4. Psychiatrists
With one in five adult Americans experiencing some sort of mental illness and 13.6 million people suffering from serious mental health conditions, there is a strong demand for psychiatrists. However, the demand has not been met. According to Merritt Hawkins’s “Psychiatry: The Silent Shortage”, 28,250 active psychiatrists working in the US can’t serve entire population’s need. More than half of the country experiences a shortage of mental health professionals and it seems that there will be not much change in the future. Psychiatry is one of the oldest specialties, with 59% doctors who are 55 or older. It is expected that more doctors will leave the field than enter, which will further expand the gap between the need and supply. Psychiatrists are seventh-lowest paid specialty with an annual salary of $226,000, but they are also fourth-most satisfied group of doctors when it comes to earnings. And now, let’s see the top three entries in our list of most in demand medical specialties in America.
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