Overview
Psychiatry is a 4-year residency ending around $280K. Most psychiatrists work in settings that qualify for PSLF — academic programs, community mental health, VA/military — making PSLF the statistically dominant strategy.
Physician salary & compensation
Median salary
$280K
Range
$250K – $350K
Source
MGMA 2025 / Doximity 2025
Residency training timeline
Training years
4y
PGY-1 salary
$65K
Annual growth
2.0%
Fellowship
Optional
Not baked into training
Most psychiatry trainees follow a 4-year track. PGY-1 pay starts around $65K with roughly 2.0% annual raises.
PSLF & forgiveness strategy
VA, community mental health centers (CMHCs), and academic psychiatry programs dominate the job market — all PSLF-qualifying.
Our pick · PSLF (strong fit)
Repayment recommendation
Community mental health centers, VA, and academic psychiatry are all PSLF-qualifying. Moderate attending salary + 4-year residency = sizable forgiven balance.
Run your numbers for PsychiatryKey takeaways
- Telehealth / private-practice psychiatry is the main non-PSLF path
- Child and adolescent psych fellowship adds 2 years, still favors PSLF
- 4-year residency → PSLF forgiveness at year 14 total
Ready to model your debt strategy?
Compare PSLF, refinancing, and aggressive payoff for your Psychiatry scenario — pre-filled with the salary and training defaults from this page.
Open the calculator