Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Doctoral or professional degree
None
Internship/residency
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental health conditions and have a professional profile that combines advanced education with a focused set of cognitive and interpersonal skills. National employment stands at 27,000, indicating a relatively concentrated profession. Projected employment growth of 6.1% suggests increasing demand over time, supported by about 1,000 annual openings. These openings may reflect a mix of new positions and replacement needs. The field requires strong interpersonal skills, adaptability, and problem solving and decision making, along with critical and analytical thinking and a solid foundation in science. Writing and reading, speaking and listening, and customer service skills also play an important role, supported by being detail oriented and demonstrating leadership. Typical entry into this career requires a doctoral or professional degree, reflecting the high level of responsibility and expertise needed. For students and professionals prepared for a long educational path and intensive skill development, psychiatry offers a structured, specialized career path with measurable growth indicators.
Psychiatrists can access strong earning potential, particularly in certain states and metro areas. Among states, California reports a median salary of $353,500, while Washington is at $304,920 and Virginia at $295,010. New York and Colorado show median salaries of $265,890 and $266,370, respectively. At the metro level, several areas stand out: San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA, shows a median salary of $353,500, while Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA, is higher at $370,510. Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA, reports $307,710, and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ, shows $249,130. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV, reports $246,990. These figures indicate that earnings can vary significantly by location, with some California metros and states reporting the highest median salaries among the areas listed, giving psychiatrists options to align career choices with income goals and geographic preferences.
Psychiatrists have a national employment level of 27,000, with projected employment growth of 6.1%. This growth rate points to a steadily expanding field over the projection period. The occupation is expected to have about 1,000 annual openings, which can reflect both new roles created by growth and openings from turnover or retirements. For job seekers, this combination of defined growth and recurring openings suggests recurring opportunities to enter or advance within the profession. The uniform 6.1% growth rate that appears across the highlighted states and metro areas signals consistent projected expansion in different regions, not just in a single part of the country. Taken together, the employment base, projected growth, and annual openings make psychiatry a career path with structured, quantifiable demand indicators that students and career changers can factor into long-term planning.
Location choices can significantly shape a psychiatrist’s opportunities, and the data highlight several strong states and metro areas. Among states, California and New York stand out with higher employment levels: 5,420 and 4,130, respectively. California also has the highest state-level median salary listed at $353,500, while New York, Colorado, Washington, and Virginia show median salaries ranging from about $265,890 to $304,920. All five states share the same projected growth rate of 6.1%, so differences among them center on salary, employment size, and opportunity score. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA, and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ, have the highest opportunity scores, both above 77. Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA, posts the highest listed metro median salary at $370,510, while Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA, and Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV, combine solid salaries, employment, and mid-60s opportunity scores. These patterns give psychiatrists multiple high-opportunity regions to consider.
Becoming a psychiatrist typically requires a doctoral or professional degree, signaling a long and academically rigorous path. This advanced education underpins the science skill set needed for the role and supports critical and analytical thinking. The work also depends heavily on interpersonal skills, speaking and listening, and customer service, reflecting frequent engagement with patients and other professionals. Strong writing and reading skills are important for documenting and interpreting information accurately, while being detail oriented helps ensure careful attention to complex clinical situations. Adaptability and problem solving and decision making support effective responses to varied situations and needs. Leadership skills round out the profile, preparing psychiatrists to guide treatment approaches and collaborate within healthcare settings. For students planning their education, combining a doctoral or professional degree with deliberate development of these core skills builds a solid foundation for entering and progressing in this specialized field.
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