What it is
Psychiatrists are physicians who diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders — combining therapy, medication, and medical evaluation. Demand is growing with expanded mental-health access.
What you do
They assess and treat conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction, prescribe medication, and provide or coordinate therapy.
Training path & length
4-year residency, with fellowships for subspecialties.
Fellowship subspecialties
Fellowships include child & adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and consultation-liaison psychiatry.
Pay & job outlook
Physicians are among the highest-paid professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $275,930 for physicians and surgeons (May 2025), with employment projected to grow about 4% from 2025 to 2035 and ~22,100 openings per year. Pay varies widely by specialty — procedural and surgical fields generally earn more, primary-care and pediatric fields less.
Psychiatrists earn around or above the physician median, and demand is rising with mental-health needs.
How to get there
Become a physician first: earn an MD or DO, then match into this residency through the national match. Licensure requires completing residency and passing the board exams.
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Key facts
- Residency4 years
- TreatsMental, emotional & behavioral disorders
- FellowshipsChild/adolescent, addiction, forensic, geriatric
- DemandGrowing
- EntryMD or DO via the match