Psychiatric Technicians Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for psychiatric technicianss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $46,610 ≈ $22/hr
National median salary $45,130
Total employment 156,960 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +20% Much faster than average
Annual openings 15,900 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 144,500 → 173,300 (+28,900)
Typical entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. District of Columbia$63,160
  2. New York$60,080
  3. California$58,780
  4. Oregon$58,140
  5. Connecticut$57,720

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Louisiana$32,310
  2. West Virginia$34,840
  3. Alabama$35,600
  4. Arkansas$35,980
  5. Mississippi$36,120
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 District of Columbia $63,160 $67,430 $30 +35.5% 380
2 New York $60,080 $58,080 $29 +28.9% 2,040
3 California $58,780 $49,140 $28 +26.1% 14,100
4 Oregon $58,140 $59,820 $28 +24.7% 1,250
5 Connecticut $57,720 $55,500 $28 +23.8% 1,040
6 Alaska $57,280 $51,650 $28 +22.9% 340
7 New Jersey $56,400 $54,040 $27 +21% 2,520
8 Washington $55,160 $52,470 $27 +18.3% 1,920
9 Hawaii $54,750 $55,150 $26 +17.5% 2,060
10 Massachusetts $53,840 $52,000 $26 +15.5% 5,340
11 Nebraska $53,800 $57,370 $26 +15.4% 1,390
12 New Hampshire $50,860 $44,660 $24 +9.1% 260
13 Rhode Island $50,310 $48,520 $24 +7.9% 990
14 Colorado $48,960 $47,430 $24 +5% 1,740
15 Vermont $48,650 $47,560 $23 +4.4% 600

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 297 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Stockton-Lodi, CA $95,580 $90,620 330
2 Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area $87,260 $85,400 210
3 Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area $84,710 $80,620 70
4 Napa, CA $83,960 $79,140 320
5 Visalia, CA $76,700 $73,420 200
6 Vallejo, CA $76,120 $76,310 260
7 Ann Arbor, MI $72,550 $68,620 580
8 Salem, OR $66,840 $67,720
9 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $65,500 $59,520 50
10 Madison, WI $64,380 $62,160 1,030

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing psychiatric technicianss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $59,570 $63,450 4,810
2 Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations $55,550 $56,700
3 Sector 81 - Other Services (except Public Administration) $55,550 $56,700
4 Elementary and Secondary Schools, Local Government Owned $55,270 $57,780 1,250
5 Other Ambulatory Health Care Services $52,980 $53,860 150
6 All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services $52,980 $53,860 150
7 Management of Companies and Enterprises $52,100 $51,790
8 Management of Companies and Enterprises $52,100 $51,790
9 Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises $52,100 $51,790
10 State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $51,530 $57,180 18,060
11 Hospitals, State Government Owned $51,100 $55,280 12,560
12 Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, State Government Owned $51,100 $55,630 11,740

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
31,737
$10-20k
28,596
$20-30k
23,965
$30-40k
33,975
$40-50k
21,894
$50-60k
11,449
$60-70k
7,099
$70-80k
3,250
$80-90k
3,320
$90-100k
850
$100-110k
1,542
$110-120k
728
$120-130k
54
$130-140k
422
$140-150k
153
$150-160k
409
$160-170k
48
$190-200k
43
$200k+
209

Pay by age band

16-24
$20,618
25-34
$32,779
35-44
$36,815
45-54
$41,854
55-64
$42,599
65+
$25,550

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$32,982
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$28,029
Regular high school diploma
$26,120
Associates Degree
$33,755
Some college, but less than 1 year
$31,155
Masters Degree
$38,516
GED or alternative credential
$33,267
No schooling completed
$18,433
12th grade - no diploma
$42,793
Professional degree
$34,605
Grade 8
$21,703
Grade 11
$26,882
Grade 2
$30,586
Grade 10
$13,822
Grade 9
$40,781
Grade 7
$76,464
Grade 5
$30,586
Grade 3
$35,683

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
103,374 · $41,569
Part-time
42,598 · $19,270

Race / ethnicity

White
$29,348
Black
$35,398
Two or More Races
$30,068
Other
$30,615
Asian
$31,973
American Indian
$32,197
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$73,254
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$27,423

Top fields of study

Psychology
$31,720
Business Management And Administration
$26,406
Nursing
$44,872
Social Work
$48,878
Sociology
$29,824
Family And Consumer Sciences
$36,897
Communications
$33,236
Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure
$45,445

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do psychiatric technicians make in the U.S.?

The median psychiatric technicians salary in the United States is $45,130 per year (mean $46,610), and about 80% earn between $35,090 and $60,750.

How much do psychiatric technicians make per hour?

Roughly $22 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $46,610 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays psychiatric technicians the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for psychiatric technicians at $63,160 per year (median $67,430).

What is the job outlook for psychiatric technicians?

Employment is projected to change +20% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 15,900 openings per year.