Special Offer 

Jumpstart your hiring with a $75 credit to sponsor your first job.*

Sponsored Jobs posted directly on Indeed with Urgently Hiring make a hire 5 days faster than non-sponsored jobs.**
  • Visibility for hard-to-fill roles through branding and urgently hiring
  • Instantly source candidates through matching to expedite your hiring
  • Access skilled candidates to cut down on mismatched hires

Psychiatrist Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
8 min read

A 4932271psychiatrist19.55psychiatric nurse practitioner5.56physician assistant1.57psychiatry1.49child psychiatrist1.2134789132267102000.00280103.49543000.00YEARLY136049102025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Psychiatrist, or Psychiatric Doctor, is a mental health professional responsible for diagnosing and treating psychiatric disorders, usually through medication. Their duties include studying mood, personality and behavioral disorders, discussing symptoms with patients to determine a diagnosis and prescribing medication to correct chemical imbalances in the patient’s brain.

4932271psychiatrist19.55psychiatric nurse practitioner5.56physician assistant1.57psychiatry1.49child psychiatrist1.2134789132267102000.00280103.49543000.00YEARLY136049102025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Psychiatrist duties and responsibilities

A Psychiatrist completes a variety of tasks throughout the day. Their responsibilities typically include the following: 

  • Use a variety of methods to evaluate a patient, such as interviewing the patient, their family or other persons.
  • Develop a treatment plan according to the needs of the patient’s needs and extent of emotional, social, cognitive, developmental or behavioral disorder.
  • Treat a patient using psychotherapeutic methods and medication, monitoring the effects of any medication and adjusting treatment where necessary.
  • Consult with the patient’s Primary Care Physician, Nurses or other health care providers.
  • Provide crisis intervention when needed.
  • Write and maintain patient and clinical records, including the type of treatment and medication administered.
  • Keep up-to-date with professional job knowledge by reading publications, attending educational conferences or maintaining professional networks.
  • Follow ethical and legal policies, procedures and standards.

Hire your next Psychiatrist today.

Build a job description

Hire your next Psychiatrist today.

Build a job description
Close

Psychiatrist Job Description Examples

Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
Job Description Best Practices
Optimize your new and existing job descriptions to reach more candidates
Get the Guide

What does a 4932271psychiatrist19.55psychiatric nurse practitioner5.56physician assistant1.57psychiatry1.49child psychiatrist1.2134789132267102000.00280103.49543000.00YEARLY136049102025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Psychiatrist do?

Psychiatrists work at hospitals, mental health clinics and private practices to provide care to people with mental health conditions. They often work alongside a Psychologist to combine medication with cognitive or behavioral therapy as part of a mental health treatment plan. Psychiatrists meet with patients and evaluate their behavior by asking questions and administering psychological tests. They determine the possible causes of disordered behavior, decide if a patient could benefit from medication and explain the process of starting a new psychiatric medication. Psychiatrists closely observe the progress of their patients to determine the impact of different treatments and make adjustments.

4932271psychiatrist19.55psychiatric nurse practitioner5.56physician assistant1.57psychiatry1.49child psychiatrist1.2134789132267102000.00280103.49543000.00YEARLY136049102025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Psychiatrist skills and qualifications

Psychiatrists should have the following skills and qualifications to provide the most comprehensive support and care to their patients: 

  • Sensitivity and perceptiveness
  • Deductive and inductive reasoning skills
  • Good written and verbal communication skills
  • Listening skills
  • Ability to remain calm under stress
  • Empathy and compassion
  • Knowledge of psychiatric medications

Psychiatrist salary expectations

A Psychiatrist makes an average salary of $218,647 per year. Salary is based on a candidate’s education, level of experience and geographical location.

Psychiatrist salary expectations

2025-10-01102000.00280103.49543000.00YEARLY
  • Common salary: 280103.49 YEARLY
  • Typical salaries range from 102000.00 - 543000.00 YEARLY
  • Find more information on Indeed Salaries

*Indeed data – 2025-10-01

Psychiatrist education and training requirements

Psychiatrists must have a medical degree, have completed an approved psychiatric residency and be licensed to practice medicine in their location. They must also have a board certification in psychiatry and have a current Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration in order to prescribe certain medications.

Psychiatrist experience requirements

Experience for Psychiatrists may vary according to the specific job requirements. Psychiatrists gain much of their experience through their psychiatric residency during their degree program. Any applicant should have experience to some extent in a clinical setting, either in a private practice or hospital setting. Due to the extensive education and experience requirements for Psychiatrists to earn their degree, most recent graduates are immediately eligible for a Psychiatrist position.

Job description samples for similar positions

If the job description for the Psychiatrist does not suit your needs, view descriptions for related professions:

Job Description Best Practices
Optimize your new and existing job descriptions to reach more candidates
Get the Guide

Frequently asked questions about Psychiatrists

Three individuals are sitting at a table with a laptop, a disposable coffee cup, notebooks, and a phone visible. Two are facing each other, while the third’s back is to the camera. The setting appears to be a bright room with large windows.

Hire your next Psychiatrist today.

Build a job description

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

No search results found