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The national median salary for Psychiatric Technicians is $42,578 per year ($20.47/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $37,170 and $48,901 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $60,154 per year. There are approximately 136,300 psychiatric technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+20.0%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
16K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
145K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
18% from new growth82% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
30K
$44,320
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals
NAICS 622200
30K
$41,440
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
16K
$42,820
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities
NAICS 623200
15K
$38,750
Individual and Family Services
NAICS 624100
12K
$40,400
Wage range across top 5 industries: $38,750 to $44,320 (14% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$15.86
$32,989
P25
$17.87
$37,170
P50MEDIAN
$20.47
$42,578
P75
$23.51
$48,901
P90
$28.92
$60,154
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average psychiatric technicians salary?
The national median salary for Psychiatric Technicians is $42,578 per year ($20.47/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $37,170 and $48,901 annually.
How much do top-earning psychiatric technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Psychiatric Technicians is $60,154 per year ($28.92/hr). The 75th percentile is $48,901 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for psychiatric technicians?
Entry-level Psychiatric Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $32,989 per year ($15.86/hr). The 25th percentile is $37,170 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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