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UnitedHealth Group
Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States

Psychiatrist Per Diem

PsychiatryPer Diem

Listed compensation

$108.17-$189.18/hr

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 37m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Carolina Behavioral Care, part of the Optum family of businesses, is seeking a Psychiatrist - Per Diem to join our team in Fayetteville, NC. As a member of the Optum Behavioral Care team, you’ll be an integral part of our vision to make healthcare better for everyone.

As a Psychiatrist, you will treat a wide variety of mental health conditions that reflect the needs of our diverse patient population. We offer a variety of solutions that meet the unique needs of our workforce and the patients they serve. From clinical operations such as credentialing to business operations such as contracting, we provide organizational support that allows our providers to focus on what matters - providing care.

Primary Responsibilities

Utilize evidence-based screening tools, medical tests, and diagnostic criteria to diagnose mental health conditions and formulate comprehensive treatment plans

Deliver individual and group psychotherapy sessions, employing various therapeutic modalities tailored to each patient's needs

Prescribe and manage psychotropic medications per established protocols and clinical guidelines; monitor medication efficacy and side effects, adjusting treatment plans to optimize patient outcomes

Maintain accurate and up-to-date electronic medical records and clinical documentation, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements

Participate in our patient growth strategy by providing a profile for online directories and other marketing efforts

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications

  • Clear, active and unrestricted Physician license (MD/DO) in the state of practice
  • Board certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) or eligible for board certification
  • Active DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) registration

Preferred Qualifications

  • 2+ years of clinical experience in an outpatient behavioral health setting
  • Experience providing patient education, specifically regarding medication treatment adherence and aftercare services
  • Experience counseling patients using advanced psychotherapeutic techniques, including in group settings
  • Experience treating substance addiction and co-occurring disorders
  • Experience working with patients in different age groups, including older adults

Experience Working with Couples or Family Counseling

Experience working with computers for professional communication and medical documentation - Excel, Outlook, Athena RMS (or other EHRs)

Explore opportunities at Optum Behavioral Care. We’re revolutionizing behavioral health care delivery for individuals, clinicians and the entire health care system. Together, we are bringing high-end medical service, compassionate care and industry leading solutions to our most vulnerable patient populations.

Our holistic approach addresses the physical, mental and social needs of our patients wherever they may be - helping patients access and navigate care anytime and anywhere. We’re connecting care to create a seamless health journey for patients across care settings.

Join our team, it’s your chance to improve the lives of millions while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Compensation for this specialty generally ranges from $108.17 - $189.18/hour. Total cash compensation includes base pay and bonus and is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience and may increase over time based on productivity and performance in the role.

We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements).

No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone–of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income–deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life.

Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes.

We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes — an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

Key Responsibilities

The psychiatrist will diagnose mental health conditions using evidence-based tools and formulate comprehensive treatment plans for a diverse patient population. Responsibilities also include delivering psychotherapy, managing psychotropic medications, and maintaining accurate electronic medical records.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a clear, active, and unrestricted Physician license (MD/DO) in the state of practice and possess active DEA registration. Board certification in psychiatry by the ABPN or eligibility for certification is required.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

DEA License

Key Skills

Medication managementDiagnostic assessmentSubstance addiction treatmentGroup therapyIndividual therapyTreatment planningMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Outlook

Psychiatry — Physician Career Context

The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$309k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $328k in an average-cost state. 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 40 active Psychiatry listings this role was benchmarked against, 78% are remote, 63% have no call, 57% require no weekends.

What does the Psychiatry market look like in North Carolina?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$225k–$393kPsychiatry median $364k (middle half $364k–$385k)22 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$328k in purchasing powerNorth Carolina index 94.3 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Psychiatry listings in North Carolina63 active1,887 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 78% remote · 63% no call · 57% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedNorth Carolina physician listings (all specialties): 28% state a sign-on bonus (median $30k) · 14% offer loan repayment476 active listings, Nov 2026
Psychiatry hiring demand#27 of 28 specialtiespostings stay open a median 34 days · 28% state a sign-on bonusWeekdayDoc Hiring Index, October 2026 · 728 postings, 654 closed
New Psychiatry listings1,284 in the last 30 days926 the 30 days before (+39%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Psychiatry pay trend−1.4% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
UnitedHealth Groupsilver tier, 71/100Top Employers work-life index1,811 active listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024), WeekdayDoc Hiring Index; as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Psychiatrist Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

31 jobs · 13 employers
11
<$435k
13
$435k-460k
3
$460k-485k
4
$485k-510k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

27 jobs · 13 employers
401k / retirement match
96% this job
Sign-on bonus
89%
CME allowance
22%
Visa sponsorship
11%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Collaborating Psychiatrist

Eleanor Health · Ohio

$200-$250/hr
#2

Collaborating Psychiatrist

Eleanor Health · Georgia

$200-$250/hr
#3

Telehealth Psychiatrist (MD/DO) – California Licensed

$195-$225/hr
#4

Telehealth Psychiatrist (MD/DO) – Montana Licensed

$190-$225/hr
+ 38 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 4.8
Better work-life than 30% of Psychiatry listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,884 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

UnitedHealth Group logo

About UnitedHealth Group

Hospitals and Health Care
Eden Prairie , Minnesota
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive benefits package
Incentive and recognition programs
Equity stock purchase
401k contribution

Living in Fayetteville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$204k
Typical market rent
$1,362/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
92.0
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Fayetteville, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.