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Psychiatric Aides Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 31-1133 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$44,907
$21.59/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Psychiatric Aides salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$32K
P25$38K
P50$45K
P75$50K
P90$60K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
🔥
Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- health care job openings are running at 5.3% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in health care are rising about 3.6% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.2-3.7% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $44,907 to $49,941 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Psychiatric Aides pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 7.9% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.6% wage growth of Health Care & Social Assistance (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Health Care & Social Assistance is running a 5.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.9% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.1% down to 5.3%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 1.9 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings fell from 5.9% to 5.3% (down 147K), the sharpest monthly cooling this year, though still the second-tightest market.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.6% per year, the fastest of any major sector. Health benefit costs rose 6.0% nationally.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Psychiatric Aides is $44,907 per year ($21.59/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $37,752 and $49,941 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $60,445 per year. There are approximately 35,520 psychiatric aides employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-0.4%
Little or no change
Annual openings
5K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
39K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals
NAICS 622200
14K$46,340
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
6K$42,560
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
4K$45,180
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities
NAICS 623200
4K$40,250
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
1K$40,690
Wage range across top 5 industries: $40,250 to $46,340 (15% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$15.43$32,094
P25$18.15$37,752
P50MEDIAN$21.59$44,907
P75$24.01$49,941
P90$29.06$60,445

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.3%
Quits Rate
1.9%

Health Care & Social Assistance openings fell 147K to 1.35M in June, rate down from 5.9% to 5.3% -- the sector's biggest monthly cooling this year, though it remains the second-tightest market. Quits edged up to 1.9%; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average psychiatric aides salary?

The national median salary for Psychiatric Aides is $44,907 per year ($21.59/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $37,752 and $49,941 annually.

How much do top-earning psychiatric aides make?

The 90th percentile salary for Psychiatric Aides is $60,445 per year ($29.06/hr). The 75th percentile is $49,941 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for psychiatric aides?

Entry-level Psychiatric Aides (10th percentile) earn approximately $32,094 per year ($15.43/hr). The 25th percentile is $37,752 per year.

Related Salary Data

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Psychiatric Aides Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
New York5,120 workersCalifornia3,760 workersMississippi2,490 workersFlorida2,210 workersNew Jersey2,060 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 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.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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