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How Much Does a Psychiatric Technician Make?

A psychiatric technician in the US earns a median salary of $45,130 a year, or $21.70 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $46,610, and the middle half earn between $38,430 and $50,160.

Median a year $45,130
Median an hour $21.70
Median a month $3,761
Average a year $46,610

Psychiatric technician pay range

What psychiatric technicians earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $35,090 $16.87
25th $38,430 $18.48
Median (50th) $45,130 $21.70
75th $50,160 $24.12
90th (top 10%) $60,750 $29.21

The median is 11% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 156,960 people work as psychiatric technicians in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$868
Every two weeks
$1,736
Twice a month
$1,880
A month
$3,761

At the median salary, before tax.

Psychiatric technician salary by state

Sorted by average pay. District of Columbia pays psychiatric technicians the most, at $63,160 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
District of Columbia $63,160 $67,430 380 After tax
New York $60,080 $58,080 2,040 After tax
California $58,780 $49,140 14,100 After tax
Oregon $58,140 $59,820 1,250 After tax
Connecticut $57,720 $55,500 1,040 After tax
Alaska $57,280 $51,650 340 After tax
New Jersey $56,400 $54,040 2,520 After tax
Washington $55,160 $52,470 1,920 After tax
Hawaii $54,750 $55,150 2,060 After tax
Massachusetts $53,840 $52,000 5,340 After tax
Nebraska $53,800 $57,370 1,390 After tax
New Hampshire $50,860 $44,660 260 After tax
Rhode Island $50,310 $48,520 990 After tax
Colorado $48,960 $47,430 1,740 After tax
Vermont $48,650 $47,560 600 After tax
Wisconsin $48,190 $40,290 4,430 After tax
Virginia $48,110 $48,320 3,950 After tax
Georgia $47,350 $46,250 5,560 After tax
Nevada $47,110 $46,450 2,060 After tax
Michigan $46,530 $43,140 4,850 After tax
Maine $46,180 $45,320 620 After tax
Illinois $46,090 $46,200 9,410 After tax
Maryland $45,700 $45,520 680 After tax
Arizona $45,280 $45,640 8,160 After tax
Minnesota $45,160 $40,300 3,550 After tax
Florida $44,900 $43,570 12,710 After tax
Pennsylvania $44,750 $43,930 10,340 After tax
Missouri $44,340 $45,840 4,450 After tax
South Carolina $43,880 $40,970 560 After tax
North Dakota $43,620 $39,960 270 After tax
Idaho $42,800 $41,490 780 After tax
Indiana $42,750 $40,910 6,790 After tax
Kansas $42,370 $43,780 1,670 After tax
North Carolina $42,270 $40,630 5,950 After tax
Oklahoma $42,250 $39,060 820 After tax
Kentucky $42,240 $40,370 910 After tax
Tennessee $42,190 $39,800 3,810 After tax
Utah $41,980 $40,770 1,940 After tax
Texas $41,750 $39,970 11,350 After tax
New Mexico $41,720 $39,020 660 After tax
Montana $41,710 $39,190 310 After tax
Iowa $41,580 $42,910 690 After tax
Ohio $40,880 $39,140 3,950 After tax
Delaware $39,790 $38,410 350 After tax
Mississippi $36,120 $35,320 930 After tax
Arkansas $35,980 $35,930 1,900 After tax
Alabama $35,600 $36,680 3,290 After tax
West Virginia $34,840 $34,100 770 After tax
Louisiana $32,310 $31,440 2,420 After tax

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other healthcare practitioners jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Psychiatric Technicians” (SOC 29-2053). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a psychiatric technician make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a psychiatric technician is $21.70, and the average is $22.41. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $16.87 an hour and the top 10% over $29.21.

How much does a psychiatric technician make a month?

At the median salary of $45,130, a psychiatric technician earns about $3,761 a month before tax, or $1,736 every two weeks.

Which state pays psychiatric technicians the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for a psychiatric technician, at $63,160 a year. Next are New York and California. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a psychiatric technician?

The lowest-paid 10% of psychiatric technicians earn less than $35,090 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $38,430. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid psychiatric technicians make?

The top 10% earn more than $60,750 a year, and the top 25% more than $50,160.