Career Overview
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent mental disorders.
Also Known As
- Child Psychiatrist
- Outpatient Psychiatrist
- Psychiatrist
- Staff Psychiatrist
Alternate Job Titles
- Addiction Psychiatrist
- Adult Inpatient Psychiatrist
- Adult Outpatient Psychiatrist
- Adult Psychiatrist
- Behavioral Analyst
- Behavioral Specialist
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Physician
- Child Psychiatrist
- Clinical Psychiatrist
- Consulting Psychiatrist
- DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician)
- Doctor
- General Adult Psychiatrist
- General Psychiatrist
- Inpatient Psychiatrist
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Prescribe, direct, or administer psychotherapeutic treatments or medications to treat mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders.
- Gather and maintain patient information and records, including social or medical history obtained from patients, relatives, or other professionals.
- Design individualized care plans, using a variety of treatments.
- Collaborate with physicians, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, or other professionals to discuss treatment plans and progress.
- Analyze and evaluate patient data or test findings to diagnose nature or extent of mental disorder.
- Examine or conduct laboratory or diagnostic tests on patients to provide information on general physical condition or mental disorder.
- Counsel outpatients or other patients during office visits.
Emerging Responsibilities
As this field evolves, you may also:
- Perform mental health evaluations to provide information to courts of law on patients' mental states.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Biology
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sociology and Anthropology
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
- Social Perceptiveness
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Science
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Written Expression
- Inductive Reasoning
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
- Problem Sensitivity
- Category Flexibility
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Empathy
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Self-Control
- Attention to Detail
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Relationships
- Independence
- Working Conditions
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience Required: 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.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Epic Systems
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Desktop computers
- Electronic blood pressure units
- Laptop computers
- Manual blood pressure units
- Mechanical stethoscopes
- Personal computers
- Personal digital assistants PDA
- Tablet computers
Work Environment
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Freedom to Make Decisions
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $77,360 |
| Median | >$239,200 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | >$239,200 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 24,800
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Pediatricians, General
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: $210,130
Neurologists
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: >$239,200
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $93,600
Family Medicine Physicians
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $238,380
General Internal Medicine Physicians
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: $236,350
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.