29
Psychiatric Technicians is a notable career in the 29 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Psychiatric Technicians against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 29-2053 |
| title | Psychiatric Technicians |
| onet code | 29-2053.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 3 |
| major group | 29 |
| tot emp | 136,300 |
| a mean | 45,000 |
| a median | 42,590 |
| a pct10 | 32,980 |
| a pct25 | 37,170 |
| a pct75 | 48,910 |
| a pct90 | 60,150 |
| h mean | 21 |
| h median | 20 |
The day-to-day work of a psychiatric technicians typically centers on provide nursing, psychiatric, or personal care to patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, and Monitoring. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.74 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working psychiatric technicians, the most common entry qualification is a Some College Courses (40.1%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 30% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in District of Columbia at $65,060 and lowest in Mississippi at $29,970 — a 2.2× spread. The top five states (District of Columbia, California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts) average $58,920. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $65,060 | $59,670 | $40,990 | $75,710 | 450 |
| California | $61,620 | $64,350 | $41,160 | $91,910 | 8,830 |
| New Jersey | $58,000 | $57,520 | $43,160 | $67,480 | 2,010 |
| New York | $57,630 | $56,450 | $40,150 | $78,020 | 1,770 |
| Massachusetts | $52,290 | $54,900 | $39,950 | $73,170 | 3,600 |
| Hawaii | $52,180 | $50,900 | $38,130 | $58,400 | 1,630 |
| Oregon | $51,640 | $53,130 | $37,690 | $71,600 | 1,620 |
| Washington | $51,000 | $55,710 | $43,050 | $73,810 | 1,410 |
| Connecticut | $50,170 | $54,410 | $39,770 | $75,590 | 1,280 |
| Alaska | $49,340 | $49,770 | $38,860 | $61,120 | 330 |
| Nebraska | $48,740 | $48,660 | $36,550 | $59,490 | 810 |
| Minnesota | $48,600 | $47,520 | $34,650 | $60,120 | 2,080 |
| Illinois | $48,550 | $47,960 | $38,140 | $60,440 | 6,770 |
| Rhode Island | $48,520 | $48,430 | $39,380 | $55,120 | 710 |
| New Hampshire | $48,340 | $51,690 | $42,090 | $72,860 | 150 |
| Colorado | $48,320 | $47,800 | $39,460 | $57,660 | 1,520 |
| Nevada | $47,820 | $47,410 | $36,570 | $58,830 | 1,380 |
| Vermont | $46,660 | $46,400 | $40,250 | $50,720 | 490 |
| Virginia | $46,040 | $45,760 | $35,080 | $57,110 | 4,350 |
| Georgia | $43,490 | $43,800 | $35,090 | $51,470 | 3,920 |
| Missouri | $43,300 | $42,900 | $34,760 | $49,500 | 4,650 |
| Maine | $43,260 | $42,480 | $37,400 | $48,720 | 530 |
| Arizona | $43,010 | $43,440 | $34,410 | $51,530 | 7,510 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,850 | $42,600 | $35,610 | $50,590 | 7,790 |
| Florida | $39,930 | $43,840 | $33,950 | $58,420 | 14,080 |
| Idaho | $39,740 | $41,680 | $32,410 | $50,300 | 1,300 |
| Iowa | $39,670 | $41,150 | $32,580 | $47,280 | 540 |
| North Carolina | $39,360 | $41,280 | $32,360 | $50,240 | 4,940 |
| Utah | $39,340 | $41,070 | $34,500 | $47,430 | 1,880 |
| Michigan | $39,230 | $42,170 | $36,000 | $48,260 | 5,060 |
| Indiana | $39,140 | $42,180 | $34,960 | $49,780 | 6,630 |
| Maryland | $39,020 | $42,690 | $34,790 | $52,420 | 680 |
| North Dakota | $38,770 | $42,040 | $38,560 | $50,750 | 210 |
| Wisconsin | $38,760 | $44,580 | $31,320 | $64,990 | 4,360 |
| Kansas | $38,700 | $38,750 | $32,710 | $46,250 | 1,990 |
| South Carolina | $38,540 | $39,010 | $32,520 | $43,640 | 950 |
| Texas | $38,460 | $40,110 | $31,360 | $47,990 | 11,530 |
| Tennessee | $37,970 | $38,920 | $28,690 | $48,200 | 3,490 |
| Kentucky | $37,850 | $39,170 | $30,520 | $47,460 | 800 |
| Montana | $37,850 | $41,270 | $33,170 | $49,890 | 220 |
| Ohio | $37,500 | $38,880 | $32,880 | $46,090 | 2,590 |
| New Mexico | $37,300 | $38,840 | $30,310 | $46,880 | 370 |
| Delaware | $37,020 | $42,080 | $36,260 | $50,190 | 210 |
| Oklahoma | $36,200 | $37,850 | $31,050 | $47,160 | 980 |
| Alabama | $35,200 | $33,690 | $21,100 | $41,600 | 2,860 |
| Arkansas | $33,090 | $34,410 | $28,930 | $42,440 | 1,650 |
| West Virginia | $30,890 | $33,120 | $27,470 | $39,100 | 700 |
| Louisiana | $30,040 | $30,620 | $25,260 | $35,860 | 1,760 |
| Mississippi | $29,970 | $32,920 | $25,700 | $48,210 | 850 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for psychiatric technicians. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Autism Behavior Technician (Autism Behavior Tech) or Behavior Technician (Behavior Tech) frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Psychiatric Technicians compares to others in the 29 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Psychiatric Technicians
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.