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UnitedHealth Group
Asheville, North Carolina

Psychiatrist Per Diem

PsychiatryPer Diem

Listed compensation

from $108/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 6mo ago

Job Description

Carolina Behavioral Care, part of the Optum family of businesses, is seeking a Psychiatrist - Per Diem to join our team in Asheville, 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. 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 and formulate comprehensive treatment plans using evidence-based tools. They will also deliver psychotherapy sessions and manage psychotropic medication protocols for a diverse patient population.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a clear, active, and unrestricted Physician license (MD/DO) and be board certified or eligible in psychiatry. An active DEA registration is also required, with a preference for at least two years of outpatient clinical experience.

Qualifications

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

Certifications

DEA License

Key Skills

Mental health diagnosisMedication managementSubstance addiction treatmentGroup therapyTreatment planningMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Outlook

Psychiatry — Physician Career Context

Of the 40 active Psychiatry listings this role was benchmarked against, 53% are remote, 63% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

UnitedHealth Group holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 75/100, 1,420 active listings.

Psychiatry pay on WeekdayDoc is up 7.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Psychiatrist Per Diem at UnitedHealth Group a 7.9 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the Above average in Psychiatry — ranked against 1,864 active Psychiatry listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top contract/1099 Psychiatrist Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution35 jobs · 14 employers

8
<$430k
9
$430k-455k
6
$455k-480k
12
$480k-505k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks26 jobs · 14 employers

401k / retirement match
85% this job
Sign-on bonus
73%
CME allowance
27%
Visa sponsorship
12%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Collaborating Psychiatrist

Eleanor Health · Washington, District of Columbia

$200-$250/hr
#2

Child Psychiatrist | Independent ContractorContract

Stars Behavioral Health Group · San Jose, California

$200-$240/hr
#3

Psychiatrist (MD)

$160-$180/hr
#4

Psychiatrist

Salary Range: $180.00…
+ 38 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 7.9
Better work-life than 70% of Psychiatry listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,864 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Asheville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$455k
Typical market rent
$1,704/mo
Residents’ average commute
18 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
96.5
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

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

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

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

UnitedHealth Group logo

About UnitedHealth Group

Hospitals and Health Care
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive Benefits Package
Incentive and Recognition Programs
Equity Stock Purchase
401k Contribution