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How to hire a staff psychiatrist

Staff psychiatrist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring staff psychiatrists in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a staff psychiatrist is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per staff psychiatrist on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 3,634 staff psychiatrists in the US and 95,691 job openings.
  • Vacaville, CA, has the highest demand for staff psychiatrists, with 7 job openings.
  • New York, NY has the highest concentration of staff psychiatrists.

How to hire a staff psychiatrist, step by step

To hire a staff psychiatrist, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a staff psychiatrist:

Here's a step-by-step staff psychiatrist hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a staff psychiatrist job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new staff psychiatrist
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a staff psychiatrist do?

A Staff Psychiatrist provides psychiatric services for the treatment of patients with mental health problems in an outpatient and/or inpatient setting. They are also responsible for supervising and training advanced psychiatry residents.

Learn more about the specifics of what a staff psychiatrist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the staff psychiatrist you need to hire. Certain staff psychiatrist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A staff psychiatrist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, staff psychiatrists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    Here's a comparison of staff psychiatrist salaries for various roles:

    Type of Staff PsychiatristDescriptionHourly rate
    Staff PsychiatristPhysicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests... Show more$77-191
    Child & Adolescent PsychiatristChild and Adolescent Psychiatrists are mental health professionals who deal with children and adolescent individuals. Much like most psychiatrists, they are trained to handle individuals with mental health concerns... Show more$76-195
    Child PsychiatristA child psychiatrist specializes in diagnosing and treating behavioral and psychological issues of children. They develop treatment plans through various assessments and examinations, prescribing medication as needed... Show more$73-196
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Patients
    • Patient Care
    • Veterans
    • Psychiatric Evaluations
    • Primary Care
    • Mental Illness
    • Medication Management
    • Social Work
    • Outpatient Clinic
    • Substance USE Disorders
    • Psychopharmacology
    • Inpatient Care
    • Telemedicine
    • Behavioral Disorders
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Implement individualized care plans, using a variety of treatments to stabilize patients during their hospitalization.
    • Conduct full neurological evaluation, including lab, MRI & /or EEG.
    More staff psychiatrist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your staff psychiatrist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A staff psychiatrist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a staff psychiatrist in Oklahoma may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level staff psychiatrist usually earns less than a senior-level staff psychiatrist. Additionally, a staff psychiatrist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average staff psychiatrist salary

    $254,265yearly

    $122.24 hourly rate

    Entry-level staff psychiatrist salary
    $162,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 23, 2026

    Average staff psychiatrist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1North Dakota$310,613$149
    2Maine$290,894$140
    3Illinois$279,235$134
    4California$274,620$132
    5Pennsylvania$246,006$118
    6Michigan$244,422$118
    7New Hampshire$237,643$114
    8Connecticut$230,998$111
    9Delaware$229,916$111
    10Maryland$228,410$110
    11West Virginia$223,413$107
    12Texas$221,970$107
    13Ohio$220,465$106
    14Wisconsin$220,026$106
    15North Carolina$217,326$104
    16Massachusetts$209,804$101
    17New York$198,281$95

    Average staff psychiatrist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Mercy Health$328,978$158.1624
    2Advocate Health Care$315,143$151.5113
    3Hennepin Healthcare$303,432$145.8814
    4Asante$298,134$143.334
    5The Acadia Hospital$293,957$141.33
    6CFG Health Systems$293,227$140.9710
    7MCES$284,090$136.58
    8Three Rivers Health$282,001$135.58
    9Medical Imaging Associates Inc$281,182$135.182
    10St Agnes Home$278,508$133.90
    11UCI Health$277,665$133.495
    12Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners$277,659$133.4928
    13Ashland Hospital Corporation$276,716$133.04
    14Natchaug Hospital$276,075$132.73
    15Philhaven$273,342$131.41
    16DreamKey Partners$273,069$131.28
    17UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS$272,395$130.9651
    18Southwestern Energy$270,950$130.26
    19Sinnissippi Centers$270,504$130.05
    20UHS Binghamton General Hospital$270,036$129.82
  4. Writing a staff psychiatrist job description

    A good staff psychiatrist job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a staff psychiatrist job description:

    Staff psychiatrist job description example

    Under the administrative and clinical supervision of the Medical Director of Behavioral Health, provides outpatient psychiatric services to adults.
    + Provides Direct Psychopharmacological Services to Fenway Clients

    + Performs psychiatric evaluations using established format; completes and submits written documentation of the psychiatric evaluations within 2 business days

    + Assumes responsibility for evaluation and follow-up of clients' psychopharmacological status, and completes documentation within 2 business days of the client's appointment (within one day for urgent care appointments)

    + Provides on call back up psychiatry coverage. Responds to calls in a timely manner.

