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Psychiatrist: pay, job outlook and how to become one
- $84,060lowest 10% earn less
- $154,15025th percentile
- $281,870median
- $362,74075th percentile
- $446,520top 10% earn more
Psychiatrists earned a median of $281,870 a year in May 2025, well above the $50,980 median for all occupations[1][2]. Getting there takes a bachelor's degree, medical school, a residency and a state license, and BLS expects jobs to grow faster than average[3][4][5][6].
- Job growth, 2025–35
- +7.2%[3]
- Openings per year
- 900[8]
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree[9]
How much do psychiatrists make?
The median pay for psychiatrists was $281,870 a year, or $135.51 an hour, in May 2025[1]. That means half of psychiatrists earned more than this and half earned less[1]. For comparison, the median for all US occupations was $50,980[2].
The average (mean) wage was $269,940 a year, or $129.78 an hour[10]. The mean is a little lower than the median for this job[1][10].
Pay spreads across a wide range[7]:
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $84,060 | $40.41 |
| 25th | $154,150 | $74.11 |
| 50th (median)[1] | $281,870 | $135.51 |
| 75th | $362,740 | $174.39 |
| 90th | $446,520 | $214.67 |
Sources for the table: annual figures[7], hourly figures[11], median[1].
A percentile is a boundary, not a starting salary[12]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $84,060, and the top 10% earned more than $446,520[7]. BLS does not publish a starting salary for this job[12].
Keep in mind what these numbers leave out. They cover people paid a wage or salary, not the self-employed, and they do not include nonproduction bonuses or the value of benefits like health insurance[13]. In 2025, 3.2% of psychiatrists worked for themselves[14].
Pay by state and city
California had the highest state median for psychiatrists, at $353,500 a year[15]. Next came Louisiana ($345,040), Alaska ($342,170), Minnesota ($336,410) and Wisconsin ($331,070)[15]. Louisiana and Alaska have small workforces, with 90 and 50 jobs[15].
Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, the top medians were in[16]:
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: $403,430[16]
- New Haven, CT: $381,890[16]
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: $370,510[16]
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: $364,530[16]
The most jobs were in large states. California had 5,420 psychiatrist jobs, New York 4,130, Florida 1,930, Texas 1,690 and New Jersey 1,290[17]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro alone had 4,180 jobs, with a median of $249,130[18].
State medians differ a lot. The lowest were West Virginia ($63,320, 90 jobs) and Idaho ($75,470, 110 jobs)[15].
Show median pay in 45 states and DC
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| California[15] | $353,500 | 5,420 |
| Louisiana | $345,040 | 90 |
| Alaska | $342,170 | 50 |
| Minnesota | $336,410 | 580 |
| Wisconsin | $331,070 | 550 |
| Connecticut | $326,670 | 560 |
| Florida | $316,200 | 1,930 |
| Oregon | $314,880 | 430 |
| Missouri | $312,680 | 240 |
| Maryland | $305,320 | 460 |
| Washington | $304,920 | 360 |
| Vermont | $302,770 | 80 |
| Maine | $300,180 | 80 |
| Utah | $299,670 | 260 |
| Iowa | $295,270 | 170 |
| Virginia | $295,010 | 370 |
| Michigan | $291,850 | 560 |
| Hawaii | $289,990 | 170 |
| Rhode Island | $287,610 | 270 |
| Indiana | $284,110 | 410 |
| Delaware | $279,410 | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $278,970 | 830 |
| Kansas | $278,100 | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $271,640 | 80 |
| Colorado | $266,370 | 270 |
| New York | $265,890 | 4,130 |
| Illinois | $258,740 | 870 |
| Arizona | $249,720 | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $246,140 | 90 |
| Ohio | $244,990 | 690 |
| Kentucky | $237,770 | 160 |
| Georgia | $237,480 | 470 |
| South Carolina | $237,250 | 200 |
| Texas | $228,460 | 1,690 |
| New Mexico | $227,730 | n/a |
| South Dakota | $226,180 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $214,880 | 410 |
| Mississippi | $213,680 | 110 |
| Nevada | $210,030 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $194,070 | 1,290 |
| District of Columbia | $183,080 | 310 |
| North Carolina | $168,880 | 620 |
| Nebraska | $135,180 | 180 |
| Arkansas | $124,750 | 150 |
| Idaho | $75,470 | 110 |
| West Virginia | $63,320 | 90 |
How to become a psychiatrist
BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the entry education for psychiatrists, with internship or residency as the typical training and no prior work experience needed[9]. The training details below come from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile for physicians and surgeons, which covers psychiatrists along with other doctors[19].
- Step one: earn a bachelor's degree. No particular major is required, though medical school applicants usually take courses in biology, physical science or health fields[20].
- Step two: get into medical school. Admission is highly competitive. Schools usually ask for transcripts, MCAT scores and recommendation letters, and most hold interviews[21].
- Step three: finish medical school. It takes 4 more years after college[5]. Graduates earn an M.D. or D.O. degree[20]. Students start with classes and labs, then work with patients under supervision in hospitals and clinics[22][23]. Some schools offer combined college and medical programs lasting 6 to 8 years[24].
- Step four: complete a residency. Nearly all graduates go on to a residency in their chosen specialty, usually in a hospital or clinic[25]. For doctors in general, residency usually lasts 3 to 9 years, with the length set by the specialty[25].
- Step five: get a state license. Every state requires physicians to hold a license, and rules differ by state[6]. You need a degree from an accredited medical school, completed residency training and passing scores on standardized national exams[6][26].
