Become Psychiatrist

Psychiatrist Salary

Psychiatry offers multiple opportunities for those who choose this medical specialty. The field is very broad, so every person can choose an occupation according to his or her preferences and skills. Interested in a certain disease? No problem, choose Epilepsy or Neuromuscular Medicine as your sub-specialization. Enjoy working with children? Why not think about Child and Adolescent Psychiatry? Or maybe law is your cup of tea? Then Forensic Psychiatry will be the best choice for you.

As you may already know, psychiatry includes 14 sub-specialties, some of them pay more than others. Some of the most popular sub-fields chosen by medical schools graduates are:

Addiction Psychiatry

Child and  Adolescent Psychiatry

Geriatric Psychiatry

Forensic Psychiatry

No matter what you choose, professionalism and experience will make your earnings raise with each year. 

But of course you have to study the situation on the job market before you make a decision on a certain field. What promises psychiatrist career? What are the numbers of psychiatrist salary? What industry is the best choice for a beginner? Here is the information from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, data of May, 2011. 

According to this official source, median psychiatrist salary is $174,170 per year, which makes $83.73 for an hour. Note that earnings increase with each year, so 2012 year statistics will show higher numbers. Compare these numbers with psychiatrist salary of 2009: it was around $163,660 on average. Inspiring growth, isn't it? Psychiatry, as almost all medical occupations, is constantly growing in terms of job openings as well. And it will grow at rate faster than average up to 2016, states Bureau of Labor Statistics. By the way, some surveys show that the greatest demand will feel such sub-specialties as Child Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry. 

You may wonder why psychiatrists are paid so much. They are not surgeons, or ophthalmologists, that perform serious tasks. Well, psychiatrists have no less important and difficult work: human brain is the biggest mystery in the world, and psychiatrists and psychologists are those specialists who are closer to the clue than anyone else. To become a psychiatrist, you have to spend long years in the school:

4 years for undergraduate training

4 years in medical school

4 years (or more) for residency program

As you may guess, there are a lot of factors influencing psychiatrist salary. They are your experience, industry and state you work in, specialization you choose. Good idea is to study industries with the highest psychiatrist salary and try to get into one of those settings. Here is the list of best settings for high earnings, according to US Bureau:

State Government (OES Designation) - $198,730

Outpatient Care Centers - $194,610

Management of Companies and Enterprises - $193,700

Employment Services - $192,940

Individual and Family Services - $192,360

One more factor which you must note when choosing a place of practicing is location. Many areas feel bigger demand for professionals, therefore, you can expect better work conditions and higher psychiatrist salary. Here is the list of top 5 states that are the best for psychiatrists in terms of money.

Oregon - $229,040

Minnesota - $216,360

New Jersey - $212,560

Kansas - $207,320

Indiana - $207,310

Experience also matters a lot. A newcomer will earn less for a couple of years, and only after some time psychiatrist salary may double. Various training programs and certificates will help you to get bigger money as well. With some additional knowledge you will become more valued employee, which consequently means higher psychiatrist salary. 

As most of healthcare specialties, psychiatrist career promises good job prospects and steady growth of employment opportunities. Moreover, 14 sub-fields within this specialty will satisfy the tastes of every student choosing this career path. So, if psychiatry attracts you, don't think long, start looking for a best medical school that can prepare you for a psychiatrist career. Why not start your search right now?

Psychiatry

This medical specialty includes multiple sub-fields. Actually, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology offers certification in Psychiatry, Neurology, and Child Neurology, not to mention 14 sub-specialties! 

Psychiatrist career involves preventing, diagnosing and treating of mental, addictive, and emotional disorders. To be more specific, physicians in this medical specialty deal with

various psychotic disorders

mood disorders

anxiety disorders

substance-related disorders

sexual and gender identity disorders

adjustment disorders

Professionals are trained to understand the causes of mental problems, be it biologic, social, or psychological component. In addition, psychiatrist career involves dealing with families or other social groups that are facing communication problems, stress, crisis, etc. 

This medical specialty includes 14 sub-fields:

Addiction Psychiatry

Brain Injury Medicine

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Clinical Neurophysiology

Epilepsy

Forensic Psychiatry

Geriatric Psychiatry

Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

Neuromuscular Medicine

Pain Medicine

Psychosomatic Medicine

Sleep Medicine

Vascular Neurology

Every medical sub-specialty within neurologist or psychiatrist career requires additional year or two of training. 

Education Required 

First of all, one should think about undergraduate degree. Many students deciding on psychiatrist career, choose a degree in biology or psychology. Still, you may choose any Bachelor's degree you want, the only requirement is courses in biology, chemistry, physics, advanced math. In general, education steps for psychiatrist career look as following:

Bachelor's degree

MCAT

Medical school and M.D. (D.O.)

Licensing Exams

Psychiatry Residency

Sub-specialty Fellowship (optional)

Certification

Residency program will take you four years, so general psychiatrist education takes around 12 years. 

Career and Salary Outlook

Psychiatrist career is considered by many students because of multiple job openings and bright perspectives. As for salary, US Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals median earnings of $174,170 per year. Salary.com shows even higher average pay for those who choose psychiatrist career - $193,071. 

Salary depends mostly on the setting where professionals choose to work. Many psychiatrists work within private settings, where earnings are way higher. As for location, which also influences salary numbers, top paying states, according to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, are Oregon, Minnesota, New Jersey, Kansas, and Indiana. 

Psychiatrist career requires not only extensive training, but also specific type of personality and skills. If you feel you are right person for this path, then choose the best medical school that will help you to fulfill your dreams and become a respectful professional.