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Psychiatrists
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent mental disorders.
Other titles employers use
Adult Psychiatrist · Child Psychiatrist · Consulting Psychiatrist · Medical Doctor (MD) · Outpatient Psychiatrist · Prison Psychiatrist · Psychiatrist · Staff Psychiatrist
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to analytical, helping and organizing work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Social Perceptiveness
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
Subjects to know
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Biology
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Deductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.7 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.1 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 1.3 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a doctorate or a professional degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A doctorate or professional degree 95%
- A master's degree 5%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Word processing software
- Time accounting software
- Billing and invoicing software
- Data base user interface and query software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 5,670
- Job openings each year
- 120
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 26.3%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 5,670 | 120 | 26.3% |
| California | 4,900 | 170 | 11.4% |
| Florida | 3,120 | 120 | 13.5% |
| Texas | 1,410 | 50 | 13.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 970 | 30 | 5.4% |
| Maryland | 840 | 30 | 10.5% |
| New Jersey | 760 | 30 | 8.6% |
| Illinois | 730 | 20 | 5.8% |
| North Carolina | 650 | 20 | 14.0% |
| Ohio | 630 | 20 | 5.0% |
| Virginia | 620 | 20 | 10.7% |
| Michigan | 580 | 20 | 5.5% |
| Connecticut | 560 | 20 | 1.8% |
| Minnesota | 560 | 20 | 5.7% |
| Arizona | 530 | 20 | 23.3% |
| Missouri | 530 | 20 | 10.4% |
| Washington | 530 | 30 | 12.8% |
| Wisconsin | 530 | 20 | 10.4% |
| Georgia | 510 | 10 | 2.0% |
| Massachusetts | 450 | 20 | 7.1% |
| Utah | 410 | 20 | 32.3% |
| Rhode Island | 350 | 10 | 6.1% |
| Tennessee | 310 | 10 | 10.7% |
| Indiana | 300 | 10 | 7.1% |
| Colorado | 290 | 10 | 16.0% |
| Alabama | 250 | 10 | 13.6% |
| South Carolina | 250 | 10 | 13.6% |
| District of Columbia | 230 | 10 | 9.5% |
| Oregon | 220 | 10 | 15.8% |
| Kentucky | 210 | 10 | 10.5% |
| Idaho | 200 | 10 | 17.6% |
| Arkansas | 180 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Oklahoma | 170 | 10 | 6.3% |
| Vermont | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
| Iowa | 130 | 0 | 8.3% |
| Nevada | 130 | 10 | 8.3% |
| Delaware | 110 | 0 | 22.2% |
| New Hampshire | 100 | 0 | — |
| Alaska | 90 | 0 | 12.5% |
| Louisiana | 80 | 0 | 14.3% |
| Nebraska | 80 | 0 | 14.3% |
| West Virginia | 80 | 0 | 14.3% |
| New Mexico | 70 | 0 | 16.7% |
| Mississippi | 60 | 0 | 20.0% |
| Maine | 50 | 0 | — |
| Montana | 50 | 0 | 25.0% |
| North Dakota | 50 | 0 | — |
| South Dakota | 40 | 0 | — |
| Wyoming | 40 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.