Psychiatrist Salary in Iowa: What Psychiatrists Earn
Psychiatrists in Iowa had a median annual wage of $295,270 in May 2025, $13,400 above the national median of $281,870 — a 5% gap.
The state ranks 15th of the 46 jurisdictions that publish a median for the occupation, and its employment estimate is small, 170 psychiatrists, so this page quotes the median, the hourly median of $141.96, and the ranks, and reads the percentile tails only in the table.
Posted pay in Iowa psychiatrist listings
$377,500/yrmedian
Posted ranges run $320,000–$500,000/yr, from 3 distinct pay ranges at 3 employers (LifeStance Health, Talkiatry, Universal Health Services).
From BehavioralHires' live job listings as of October 28, 2026. See the listings
Psychiatrists · SOC 29-1223
$295,270/yr
+5% vs. national $281,870
$141.96/hr median
Which psychiatrists this covers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state and national estimates — Iowa, SOCs 29-1223.
Retrieved 2026-09-24 from the BLS Public Data API.
How to read these figures
Iowa vs. the national figure
Each occupation is compared with its own national median from the same May 2025 release, and the national psychiatrist salary page gives the national distribution.
Ranks count only the jurisdictions (states plus DC) where BLS publishes that occupation’s figure.
Differences are whole percentages of the national figure, rounded half away from zero, computed from the figures shown.
By estimated employment, Iowa ranks 29th of 45 for psychiatrists.
A median $13,400 above national
The Iowa median of $295,270 is $13,400 above the national median of $281,870 for psychiatrists, a 5% gap.
The hourly median runs ahead on the same measure: $141.96 against $135.51 nationally, $6.45 more per hour, also 5% above.
Among the 46 jurisdictions where BLS publishes a median for this occupation, Iowa ranks 15th, and the hourly median also ranks 15th.
The state's reported employment of 170 ranks tied for 29th of the 45 jurisdictions where BLS publishes both a median and an employment estimate for the occupation — a small reported workforce, which is why this page reads the distribution at the median only.
Where the Iowa median sits in the national distribution
The Iowa median of $295,270 sits in the upper part of the national middle half, between the national median of $281,870 and the national 75th percentile of $362,740.
Nationally, the middle half of the occupation spans $208,590, from $154,150 to $362,740, and the 90th percentile reaches $446,520.
This page reads the Iowa distribution at the median only.
The occupation's reported employment estimate here is small, 170, so the state's percentile tails are not analysed; the table under this section shows them, and the section below explains the caveat.
What this figure covers: Psychiatrists employed for wages.
OEWS does not count self-employed physicians or practice owners, and psychiatric nurse practitioners are in a separate occupation (29-1171, all nurse practitioners).
⚠️ BLS's employment estimate for this occupation in Iowa is 170 — under 500, so these percentiles rest on a small sample.
Read the median; treat the tails with caution.
Reading an offer against these figures
Compare an offer with both medians the page prints.
An offer at $295,270 matches the Iowa median, $13,400 above the national median of $281,870.
An offer above $295,270 clears the state median and the national median along with it; this page does not place it in the Iowa distribution, because the state's percentile tails are not analysed here.
For an hourly posting, $141.96 is the Iowa hourly median and $135.51 the national one.
Remember what the row describes: BLS's psychiatrists employed for wages, not every prescriber a posting may name.
A percentile is a position in a distribution, not a pay step or a measure of time in the field.
What this figure does and does not describe
This row is the BLS occupation for psychiatrists employed for wages.
BLS assigns workers to the occupation by the duties of their jobs, not by the credential they hold, and the row is not a count of licence holders.
It is not split by board certification or subspecialty, so it cannot say what a child and adolescent or addiction psychiatrist earns in Iowa, and it does not include other prescribers, who are counted in separate occupations.
Before comparing an offer with this row, check what licence and certification the posting requires.
Before you weigh an offer, check what licence or certification the posting requires — browse psychiatrist jobs in Iowa.
Why the analysis stops at the median
Iowa's row for psychiatrists carries a small reported workforce: BLS counts 170 in the occupation.
That is why this page quotes the median, the hourly median and the ranks, and stops there.
The percentile table under the distribution section still renders every figure BLS publishes, and the page carries an amber small-sample note, but with a reported count this small the text does not analyse the 10th, 25th, 75th or 90th percentiles or build any statement on them.
The median, not the tails, is the figure to carry away from this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do psychiatrists make in Iowa?
BLS reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $295,270 for psychiatrists in Iowa, $13,400 above the national median of $281,870 — a 5% gap — and an hourly median of $141.96 against $135.51 nationally.
The state's employment estimate is small, 170, so the figure to compare an offer with is the median, not the percentile tails.
How many psychiatrists work in Iowa?
BLS estimates 170 psychiatrists employed in Iowa in May 2025, which ranks tied for 29th of the 45 jurisdictions where BLS publishes both a median and an employment estimate for the occupation.
That is a count of people in jobs during the survey period — not of open positions, and not a count of licence holders — and it covers only this one occupation.
Where does Iowa rank among jurisdictions publishing a psychiatrist median?
Among the 46 jurisdictions where BLS publishes a median for psychiatrists, Iowa ranks 15th.
The hourly median of $141.96 also ranks 15th.
A rank compares the published figures only; the rows carry nothing that explains why one place's median differs from another's.
What do the highest-earning psychiatrists in Iowa make?
BLS publishes a 90th percentile for the occupation, and the table under the distribution section shows it, but with a reported workforce of 170 the page quotes no tail figure in its analysis and builds no statement on it.
For scale, the national 90th percentile is $446,520 — the Iowa figure is not one this page interprets.
More Iowa Psychiatrist Resources
Sources
Wage figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 state and national estimates, SOCs 29-1223, retrieved 2026-09-24.
Page last updated 2026-09-29.