Psychiatrists are specialist medical doctors who work in various settings. They play critical roles in Australia’s medical field, working with different professionals, like licensed social workers, nurses, psychologists, and therapists. With unpredictable work days, multiple responsibilities, and plenty of opportunities to advance their careers, what do you think is the average psychiatrist’s salary in Australia?

If you’re interested in pursuing a job in the medical field and want to know how much a psychiatrist earns, this article is for you. This post will also highlight the critical responsibilities of a licensed psychiatrist and the steps to becoming a psychiatrist in Australia.

What Is the Average Psychiatrist Salary in Australia?

You naturally want to learn the answer to “How much does a psychiatrist earn in Australia?” to know if this is the right role for you. Apart from this, the compensation you receive tells a lot about your job and the clinical setting where you will work.

According to RANZCP, the national average psychiatrist’s salary in Australia is $235,000 annually. Experience level, employment duration, location, personal development, psychiatry work type, and authority level will determine the pay.

For example, doctors in forensic care might make more because of their extensive knowledge of prison illness and how they should act as expert witnesses during court proceedings.

Psychiatrists opening a private practice (or running their own practice) can earn as much as $800,000 annually. For other roles, a locum consultant psychiatrist’s salary is between $2,000 and $2,500 or $3,000 per day.

In addition, daily duties such as assessing patients, explaining health issues, researching the latest health regulations, and monitoring the medication’s efficiency (among others) can increase a salary since they’ll be able to develop their professional skills and advance into a higher position.

Key Responsibilities of a Psychiatrist in Australia

A psychiatrist needs a comprehensive and specialised skill set to help patients with a range of mental health problems with a good standard of practice care. The key roles and responsibilities of a psychiatrist include:

• Communicating with and assessing patients’ mental and physical health;
• Recommending psychological treatments;
• Prescribing the proper medication;
• Examining test results and confirming the diagnosis;
• Referring patients to hospital plans; and
• Performing therapy sessions.

When you are a licensed psychiatrist, you should also be able to demonstrate empathy, patience, communication skills, analytical skills, logical decision-making skills, emotional resilience, and clinical expertise.

How to Become a Psychiatrist in Australia

Years of formal training are required to become fully qualified in the field of psychiatry. Here is a step-by-step guide to becoming a psychiatrist in Australia:

1: Join medical school.

Ensure you have a strong ATAR (or equivalent) and UCAT score and perform well at your interview to obtain a bachelor of medicine degree from an accredited university.

Most universities need you to complete 5-6 years to get your medical degree. You’re also required to have an undergraduate knowledge of biology, chemistry, and psychology.

2: Work and gain experience in a hospital.

After obtaining your medical degree, you can work as a general medical practitioner in a hospital. Take this as an opportunity to gain practical experience and apply medical knowledge. Most internships last for at least 12 months.

3: Enrol and complete the training in the medical specialty of psychiatry with RANZCP.

Now that you have gained the required medical experience, you must complete the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) fellowship program (for at least 5 years). With this, you’ll learn more about the different psychiatric specialties and determine the specialty that interests you the most.

After this, you can work as a psychiatrist without supervision and participate in continuous professional development.

The Role of a Medical Recruitment Agency

Pursuing a career in the psychiatric field can be challenging, given that it is a competitive medical specialty. It will be best to consult a medical recruitment agency to know about the hottest locations and the highest rates for psychiatrist jobs in Australia.

You’ll be working with a proactive specialist recruitment consultant who has an in-depth knowledge of the type of salary you can expect from your chosen field of psychiatric role. Your consultant will also find out about available positions for you before they are advertised on traditional job boards. This means that you have a higher chance of getting in first before other candidates.

Work as a Psychiatrist in Australia through Locum Life

Since the number of opportunities for psychiatrists is steadily growing in Australia, you may find it challenging to land the role that meets your clinical setting, salary, and skill set requirements.

Work with Locum Life to quickly find the right psychiatry role that fits your qualifications, salary requirement, and specialisation. We have an excellent and experienced psychiatry team to help you quickly find a locum psychiatrist job in Australia.

For your additional questions about a psychiatrist’s salary in Australia and opportunities for different career stages in the medical field, get in touch with one of Locum Life’s established and recognised consultants in the psychiatry field in Australia. Call 02 9055 6856 or email [email protected] to let our consultant help you live a well-compensated and better locum life.