The median pay for Psychiatric Aides is $44,910 a year ($21.59/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 1.9% through 2035, with about 4,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 31-1133
- Healthcare Support
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Psychiatric Aide in four numbers
- Median pay
- $44,910a year, or $21.59/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $32KTop 10% $60K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +1.9%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+1.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +1.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4,90036,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202536.9K
- Projected 203537.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 36.9K Projected 2035 37.6K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school24.2%
- Certificate16.5%
- Some college45.7%
- Associate's9.6%
- Bachelor's4.1%
Highest education held by psychiatric aides Segment Value High school 24.2% Certificate 16.5% Some college 45.7% Associate's 9.6% Bachelor's 4.1%
Also advertised as: Developmental Aide, Mental Health Aide (MHA), Mental Health Worker (MHW), Psychiatric Aide, Psychiatric Assistant, Psychiatric Nursing Aide.
Pay
How much do Psychiatric Aides make?
Every psychiatric aide in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$44,910
Middle half earn $37,750 to $49,950
- 10th
- $32,090
- 25th
- $37,750
- 75th
- $49,950
- 90th
- $60,440
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $32,090 |
| 25th | $37,750 |
| Median | $44,910 |
| 75th | $49,950 |
| 90th | $60,440 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $44,910
- Median hourly wage
- $21.59/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $45,690
- People employed
- 35,520
Versus all US occupations
At $44,910, Psychiatric Aides earn 12% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $6,070 a year.
Versus healthcare support occupations
Inside the Healthcare Support group, where the middle occupation pays $42,260, this is 6% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $60,440 or more while the bottom 10% earn $32,090, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 11% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Minnesota pays the most at $55,040, and still leads at $55,810 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Psychiatric Aides the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Minnesota | $55,040 | $55,810 | 620 |
| 2Washington | $52,570 | $49,125 | 330 |
| 3Hawaii | $52,310 | $47,576 | 30 |
| 4Maryland | $51,440 | $49,010 | 250 |
| 5Nevada | $51,400 | $51,411 | 220 |
| 6Rhode Island | $51,100 | $49,961 | 130 |
| 7New York | $50,220 | $46,534 | 5,120 |
| 8Alaska | $49,300 | $48,164 | 190 |
| 9Illinois | $48,670 | $48,690 | 120 |
| 10Oregon | $48,300 | $46,729 | 1,550 |
Job outlook
Is Psychiatric Aide a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +1.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Psychiatric Aides | +1.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Psychiatric Aides to change 1.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 4,900 openings are projected each year, 13.3% of the 36,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of psychiatric technicians and aides is projected to grow 18 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of psychiatric technicians and aides varies by occupation (see table).
Because psychiatric technicians are directly involved with day-to-day patient care, they will increasingly be needed to treat the growing number of people who have mental illness or substance use disorders.
Getting in
How to become a Psychiatric Aide
To enter the occupation, psychiatric technicians typically need a postsecondary certificate, and aides need at least a high school diploma or equivalent. Some states require technicians to be licensed. Both technicians and aides get on-the-job training.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as psychiatric aides.
- Some College Courses45.7%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)24.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate16.5%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree9.6%
- Bachelor's Degree4.1%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Some College Courses | 45.7% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 24.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 16.5% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 9.6% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 4.1% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Psychiatric Aide do?
Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff. May assist with daily living activities, lead patients in educational and recreational activities, or accompany patients to and from examinations and treatments. May restrain violent patients. Includes psychiatric orderlies.
Psychiatric technicians and aides care for people who have mental or emotional conditions or developmental disabilities. Technicians typically monitor patients’ conditions and provide therapeutic care, such as overseeing their medications. Aides help patients in their daily activities and ensure a safe and clean environment.
Day-to-day tasks
- Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients.
- Participate in recreational activities with patients, including card games, sports, or television viewing.
- Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
- Organize, supervise, or encourage patient participation in social, educational, or recreational activities.
- Maintain patients' restrictions to assigned areas.
- Clean and disinfect rooms and furnishings to maintain a safe and orderly environment.
- Provide patients with assistance in bathing, dressing, or grooming, demonstrating these skills as necessary.
- Work as part of a team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, or social workers.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where psychiatric aides work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals; state25%
- State government, excluding education and hospitals18%
- Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals; private15%
- General medical and surgical hospitals; private9%
- Residential mental health and substance abuse facilities9%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals; state | 25% |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 18% |
| Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals; private | 15% |
| General medical and surgical hospitals; private | 9% |
| Residential mental health and substance abuse facilities | 9% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking3.9
- Active Listening3.8
- Monitoring3.8
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Active Learning3.3
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Writing3.1
- Learning Strategies2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Service Orientation3.9
- Coordination3.3
- Instructing3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Persuasion3.0
- Negotiation3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.3 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Medical software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Psychiatric Aide?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Psychiatric Aide |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social6.8
- Investigative4.0
- Conventional3.7
- Realistic3.4
- Artistic1.8
- Enterprising1.7
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Psychiatric Aide
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Support
- Healthcare Support
- Healthcare Support
- Healthcare Support
- Healthcare Support
More healthcare support careers
Median annual pay, with psychiatric aides highlighted
- Occupational Therapy Assistant$72,300
- Physical Therapist Assistant$68,380
- Massage Therapist$58,450
- Dental Assistant$48,070
- Medical Assistant$45,690
- Phlebotomist$45,230
- Psychiatric Aide$44,910
- Nursing Assistant$42,260
- Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker$38,150
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | $72,300 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | $68,380 |
| Massage Therapist | $58,450 |
| Dental Assistant | $48,070 |
| Medical Assistant | $45,690 |
| Phlebotomist | $45,230 |
| Psychiatric Aide | $44,910 |
| Nursing Assistant | $42,260 |
| Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker | $38,150 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Psychiatric Aide appears on
Questions
Psychiatric Aide: frequently asked questions
How much do Psychiatric Aides make?
Psychiatric Aides earn a median of $44,910 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 12% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $21.59/hr. The middle half earn between $37,750 and $49,950. The top 10% earn $60,440 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Psychiatric Aide?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Psychiatric Aides. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 45.7% hold some college courses.
Is Psychiatric Aide a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.9% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 4,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Psychiatric Aide do?
Psychiatric technicians and aides care for people who have mental or emotional conditions or developmental disabilities. A core O*NET task: listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Operating system software.
Which states pay Psychiatric Aides the most?
The highest state medians for Psychiatric Aides are Minnesota ($55,040), Washington ($52,570), Hawaii ($52,310) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Psychiatric Aide?
O*NET scores Psychiatric Aides highest on the Social, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISFJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.