Average income was down 2.7% for psychiatrists recruited in 2012-2013, compared with the previous year, according to a report from physician job placement firm Merritt Hawkins.
For the 12-month period from April 1, 2012, to March 31, 2013, the 168 psychiatrists recruited by the company received an average base salary or guaranteed income of $218,000 from their new employers, compared with an average of $224,000 for 2011-2012. The average salary for psychiatrists had increased each of the previous 3 years, the report showed.
Despite the salary drop, psychiatry was one of the most recruited specialties in 2012-2013, finishing fourth behind family medicine, internal medicine, and hospital medicine. It has been among the top five most recruited specialties for the last 4 years, Merritt Hawkins noted, adding that "the shortage of psychiatrists continues unabated while failing to receive the attention focused on the shortage of primary care physicians."
