Piece the history together
Ask when symptoms began, read their records, and decide if lab or other tests could confirm the diagnosis.
Career profile
Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who care for people with psychiatric conditions.
Diagnosis is medical detective work, and conversation is one clue. You link a patient's story to their medical history, then plan care together.
A day in the life
See if the medication works
Find out if the patient feels better and has side effects, then decide whether to adjust the plan.
Work on a repeating pattern
In psychotherapy roles, you help patients explore experiences and rehearse new habits to replace troublesome ones.
Plan with the care team
Talk over a patient's progress with a nurse or therapist, agree on next steps, and chart the plan.
Quick facts
Medical degree + residency
United States
$281,870/year
United States · May 2025
7.2% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Medical degree + residencyA professional medical degree is followed by specialty training in psychiatry.
Pay
$281,870/yearNational median for psychiatrists; equivalent to $135.51 an hour.
Outlook
7.2% projected growthAbout 900 openings a year on average, including growth and replacement.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like listening closely before drawing conclusions.
- You are curious about both medicine and people’s experiences.
- You can stay calm during a difficult conversation.
Things to weigh
- Appointments and records compete for time; workweeks can extend beyond 40 hours.
- Hospital coverage can include nights, weekends, and urgent assessments when you are on call.
Where AI may help
Some artificial intelligence (AI) tools can draft visit notes or summarize records. You still need to check what they produce.
What people still lead
You lead the patient evaluation and remain responsible for diagnosis and treatment decisions, including when software suggests an answer.
What we can’t predict yet
How much assessment work can safely move to AI remains unsettled, especially when a patient’s situation does not match patterns in its data.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national figures describe psychiatrists across jobs, not a salary you can expect immediately after training.
The middle of the wage distribution
The median was $281,870 a year, equivalent to $135.51 an hour. Half earned more and half earned less.
A wide national spread
The 10th-percentile annual wage was $84,060; the 90th-percentile wage was $446,520. These are positions in the wage distribution, not beginner and experienced pay rates.
Openings over the coming decade
Employment is projected to grow 7.2%, with about 900 openings annually on average. Openings include replacing people who leave the occupation as well as new positions.
Getting started
Build the medical foundation
Medical school typically takes four years after college.
- What the route involves
- Usually, complete a bachelor’s degree and the medical school’s prerequisites, then study medicine through classes and supervised patient rotations.
- What it can lead to
- A qualifying medical degree lets you pursue admission to psychiatry residency.
Train in a psychiatry residency
The standard general psychiatry residency takes four years.
- What the route involves
- After medical school, treat patients with faculty supervision while learning general medicine, psychiatric assessment, medication treatment, and psychotherapy.
- What it can lead to
- Completing the required training and clinical skills evaluations meets the training requirements for the psychiatry board examination.
- What to check
- Independent practice also requires a state medical license. Licensing examinations and postgraduate-training requirements vary by state; check the board where you plan to practice.
Medical school and residency are consecutive steps. You can enter medical school through either a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Get established
After residency, build reliable follow-up routines and working relationships with patients’ other clinicians.
Sharpen your treatment decisions
Review outcomes and use continuing education to improve how you choose and adjust treatments.
Specialize or teach
Pursue fellowship training in an area such as addiction or geriatric psychiatry.
- Develop a teaching role with medical students and residents.
Where you can work
Outpatient clinic
You see patients who return for follow-up visits. This setting can support ongoing medication care and psychotherapy over time.
- Indoors
- Office
Psychiatric hospital or emergency service
You care for people staying in hospital or arriving for urgent assessment. Coverage can involve overnight and weekend shifts.
- Indoors
- Shift work
- On call
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Imagine a fictional adult says, “I’m sleeping poorly and can’t concentrate.” Write five questions you would want answered before drawing conclusions, including questions about physical health and daily life. Notice whether gathering the story interests you as much as finding an explanation.
Stay safe: Keep this fictional; do not diagnose someone you know or suggest medication.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 29-1223.00 — Psychiatrists. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 national Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — pinned SOC 29-1223 values. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035 — pinned SOC 29-1223 values. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- American Psychiatric Association. What Is Psychiatry?. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physicians and Surgeons — education and psychiatry-specific task context. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Psychiatry — Initial Certification Requirements. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Become Certified — General Requirements. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Federation of State Medical Boards. State-Specific Requirements for Initial Medical Licensure. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Yale School of Medicine. Psychiatry Residency Clinical Curriculum. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Psychiatric Association. Resource Document on Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatric Care. Accessed 2026-10-09.