How long does it take to become a psychiatrist?

Typically eight years or more of study, then an internship or residency, often one to three years. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do psychiatrists make?

The US median is $281,870 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree to become a psychiatrist?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train to become a psychiatrist?

181 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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How to become a psychiatrist

Healthcare (clinical) · SOC 29-1223

$281,870US median pay, 2025

+7.2%Projected growth, 2025–35

900Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Doctoral or professional degree
Internship/residency
Work as a psychiatrist

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Medicine	CIP 51.1201	150
Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy	CIP 51.1202	34
Family Medicine/Psychiatry Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0107	0
Internal Medicine/Psychiatry Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0117	0
Pediatrics/Psychology/Child-Adolescent Psychology Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0123	0
Psychiatry/Neurology Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0124	0
Psychiatry Residency Program	CIP 61.2401	0
Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Program	CIP 61.2402	0
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program	CIP 61.2403	0
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship Program	CIP 61.2404	0
Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program	CIP 61.2405	0
Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program	CIP 61.2406	0
Psychiatry Residency/Fellowship Programs, Other	CIP 61.2499	0

See the 181 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does it take to become a psychiatrist?: Typically eight years or more of study, then an internship or residency, often one to three years. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do psychiatrists make?: The US median is $281,870 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree to become a psychiatrist?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train to become a psychiatrist?: 181 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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