Psychiatrists
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent mental disorders.
- Median pay
- $281,870
- Doing it now
- 30,000
- By 2035
- Up 7.2%
- Usually needs
- Doctoral or professional degree
a year
across the country
900 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Analyze and evaluate patient data or test findings to diagnose nature or extent of mental disorder.
- Prescribe, direct, or administer psychotherapeutic treatments or medications to treat mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders.
- Collaborate with physicians, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, or other professionals to discuss treatment plans and progress.
- Gather and maintain patient information and records, including social or medical history obtained from patients, relatives, or other professionals.
- Counsel outpatients or other patients during office visits.
- Design individualized care plans, using a variety of treatments.
- Examine or conduct laboratory or diagnostic tests on patients to provide information on general physical condition or mental disorder.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- MedicineSee 3 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Helping and teaching
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $281,870 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.