Board certification is optional, but it can open up more job options[27]. It means finishing a residency and passing a specialty exam from a medical certifying board[27]. Doctors who want to subspecialize add a fellowship of 1 to 3 years[25].
ONET places this job in Job Zone Five, its group for jobs that need extensive preparation[28]. In an ONET survey of 39 psychiatrists, 59% said the job requires post-doctoral training and 34% said a doctoral degree[29].
What psychiatrists do
Psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental disorders and work to prevent them[30]. Typical tasks include[31]:
- Prescribing medication or providing therapy for mental, emotional or behavioral conditions[31]
- Collecting and keeping patient records, including medical and family history[31]
- Reviewing test results and patient data to work out a diagnosis[31]
- Examining patients and running lab or diagnostic tests[31]
- Building a care plan for each patient[31]
- Seeing patients for counseling during office visits[31]
- Planning treatment with other doctors, psychologists, social workers and psychiatric nurses[31]
- Explaining a patient's condition and treatment to family members or guardians[31]
Workers report job titles such as child and adolescent psychiatrist, adult psychiatrist, attending psychiatrist and forensic psychiatrist[32].
Where they work
Like the training steps, these details describe physicians in general[19].
Doctors work in clinical places such as physicians' offices and hospitals, including teaching hospitals linked to medical schools[33]. Others work outside clinical care, for government agencies, nonprofits or insurance companies[33]. In a group practice or a larger healthcare organization, doctors can coordinate care more easily but have less independence than those who practice alone[34].
The OOH says most physicians work full time and some work more than 40 hours a week[35]. Many physicians work long shifts that can mean irregular or overnight hours or being on call[35]. On call, a doctor may handle a patient's concerns by phone or travel to a place such as a nursing home[35].
Job outlook
BLS projects employment of psychiatrists to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035[3]. That is faster than the 3.5% growth expected for all occupations[3][4]. The number of jobs is projected to rise from about 30,000 to 32,100, a gain of about 2,100[3].
About 900 openings are expected each year on average[8]. These include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupations, not only newly created jobs[8]. Each year, about 1.8% of psychiatrists are expected to leave the labor force and 0.4% to move into a different occupation[36].
The projection count (about 30,000 in 2025) includes self-employed workers[3], so it is higher than the 27,980 wage and salary jobs counted in the May 2025 wage survey[37].
Is it a good fit?
The facts point to very high pay, with a median of $281,870 a year[1], and growth of 7.2% over ten years, faster than the 3.5% for all jobs[3][4]. The trade-off is a long path: a bachelor's degree, 4 years of medical school and a residency that usually lasts several years[5][25]. Pay also varies widely by state and between the lower and upper ends of the field[7][15]. The work suits people who want to diagnose and treat mental health conditions using both medication and therapy[30][31]. For comparison, O*NET lists clinical and counseling psychologists as a related job, with a median of $100,580 and projected growth of 11.7%[38].
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a psychiatrist make an hour?
- The median hourly wage was $135.51 in May 2025, and the mean was $129.78[1][10]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $40.41 an hour and the top 10% earned more than $214.67[11][12].
- How long does it take to become a psychiatrist?
- After a bachelor's degree, medical school takes 4 more years[5]. Then comes a residency, which lasts 3 to 9 years for doctors in general, depending on the specialty[5][25]. These figures come from a BLS profile that covers all physicians and surgeons[19].
- What degree do you need to be a psychiatrist?
- BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree for entry[9]. In practice that means a bachelor's degree followed by an M.D. or D.O. from medical school[20], plus residency training[9].
Facts and sources
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Psychiatrists in the US was $281,870 per year and $135.51 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: employment of Psychiatrists is projected to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 30,000 to 32,100 jobs (a change of +2,100). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Psychiatrists: 10th percentile $84,060, 25th percentile $154,150, 75th percentile $362,740, 90th percentile $446,520. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: about 900 openings for Psychiatrists are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Psychiatrists: education needed for entry: Doctoral or professional degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Internship/residency. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Psychiatrists was $269,940 per year and $129.78 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Psychiatrists: 10th percentile $40.41, 25th percentile $74.11, 75th percentile $174.39, 90th percentile $214.67. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: 3.2% of Psychiatrists were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
- Median annual wage for Psychiatrists in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Psychiatrists (areas with at least 100 jobs): Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $403,430; New Haven, CT $381,890; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $370,510; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $364,530; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $353,500; Rochester, MN $341,540; Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $339,340; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $336,410. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Psychiatrists jobs: California 5,420; New York 4,130; Florida 1,930; Texas 1,690; New Jersey 1,290. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Psychiatrists jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 4,180 (median $249,130); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,610 (median $370,510); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 760; Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 720 (median $403,430); Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 640 (median $279,410); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 600 (median $258,750). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Physicians and Surgeons" covers Psychiatrists together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- O*NET 29-1223.00: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET 29-1223.00 survey of workers (39 respondents), education level they say is required: Post-Doctoral Training 59%, Doctoral Degree 34%, Master's Degree 5% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
- O*NET description of Psychiatrists. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET task list for Psychiatrists. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET 29-1223.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Adolescent Psychiatrist, Adult Psychiatrist, Attending Psychiatrist, Board Certified Psychiatrist, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Child Psychiatrist, Consulting Psychiatrist, Forensic Psychiatrist. O*NET OnLine
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Psychiatrists: 1.8% of workers leave the labor force each year and 0.4% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 27,980 people were employed as Psychiatrists in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.