Psychiatrists
Overview
Introduction
Psychiatrists are physicians who attend to patients mental, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. They try to help people function better in their daily lives. Psychiatrists generally specialize by treatment methods, based on their chosen fields. They may explore a patients beliefs and history. They may prescribe medicine, including tranquilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants. If they specialize in treating children, they may use play therapy. There are 25,530 psychiatrists employed in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Psychiatrists earnings are determined by the kind of practice they have and its location, their experience, and the number of patients they treat. Like other physicians, their average income is among the highest of any occupation.
Physicians who were still in their residencies earned $54,083 to $79,719 in the 2019–2020 academic year, according to a survey by the Association of American M...
Work Environment
Psychiatrists in private practice set their own schedules and usually work regular hours. They may work some evenings or weekends to see patients who cannot take time off during business hours. Most psychiatrists, however, put in long workdays, averaging 55 hours a week, according to American Medical Association statistics. Like other physicians, psychiatrists are always on call.
Psychia...
Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment for psychiatrists will grow much faster than the average for all careers through 2028. Opportunities for psychiatrists in private practice and salaried positions are good. Employment for physicians who work in outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers and in residential mental health and substance abuse facilities is expected to g...