,100 per year, while medical and diagnostic laboratories only paid an average of $57,060 as of 2009. PayScale.com lists the salary range for a forensic pathologist employed by state or local government to be $42,322 to $154,184, while for an individual working for a federal government agency the income range is between $59,268 and $218,500 per year.
Salary by Location
Across the forensics field, the BLS found that Massachusetts and Wisconsin offered the highest mean annual salaries, $81,950 and $79,080 respectively. PayScale.com shows that California and Florida had comparable salary ranges, $43,635 to $165,000 and $45,500 to $168,500 respectively. New York State offered a salary range of $41,271 to $122,084, although PayScale.com lists salaries for forensic pathologists working in New York City as ranging from $51,000 to $185,000.
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