Career profile · 29-2053
Psychiatric Technicians
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.
What the work can involve
- Provide nursing, psychiatric, or personal care to patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.
- Encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, or other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills or develop social relationships.
- Restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required.
- Lead prescribed individual or group therapy sessions as part of specific therapeutic procedures.
- Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff.
- Take and record measures of patients' physical condition, using devices such as thermometers or blood pressure gauges.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Getting Information
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 74.4%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Every day | 42.9%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 94.5%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Standing | Continually or almost continually | 33.2%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | About half the time | 34.4%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 99.4%08/2023 · sample 22 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Inventory management software: InfoLogix HealthTrax Engine
- Medical software: ADL Data Systems OptimumClinicals Electronic Health Record, Allscripts Sunrise, Cerner ProFile, Epic EpicCare Inpatient Clinical System
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for psychiatric technicians
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- Typical on-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 49 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,680 | $17.63 | 3,290 |
| Alaska | $51,650 | $24.83 | 340 |
| Arizona | $45,640 | $21.94 | 8,160 |
| Arkansas | $35,930 | $17.27 | 1,900 |
| California | $49,140 | $23.62 | 14,100 |
| Colorado | $47,430 | $22.81 | 1,740 |
| Connecticut | $55,500 | $26.68 | 1,040 |
| Delaware | $38,410 | $18.47 | 350 |
| District of Columbia | $67,430 | $32.42 | 380 |
| Florida | $43,570 | $20.95 | 12,710 |
| Georgia | $46,250 | $22.24 | 5,560 |
| Hawaii | $55,150 | $26.51 | 2,060 |
| Idaho | $41,490 | $19.95 | 780 |
| Illinois | $46,200 | $22.21 | 9,410 |
| Indiana | $40,910 | $19.67 | 6,790 |
| Iowa | $42,910 | $20.63 | 690 |
| Kansas | $43,780 | $21.05 | 1,670 |
| Kentucky | $40,370 | $19.41 | 910 |
| Louisiana | $31,440 | $15.12 | 2,420 |
| Maine | $45,320 | $21.79 | 620 |
| Maryland | $45,520 | $21.89 | 680 |
| Massachusetts | $52,000 | $25.00 | 5,340 |
| Michigan | $43,140 | $20.74 | 4,850 |
| Minnesota | $40,300 | $19.37 | 3,550 |
| Mississippi | $35,320 | $16.98 | 930 |
| Missouri | $45,840 | $22.04 | 4,450 |
| Montana | $39,190 | $18.84 | 310 |
| Nebraska | $57,370 | $27.58 | 1,390 |
| Nevada | $46,450 | $22.33 | 2,060 |
| New Hampshire | $44,660 | $21.47 | 260 |
| New Jersey | $54,040 | $25.98 | 2,520 |
| New Mexico | $39,020 | $18.76 | 660 |
| New York | $58,080 | $27.92 | 2,040 |
| North Carolina | $40,630 | $19.54 | 5,950 |
| North Dakota | $39,960 | $19.21 | 270 |
| Ohio | $39,140 | $18.82 | 3,950 |
| Oklahoma | $39,060 | $18.78 | 820 |
| Oregon | $59,820 | $28.76 | 1,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,930 | $21.12 | 10,340 |
| Rhode Island | $48,520 | $23.33 | 990 |
| South Carolina | $40,970 | $19.70 | 560 |
| Tennessee | $39,800 | $19.13 | 3,810 |
| Texas | $39,970 | $19.22 | 11,350 |
| Utah | $40,770 | $19.60 | 1,940 |
| Vermont | $47,560 | $22.87 | 600 |
| Virginia | $48,320 | $23.23 | 3,950 |
| Washington | $52,470 | $25.23 | 1,920 |
| West Virginia | $34,100 | $16.39 | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $40,290 | $19.37 | 4,430 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 297 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 29-2053.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.