Psychiatrist salary

Psychiatrist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level psychiatrist earnings begin at:

$214.67 per hour

$446,520 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level psychiatrist earnings begin at:

$174.39 per hour

$362,740 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level psychiatrist earnings begin at:

$135.51 per hour

$281,870 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level psychiatrist earnings begin at:

$74.11 per hour

$154,150 per year

10th percentile

Starting level psychiatrist earnings begin at:

$40.41 per hour

$84,060 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Psychiatrist salary by state

How much does a Psychiatrist earn?

According to Medscape's Psychiatrist Compensation Report 2013, US psychiatrists are in the bottom third of the compensation ranks compared with other US specialists. Topping the list were orthopedists, cardiologists, radiologists, gastroenterologists, and urologists. The latest compensation report shows that about 19% of psychiatrists earn $300,000 or more; about 13% earn $100,000 or less (compensation includes salary, bonuses, and profit-sharing contributions).

Data collected by PayScale.com indicated that those with less than five years of experience made salaries ranging from $81,018 to $226,307 in September 2015. The average salary also depends on factors like employer, state and city. The highest earnings for psychiatrists were reported in the West ($251,000) and Northwest ($238,000) regions, whereas the lowest were in the Mid-Atlantic ($201,000) and the Southeast ($205,000) regions.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychiatrists working for home health care services made the highest average salary of $216,730 in May 2014. High average salaries were also found in state government ($201,520); community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services ($197,030); individual and family services ($197,030); and outpatient care centres ($196,820). Average salaries were lower for those working for the offices of physicians ($175,140), general medical and surgical hospitals ($171,660) and psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals ($177,960).

Male psychiatrists are earning more than their female counterparts. However, women tend to work shorter hours and fewer weeks than men, which may help account for the lower compensation reported among female psychiatrists.

How do psychiatrist salaries compare to similar careers?

Psychiatrists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than oral and maxillofacial surgeons but more than pediatricians.

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)