Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners

How to become a Psychiatrist

Official title: Psychiatrists

Also called: Adolescent Psychiatrist, Adult Psychiatrist, Attending Psychiatrist, Board Certified Psychiatrist, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Child Psychiatrist, Consulting Psychiatrist, Forensic Psychiatrist, Medical Doctor (MD), Physician

Diagnose, treat, and help prevent mental disorders.

Main tasks

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.
Collaborate with physicians, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, or other professionals to discuss treatment plans and progress.
Counsel outpatients or other patients during office visits.
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.
Design individualized care plans, using a variety of treatments.
Advise or inform guardians, relatives, or significant others of patients' conditions or treatment.

How to become one

Physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor's degree as well as a medical degree, which takes an additional 4 years to complete. Depending on their specialty, they also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs. Subspecialization includes additional training in a fellowship of 1 to 3 years.

Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 23 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 49 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $281,870 a year The middle half earn $154,150 to $362,740.
About 30,000 people work in this job now, and about 32,100 are projected by 2035. (+7.2%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Psychiatrist?

How much does a Psychiatrist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $281,870 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $154,150 to $362,740.

Is a Psychiatrist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 7% by 2035, from about 30,000 to about 32,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Psychiatrist?

Usually. 100% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Psychiatrist?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.