SOC 29-2053.00Bright outlook

    Psychiatric Technicians

    Care for individuals with mental or emotional conditions or disabilities, following the instructions of physicians or other health practitioners.

    Median pay
    $45,130
    Growth
    +22.3%
    Much faster than average
    Openings a year
    17,000
    Typical education
    Postsecondary certificate

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $35,090
    Median
    $45,130
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $60,750
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    156,960 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Psychiatric technicians care for people with mental or emotional conditions, or disabilities, under the guidance of medical professionals. The career offers a median annual pay of $45,130, with opportunities for rapid employment growth.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What psychiatric technicians do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    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.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career spend their days assisting and caring for others in healthcare settings. They monitor the physical and emotional well-being of patients, report updates to medical staff, and help with daily tasks like personal hygiene. Some technicians also administer medications and participate in rehabilitation programs.

    Success in this role requires strong social perceptiveness, active listening, and clear communication. Technicians must resolve conflicts, make decisions under pressure, and document patient information accurately. This work is highly social and suits individuals who value empathy, dependability, self-control, and cooperation. It requires knowledge in psychology, therapy, counseling, and customer service to support patients effectively.

    How to get there

    To enter this field, individuals typically earn a postsecondary certificate. The preparation level is moderate, often involving vocational training, an associate degree, or related experience. Students frequently major in mental and social health services and allied professions.

    While requirements vary by location, some states list a license for this work. Professionals can also pursue voluntary credentials to demonstrate their expertise. These include the Nationally Certified Psychiatric Technician 1 and the Nationally Certified Psychiatric Technician 2, both offered by the American Association of Psychiatric Technicians, Inc.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for psychiatric technicians is $45,130. Earnings range from less than $35,090 for the lowest 10 percent of workers to more than $60,750 for the highest 10 percent.

    This field is experiencing rapid growth. Employment is projected to increase by 22.3% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to result in approximately 17,000 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    38 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    60 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    19 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    99 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    8 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    41 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SIC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    98
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    89
    Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
    88
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    86
    Getting Information
    86
    Documenting/Recording Information
    80
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    76
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    71
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    71
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    70
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Active Listening
    • Monitoring
    • Coordination
    • Speaking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Critical Thinking
    • Service Orientation
    • Instructing
    • Writing

    Knowledge

    • Psychology
    • Therapy and Counseling
    • English Language
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • Education and Training
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Law and Government
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Sociology and Anthropology

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Written Comprehension
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Expression
    • Near Vision

    Work styles

    • Empathy
    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Control
    • Sincerity
    • Social Orientation
    • Attention to Detail
    • Optimism
    • Integrity

    Also called

    Autism Behavior Technician (Autism Behavior Tech) · Behavior Technician (Behavior Tech) · Behavioral Health Associate · Behavioral Technician (Behavioral Tech) · BHT (Behavioral Health Technician) · Counselor · Health Care Technician (Health Care Tech) · LPT (Licensed Psychiatric Technician) · Mental Health Associate · Mental Health Specialist

    Career pathway

    From your interests to psychiatric technicians

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Psychiatric Technicians$45,130 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1University of Pennsylvania UPENN logo
      University of Pennsylvania UPENN

      Philadelphia, PA · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $70,054
      4 yrs after
      $76,395
      Median debt
      $13,021
    2. 2James Madison University logo
      James Madison University

      Harrisonburg, VA · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $38,321
      4 yrs after
      $67,033
      Median debt
      $19,500
    3. 3Texas A & M University-College Station logo
      Texas A & M University-College Station

      College Station, TX · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $39,804
      4 yrs after
      $66,865
      Median debt
      $16,500
    4. 4Worcester State University logo
      Worcester State University

      Worcester, MA · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $42,384
      4 yrs after
      $63,505
      Median debt
      $20,500
    5. 5Western Connecticut State University logo
      Western Connecticut State University

      Danbury, CT · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $42,085
      4 yrs after
      $63,218
      Median debt
      $27,000
    6. 6Metropolitan State University-Minnesota logo
      Metropolitan State University-Minnesota

      Saint Paul, MN · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $59,286
      4 yrs after
      $60,780
      Median debt
      $22,609
    7. 7
      Davenport University

      Grand Rapids, MI · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $50,641
      4 yrs after
      $58,907
      Median debt
      $27,001
    8. 8
      Ohio University-Main Campus

      Athens, OH · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $39,804
      4 yrs after
      $57,998
      Median debt
      $26,286

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What psychiatric technicians may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    6 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about psychiatric technicians

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    Workers in this field are known by many names, including behavioral health technicians, mental health specialists, and counselors. They may also be called autism behavior technicians or licensed psychiatric technicians depending on their specific role and location.

    What are the main certifications available for psychiatric technicians?

    The American Association of Psychiatric Technicians, Inc. offers two primary certifications. These are the Nationally Certified Psychiatric Technician 1 and the Nationally Certified Psychiatric Technician 2 credentials.

    How many people are employed in this field and what is the job outlook?

    There are 156,960 people employed in this occupation. The field is growing much faster than average, with a projected employment increase of 22.3% between 2025 and 2035.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.