Pay by state · 49 areas
Psychiatric Technician Salary by State (2026)
Psychiatric Technicians earn the most in District of Columbia at $67,430 a year and the least in Louisiana at $31,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $45,130. The table below covers 48 states and DC, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $67,430District of Columbia
- National median
- $45,130BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $31,440Louisiana
- Areas reporting
- 49of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for psychiatric technicians
Ranked on the state median among the 48 reporting states and DC. After cost of living, Nebraska comes out ahead instead.
Highest median pay
- 1District of Columbia$67,430
- 2Oregon$59,820
- 3New York$58,080
- 4Nebraska$57,370
- 5Connecticut$55,500
Lowest median pay
- 1Louisiana$31,440
- 2West Virginia$34,100
- 3Mississippi$35,320
- 4Arkansas$35,930
- 5Alabama$36,680
All states
Psychiatric Technician salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of psychiatric technicians OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $67,430 | $47,880 | $78,460 | 380 | $61,355 |
| 2 | OROregon | $59,820 | $46,290 | $66,840 | 1,250 | $57,875 |
| 3 | NYNew York | $58,080 | $46,630 | $72,500 | 2,040 | $53,817 |
| 4 | NENebraska | $57,370 | $45,570 | $61,650 | 1,390 | $63,672 |
| 5 | CTConnecticut | $55,500 | $48,050 | $70,000 | 1,040 | $53,566 |
| 6 | HIHawaii | $55,150 | $50,400 | $59,870 | 2,060 | $50,159 |
| 7 | NJNew Jersey | $54,040 | $46,580 | $60,610 | 2,520 | $49,667 |
| 8 | WAWashington | $52,470 | $46,360 | $61,990 | 1,920 | $49,031 |
| 9 | MAMassachusetts | $52,000 | $46,780 | $59,610 | 5,340 | $49,169 |
| 10 | AKAlaska | $51,650 | $49,130 | $66,310 | 340 | $50,460 |
| 11 | CACalifornia | $49,140 | $46,620 | $74,390 | 14,100 | $44,382 |
| 12 | RIRhode Island | $48,520 | $45,130 | $51,650 | 990 | $47,438 |
| 13 | VAVirginia | $48,320 | $40,790 | $51,580 | 3,950 | $47,792 |
| 14 | VTVermont | $47,560 | $45,520 | $50,110 | 600 | $48,551 |
| 15 | COColorado | $47,430 | $43,130 | $51,590 | 1,740 | $46,025 |
| 16 | NVNevada | $46,450 | $43,930 | $47,870 | 2,060 | $46,460 |
| 17 | GAGeorgia | $46,250 | $41,320 | $50,680 | 5,560 | $48,030 |
| 18 | ILIllinois | $46,200 | $39,600 | $50,820 | 9,410 | $46,219 |
| 19 | MOMissouri | $45,840 | $37,840 | $47,180 | 4,450 | $50,475 |
| 20 | AZArizona | $45,640 | $39,550 | $47,950 | 8,160 | $45,333 |
| 21 | MDMaryland | $45,520 | $34,810 | $51,580 | 680 | $43,369 |
| 22 | MEMaine | $45,320 | $44,060 | $48,640 | 620 | $46,698 |
| 23 | NHNew Hampshire | $44,660 | $44,650 | $50,260 | 260 | $42,874 |
| 24 | PAPennsylvania | $43,930 | $39,320 | $47,740 | 10,340 | $45,023 |
| 25 | KSKansas | $43,780 | $38,550 | $45,300 | 1,670 | $48,608 |
| 26 | FLFlorida | $43,570 | $37,670 | $50,160 | 12,710 | $42,132 |
| 27 | MIMichigan | $43,140 | $37,550 | $52,000 | 4,850 | $44,836 |
| 28 | IAIowa | $42,910 | $37,440 | $44,630 | 690 | $48,894 |
| 29 | IDIdaho | $41,490 | $40,040 | $45,490 | 780 | $43,448 |
| 30 | SCSouth Carolina | $40,970 | $39,980 | $46,730 | 560 | $43,702 |
| 31 | INIndiana | $40,910 | $37,940 | $46,550 | 6,790 | $43,834 |
| 32 | UTUtah | $40,770 | $38,540 | $45,710 | 1,940 | $41,238 |
| 33 | NCNorth Carolina | $40,630 | $37,560 | $45,880 | 5,950 | $43,074 |
| 34 | KYKentucky | $40,370 | $36,400 | $47,880 | 910 | $44,776 |
| 35 | MNMinnesota | $40,300 | $38,130 | $51,490 | 3,550 | $40,864 |
| 36 | WIWisconsin | $40,290 | $35,040 | $51,970 | 4,430 | $42,818 |
| 37 | TXTexas | $39,970 | $36,960 | $45,560 | 11,350 | $41,182 |
| 38 | NDNorth Dakota | $39,960 | $39,310 | $46,560 | 270 | $44,920 |
| 39 | TNTennessee | $39,800 | $35,410 | $48,320 | 3,810 | $43,322 |
| 40 | MTMontana | $39,190 | $35,030 | $50,030 | 310 | $41,407 |
| 41 | OHOhio | $39,140 | $36,510 | $46,540 | 3,950 | $42,189 |
| 42 | OKOklahoma | $39,060 | $36,190 | $44,650 | 820 | $44,466 |
| 43 | NMNew Mexico | $39,020 | $36,870 | $47,990 | 660 | $42,316 |
| 44 | DEDelaware | $38,410 | $37,210 | $44,060 | 350 | $38,484 |
| 45 | ALAlabama | $36,680 | $31,030 | $38,540 | 3,290 | $41,296 |
| 46 | ARArkansas | $35,930 | $31,270 | $37,740 | 1,900 | $41,329 |
| 47 | MSMississippi | $35,320 | $30,760 | $39,210 | 930 | $40,620 |
| 48 | WVWest Virginia | $34,100 | $31,390 | $35,580 | 770 | $38,102 |
| 49 | LALouisiana | $31,440 | $29,700 | $35,200 | 2,420 | $35,643 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For psychiatric technicians, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $67,430, while Nebraska leads once prices are taken into account at $63,672.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Psychiatric Technician pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays psychiatric technicians the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for psychiatric technicians at $67,430 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Oregon ($59,820) and New York ($58,080).
Which state pays psychiatric technicians the least?
Among the 48 reporting states and DC, Louisiana reports the lowest median for psychiatric technicians at $31,440 a year, $35,990 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is the highest-paying state the best for psychiatric technicians after cost of living?
Not on this data. District of Columbia pays the most on paper ($67,430) but ranks 2nd of 49 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($61,355). Nebraska leads after that adjustment at $63,672, from a raw median of $57,370. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.