Diagnose and treat mental illness, prescribe medication, and provide therapy to patients with psychiatric conditions.
You may also see this posted as: Child Psychiatrist, Outpatient Psychiatrist, Staff Psychiatrist, Adult Psychiatrist, Consulting Psychiatrist, Medical Doctor (MD).
Hospitals, clinics, and private practice
Full-time, some on-call
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
Social
helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
O*NET job zone 5 of 5
Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 3.7% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Doctoral / professional degree
Training path: Medical degree plus residency.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: Internship/residency.
A medical degree, residency, and state medical license are required.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Among the highest-paid work in medicine and badly needed, but it takes a medical degree and years of residency to reach.
Run the Reality Check — build the life you want and see the salary it takes, then compare it to this one.
Browse verified internships, fellowships, and programs — many paid — that lead into fields like this.
Free resume templates, interview practice, and getting-hired guides in the Careers kit.
Standard Occupational Classification 29-1223. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.