Getting a degree in psychiatry is not a bad idea these days. Psychiatrists are needed all over Europe and the good thing is that the title is recognised across the European Union. There are, however, differences in training, salary and working hours. Therefore, psychiatrists often look for a job in foreign countries, wishing to make more money than their own country offers. Where do psychiatrists earn the most and what does the job entail there?
Working hours
Trainees in EU countries work usually between 35 hours per week in Bulgaria to 65 hours per week in Malta. Those numbers include on-call hours, as many psychiatrists work at hospitals where their working hours may be dependent on the amount of patients and other doctors available. Non-EU countries usually demand less working hours – 35 hours per week in Belarus, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine. It may be logical then, that between all the European countries, salaries for psychiatrists vary significantly.
Salaries
The pay gap in psychiatry field is huge – in some countries, specialists earn 14 times more than in other places. The best example here would be Ukraine, where psychiatrists earn only 90€ per month. Their colleagues working in Switzerland can earn over 4000€ per month! The top five countries in terms of average monthly salaries are Switzerland, Sweden and the UK with over 4000€ per month, Norway with 3400€ per month and Germany with 2900€ per month. It’s worth noticing that those salaries are so high mostly because of the long on-call hours.
However, all the salaries given here are already after the tax reduction, so it’s safe to say that psychiatrists earn a lot of money. What about the lowest incomes in Europe?
In Ukraine, as mentioned before, psychiatrists usually get around 90€ per month. Their closest neighbours don’t get paid much either. With Bulgaria paying 140€, Belarus 150€, Russia 150€ – 500€ and Romania 400€, it’s safe to say they could be doing better. In Portugal, average salary for psychiatry trainee is 1200€. Trainees often decide to spend a period abroad, during which they continue to be paid by their institution. Trainees in Belgium are paid anywhere between 1900-2400€ by their supervisors, which may cause conflicts of interest. It should be remembered though, that trainees are often required to pay for some parts of the psychotherapy curricula, which notably reduces their final income.
Are you interested in doctors’ salaries in details? Visit Paragona.com webiste to learn more about european standards.
