Psychiatric Mental Health
NP Jobs in the United States.

There are currently 758 psychiatric mental health NP positions listed on NP Hiring. Outpatient clinics, hospital units, integrated primary care practices, and telehealth platforms all hire for the specialty, and each listing states its setting.

A graduate (MSN or DNP) degree in the specialty's NP track, then national board certification for the specialty, which both ANCC and AANPCB (operating as NPCB) offer, alongside state APRN licensure. Roles that prescribe controlled substances also require DEA registration.

The median posted salary across psychiatric mental health NP listings on NP Hiring that disclose annual pay is $156,126. Nationally, nurse practitioners earn a median annual wage of $132,300 (BLS OEWS, Nurse Practitioners (29-1171), median annual wage, May 2025). Pay varies with experience, setting, geography, and employment type.

Practice authority is set state by state, and the tier alone does not settle what applies to you. The AANP State Practice Environment classifies 27 states + DC as Full Practice, where state law lets nurse practitioners evaluate patients, diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and initiate and manage treatments, including prescribing medications and controlled substances, under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing. Several of those states first require a transition period of collaborative or supervised practice. Most other states require a collaborative agreement, supervision or delegation involving a physician or another health provider, and several of them offer a route out of it after a set amount of experience. Check the practice-authority details for the state you are browsing on its state jobs page, or in the Full Practice Authority guide, before relying on the tier.

As of October 2026, three sets of rules apply. Medicare's telehealth flexibilities, including visits with patients at home and audio-only visits, are extended through December 31, 2027 by Section 6209 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-75, signed February 3, 2026). The DEA and HHS extended the telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances through December 31, 2026 (Federal Register document 2025-24123). The DEA's final rule creating a special registration for telemedicine has been under review at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs since August 25, 2026, so check the DEA's current guidance before prescribing controlled substances by telehealth after December 31, 2026. In every case, you need an active license in the state where the patient is located at the time of the visit, which is why telehealth listings name the states where they require licensure.