    2. Participates in Activities designed to maintain and enhance the quality of the Behavioral health department's programs and services

    + Remains knowledgeable regarding issues of assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning .Collaborates in the development of all departmental medical policies and protocols under direction of the Medical Director.

    + Attends and actively participates in psychiatry team meetings.

    + Participates in diagnostic formulations, and develop treatment plans for their clients in coordination with the team.

    3. Represents Fenway's Psychiatric Services to the External Community

    + Facilitates the department's relationships with hospitals and provide telephone consultations as needed for Fenway clients.

    + Participates in the education of interns, resident physicians and medical students when asked.

    + Provided education on topics in psychiatry to other departments when asked.

    4. Meets Agency Participatory Expectation

    + Suggests and participates in continuing quality improvement efforts

    + Adheres to all agency and departmental policies and procedures

    + Participates in quality assessment and improvement activities as requested

    + Adheres to the highest principles of patient and client confidentiality

    + Adheres to established safety policies, procedures and precautions; identifies potential or actual unsafe situations in the environment and takes measures to rectify the situation

    + Attends all required meetings, in-services and professional trainings

    + Attends all regularly scheduled research meetings, trainings, forums and pertinent FCH staff meetings

    + Maintains professional competence necessary to perform job responsibilities; maintains and provides agency with records of continuing education activities

    + Serves on agency committees and in professional organizations when requested

    5. Performs Related Duties as Assigned

    We offer competitive salaries, and for those who qualify, an excellent benefits package; including comprehensive medical and dental insurance plans, and a retirement plan with employer match. We also provide 12 paid holidays, paid vacation, and more.

    LGBTQIA+ identified persons, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), and individuals from other historically underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

    Requirements

    + Education: Board Certified in Adult Psychiatry

    + Current Massachusetts license is required

    + Active CPR Certification

    + Ability to complete documentation accurately and on time and to maintain current client care documentation

    + Proficiency in psychiatric assessment/evaluation

    + Experience with, or strong interest in, the LGBTQIA+ community, HIV, trauma, and substance abuse

    + Experience working effectively and collaboratively with an ethnically, culturally, racially and gender diverse staff

    + Demonstrated capacity to work effectively with ethnically, culturally, racially, and gender diverse clients

    + Demonstrated understanding of the intersectional impacts of racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism, classism, and other forms of oppression

    + Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to be an effective team member

    + Flexibility, adaptability, and ability to multitask

    + Lived and/or professional experience with BIPOC individuals, LGBTQIA+ issues, HIV, and trauma strongly preferred

    + Bilingual Spanish/ English individuals and women encouraged to apply

    + Ability to work harmoniously and effectively with colleagues, patients, clients and vendors across the spectrum of diversity, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, national origin and immigrant status, religious or spiritual identity, disability (physical, mental, emotional and developmental), veteran status, and/or limited English proficiency.

    + Willingness to contribute towards Fenway's efforts in becoming an anti-racist organization and promoting a culture dedicated to ongoing development in service of humility, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, where differences are acknowledged and valued.

    Physical Requirements:

    + Ability to meet the following physical requirements with or without reasonable accommodations:

    + Sit at a computer station for extended periods of time

    + Ability to keyboard for extended periods of time
  5. Post your job

    To find the right staff psychiatrist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with staff psychiatrists they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit staff psychiatrists who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your staff psychiatrist job on Zippia to find and attract quality staff psychiatrist candidates.
    • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting staff psychiatrists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new staff psychiatrist

    Once you have selected a candidate for the staff psychiatrist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new staff psychiatrist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a staff psychiatrist?

Recruiting staff psychiatrists involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $254,265 per year for a staff psychiatrist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for staff psychiatrists in the US typically range between $77 and $191 an hour.

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