Psychiatrist Salary in Washington, DC: What Psychiatrists Earn
Psychiatrists in Washington, DC had a median annual wage of $183,080 in May 2025, 35% below the national median of $281,870.
The median and the hourly median of $88.02 rank identically: 41st of the 46 jurisdictions that publish a psychiatrist median.
The District's employment estimate is small — 310 psychiatrists, 22nd of the 45 jurisdictions that also publish an employment estimate — so this page quotes the median, the hourly median and the ranks, and reads the percentile tails only in the table.
Posted pay in Washington, DC psychiatrist listings
$312,500/yrmedian
The middle half of posted pay runs $312,500–$350,000/yr, from 5 distinct pay ranges at 3 employers (Universal Health Services, LifeStance Health, Talkiatry).
From BehavioralHires' live job listings as of October 29, 2026. See the listings
Psychiatrists · SOC 29-1223
$183,080/yr
−35% vs. national $281,870
$88.02/hr median
Which psychiatrists this covers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state and national estimates — Washington, DC, SOCs 29-1223.
Retrieved 2026-09-24 from the BLS Public Data API.
How to read these figures
Washington, DC 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, Washington, DC ranks 22nd of 45 for psychiatrists.
A median $98,790 below national
The Washington, DC median of $183,080 is $98,790 below the national median of $281,870 for psychiatrists, a 35% gap.
The hourly median tells the same story: $88.02 against $135.51 nationally, $47.49 less per hour — the annual and hourly gaps both round to 35%.
Among the 46 jurisdictions where BLS publishes a psychiatrist median, Washington, DC ranks 41st, and the hourly median ranks 41st as well.
The estimated employment of 310 is 22nd 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 Washington, DC median sits in the national distribution
The Washington, DC median of $183,080 for psychiatrists sits between the national 25th percentile of $154,150 and the national median of $281,870 — inside the national middle half, in its lower part.
Nationally, the middle half spans $208,590, from $154,150 to $362,740, and the 90th percentile reaches $446,520.
This page reads the District's distribution at the median only.
The occupation's reported employment estimate here is small, 310, so the District's percentile tails are not analysed; the table under this section shows them, and the final section 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 Washington, DC is 310 — 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 $183,080 matches the Washington, DC median, $98,790 below the national median of $281,870 but above the national 25th percentile of $154,150.
An offer above $281,870 clears the national median; this page does not place it in the District's distribution, because its percentile tails are not analysed here.
For an hourly posting, $88.02 is the Washington, DC 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, not a figure for one credential.
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 Washington, DC, and it does not include other prescribers, whom BLS counts in occupations of their own.
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.
Why the analysis stops at the median
Washington, DC's row for psychiatrists carries a small reported workforce: BLS counts 310 psychiatrists 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 Washington, DC?
BLS reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $183,080 for psychiatrists in Washington, DC, or $88.02 an hour.
That is 35% below the national median of $281,870.
The District's employment estimate for the occupation is small, 310, so the figure to compare an offer with is the median, not the percentile tails.
How many psychiatrists work in Washington, DC?
BLS estimates 310 psychiatrists employed in Washington, DC in May 2025, which ranks 22nd 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 Washington, DC rank among jurisdictions publishing a psychiatrist median?
Among the 46 jurisdictions where BLS publishes a median for psychiatrists, Washington, DC ranks 41st. The hourly median of $88.02 also ranks 41st, and the employment estimate of 310 is 22nd of the 45 jurisdictions where BLS publishes both a median and an employment estimate.
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 Washington, DC make?
BLS publishes a 90th percentile for the occupation, and the table under the distribution section shows it, but with a reported workforce of 310 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 District's figure is not one this page interprets.
More Washington, DC Psychiatrist Resources
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — District of Columbia, SOC 29-1223 (BLS Public Data API) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 national estimates — SOC 29-1223 (BLS Public Data API) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
Wage figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 state and national estimates, SOCs 29-1223, retrieved 2026-09-24.
Page last updated 2026-09-29.