The stereotypical version of a serial killer often is portrayed in Hollywood and crime novels: A young, white male who is extremely cunning but mentally disturbed slays scores of women to satisfy his sexual needs.

The reality, however, is that most mass murderers lead ordinary lives despite their perverse deeds. Few look like the most infamous serial killers in history — with only about 12.5 percent of US serial predators fitting the profile of a 20-something, white male, according to the Serial Killer Information Center, a project at Radford University that studied more than 4,700 mass murderers.

The FBI and Serial Killer Information Center define a serial killer as someone who murders two or more people in separate events.

These mass murderers aren’t generally reclusive misfits, but people who live in plain sight in the community, according to the FBI. Many are married, educated and gainfully employed.

Like the general population, documented serial killers span racial groups, range in intelligence and are both genders.

Through studies, a shocking new profile of the people who commit these grisly crimes has emerged, putting to rest the myths that surround them.

Myth: Serial killers are white males

Serial predators are highly diverse, reflecting the demographics of the US population, according to the FBI. White people represent around 58 percent of killers, compared with 76.6 percent of the nation’s population.

While many prolific, white serial killers have gripped headlines, far less ink has been dedicated to those who are women or minorities. They include:

Chinese-American mass murderer Charles Ng received the death sentence after torturing and killing at least 11 people — six men, three women and two male infants — with an accomplice in a remote cabin in Northern California in the mid-1980s, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Rafael Resendez-Ramirez, a native of Mexico, murdered nine people in Kentucky, Texas and Illinois before turning himself in in 1999.

Derrick Todd Lee, an African-American known as the “Baton Rouge Serial Killer,” went on a killing spree beginning in 1992 that claimed the lives of seven women in Louisiana.

Aileen Wuornos was executed in October 2002 for killing at least six men she met along Interstate 75 in Florida.

Myth: Serial killers are misfits

The majority of mass murders contributed to and interacted with the community — whether before, during or after their crime sprees.

Serial killers are married, employed and have served in combat. In some cases, their seemingly normal lives helped them elude arrest.

Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. — who is accused in the “Golden State Killer” case — eluded authorities for 40 years, all while getting married to an attorney, divorcing and raising three daughters. He faces trial for raping at least 46 women and killing a dozen people. When he was arrested, the Navy veteran was cooking a roast at his home in Citrus Heights, California, where he lived with his daughter and granddaughter, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Robert Yates, a decorated US Army veteran, allegedly killed 17 prostitutes in Washington state in the 1990s. During this time, he was married with five children and lived in a middle-class neighborhood, according to the FBI.

Dennis Rader — who is known as the “BTK Killer” — reportedly killed 10 victims in Wichita, Kansas. He was a married Boy Scout leader, raising two children, and served in the US Air Force. Rader was also president of his church.

Myth: Serial killers are evil geniuses

Their intelligence ranges from borderline to above average compared to the general population, according to the FBI. More intelligent killers tend to prefer complicated methods of murder such as using bombs and poison.

Shockingly, one of the most infamous serial predators, Charles Manson, had an IQ of 75, below the 85 to 115 range considered to be average.

Myth: All serial killers are perverts

Serial killers’ motives can be difficult to classify since there can be several or they might change throughout the crimes. However, it is evident that the reasons behind these gruesome killings extend beyond sexual gratification. Their motivations run the gamut from financial gain to attention.