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.
Psychiatric Technician Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Psychiatric Technicians earn a median of $45,130 per year ($21.70/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 20.0% through 2034, with about 15,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
SOC 29-2053Healthcare Practitioners and TechnicalLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $45,130
- Projected growth
- +20.0%
- Openings a year
- 15,900
- Typical education
- Certificate
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: BHT (Behavioral Health Technician), Health Care Technician (Health Care Tech), LPT (Licensed Psychiatric Technician), Mental Health Associate, Mental Health Specialist, Mental Health Technician (MHT).
How much do Psychiatric Technicians make?
10th percentile$35,090
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$38,430
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$45,130
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$50,160
Upper quartile
90th percentile$60,750
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $45,130 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $21.70/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $46,610 |
| People employed | 156,960 |
Versus all US occupations
At $45,130, Psychiatric Technicians earn 11% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $5,850 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $97,870, this is 54% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $60,750 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,090, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 17% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($67,430), but once local prices are taken into account Nebraska leads at $63,672 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Psychiatric Technicians the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $67,430 | $61,355 | 380 |
| Oregon | $59,820 | $57,875 | 1,250 |
| New York | $58,080 | $53,817 | 2,040 |
| Nebraska | $57,370 | $63,672 | 1,390 |
| Connecticut | $55,500 | $53,566 | 1,040 |
| Hawaii | $55,150 | $50,159 | 2,060 |
| New Jersey | $54,040 | $49,667 | 2,520 |
| Washington | $52,470 | $49,031 | 1,920 |
| Massachusetts | $52,000 | $49,169 | 5,340 |
| Alaska | $51,650 | $50,460 | 340 |
Is Psychiatric Technician a growing career?
Psychiatric Technicians20.0%
All US occupations3.1%
+20.0% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Psychiatric Technicians to change 20.0% over 2024–2034, roughly 6.5× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 28,900 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 15,900 openings are projected each year, 11.0% of the 144,500 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of psychiatric technicians and aides is projected to grow 16 percent from 2024 to 2034, 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.
How to become a Psychiatric Technician
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.
| Typical entry-level education | Postsecondary nondegree award |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | Less than 5 years |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as psychiatric technicians.
- Some College Courses40.1%
- Bachelor's Degree29.8%
- High School Diploma19.8%
- Post-Secondary Certificate5.0%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)3.2%
What does a Psychiatric Technician do?
Care for individuals with mental or emotional conditions or disabilities, following the instructions of physicians or other health practitioners. Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report to medical staff. May participate in rehabilitation and treatment programs, help with personal hygiene, and administer oral or injectable medications.
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
- Encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, or other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills or develop social relationships.
- Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff.
- Observe and influence patients' behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling, or befriending them.
- Develop or teach strategies to promote client wellness and independence.
- Train or instruct new employees on procedures to follow with psychiatric patients.
- Collaborate with or assist doctors, psychologists, or rehabilitation therapists in working with patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities to treat, rehabilitate, and return patients to the community.
- Aid patients in performing tasks, such as bathing or keeping beds, clothing, or living areas clean.
- Restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where psychiatric technicians work
| Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals; state | 24% |
|---|---|
| Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals; private | 18% |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 18% |
| Residential mental health and substance abuse facilities | 7% |
| Outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers | 2% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Reading Comprehension3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.6/5
- Writing3.3/5
- Active Learning3.1/5
- Learning Strategies3.0/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.1/5
- Coordination3.9/5
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Instructing3.3/5
- Persuasion3.1/5
- Negotiation3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Inventory management software
- Medical software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Psychiatric Technician?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic3.3
Investigativeprimary4.6
Artistic2.1
Socialprimary6.9
Enterprising1.5
Conventionalprimary3.5
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.
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.
Psychiatric Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Psychiatric Technicians make?
Psychiatric Technicians earn a median of $45,130 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 11% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $21.70/hr. The middle half earn between $38,430 and $50,160. The top 10% earn $60,750 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Psychiatric Technician?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialled training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or licence programme) as the typical entry route for Psychiatric Technicians. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 40.1% hold some college courses.
Is Psychiatric Technician a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 20.0% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 15,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Psychiatric Technician do?
Psychiatric technicians and aides care for people who have mental or emotional conditions or developmental disabilities. A core O*NET task: encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, or other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills or develop social relationships. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Psychiatric Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Psychiatric Technicians are District of Columbia ($67,430), Oregon ($59,820), New York ($58,080) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Nebraska moves to the top at $63,672.
What personality type suits a Psychiatric Technician?
O*NET scores Psychiatric Technicians 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, ISFP, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.