Marriage & Family Therapist
Median wage · national
$66,940
Range: $50K – $94K
Employed
67K
Openings/yr
7K
Typically: master's degree
HEALTH
Psychiatric Technicians
Projected to grow +22.3% through 2035, Psychiatric Technicians is expanding faster than most occupations. Median pay is $45,130, and early movers in a growing field often advance faster.
About Psychiatric Technicians
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a psychiatric technicians: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Mental Health Services and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
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.
- Median Wage
- $45,130
- Employed Nationally
- 157K
- Openings / Year
- 17,000
- Entry Education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Job Zone
- Zone 3: Medium Preparation
Also known as:
Autism Behavior Technician (Autism Behavior Tech)
Behavior Technician (Behavior Tech)
Behavioral Health Associate
Behavioral Technician (Behavioral Tech)
BHT (Behavioral Health Technician)
How Much Do Psychiatric Technicians Make?
Most psychiatric technicians take home around $45,130 a year, below what most graduates with a bachelor's make. Half earn somewhere between $38,430 and $50,160, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. Think carefully about how much debt is worth taking on for it. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
$45,130
National Median (Annual)
Below average for bachelor's degree holders.
$38K–$50K
Middle 50% Range
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
Earnings Range
$38,430
Entry-level
$45,130
Median
$50,160
Experienced
What Do Psychiatric Technicians Do?
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
What You'll Do
- 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.
Core Skills Employers Look For
Social Perceptiveness
Active Listening
Monitoring
Speaking
Coordination
Who Thrives Here
S
Social
Working closely with people, teaching, advising, or helping others navigate challenges is a defining feature of this career's daily work.
I
Investigative
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
C
Conventional
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
Where Do Psychiatric Technicians Work?
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Work Setting
Mixed
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Physical Demands
Light
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
Stress Level
Moderate
Moderate pressure. Regular deadlines exist but are generally manageable with experience.
What Is the Job Outlook for Psychiatric Technicians?
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +22.3%, meaning it is growing faster than most occupations, so jobs should be easier to find over time. Around 17,000 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
↗ +22.3%
10-Year Growth (2025–2035)
Much faster than average.
17,000
Annual Openings
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
157K
Currently Employed
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
Where the Jobs Are
The five states below employ the most Psychiatric Technicians professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $45,130 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 14,100 | $49,140 | +8.9% |
| 2 | Florida | 12,710 | $43,570 | -3.5% |
| 3 | Texas | 11,350 | $39,970 | -11.4% |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 10,340 | $43,930 | -2.7% |
| 5 | Illinois | 9,410 | $46,200 | +2.4% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
How to Get Here
To get hired here you will usually need a postsecondary nondegree award. The program below is the most common route in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
Typical Entry Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Job Zone
Zone 3: Medium Preparation
A medium amount of preparation is required, often an associate degree, certificate program, or apprenticeship, plus some related experience.
Degree Programs That Lead Here
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mental Health Services | 31,550 | $52,119 | 987 |
Top Colleges for Aspiring Psychiatric Technicians
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | 93 | $3,033 | $75,971 |
| 2 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | 93 | $12,548 | $82,511 |
| 3 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | 93 | $12,470 | $84,943 |
| 4 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 5 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | 92 | $14,251 | $80,735 |
| 6 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | 90 | $15,846 | $91,565 |
Plan Your Path
Once you've sized up Psychiatric Technicians, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
College ROI Calculator
See if the degree that leads to Psychiatric Technicians pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
College Cost Calculator
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Compare Colleges
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
College Match Quiz
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Psychiatric Technicians Pros & Cons
The data on Psychiatric Technicians shows 2 measurable strengths and 1 real trade-offs. All points are drawn from BLS wage data, employment projections, and IPEDS program completions.
PROS
- Exceptional job growth The BLS projects +22.3% employment growth through 2035, one of the fastest rates across all occupations. Demand for qualified candidates should remain elevated for a decade.
- Accessible entry path The typical entry requirement is a postsecondary nondegree award, lower than many comparable-paying careers. This creates a shorter path from training to first paycheck.
CONS
- Modest median salary At $45,130 median, this career lags STEM and business fields. High-cost degree programs may be difficult to justify on salary alone.
Psychiatric Technicians Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Psychiatric Technicians professionals earn?
Around $45,130 a year for the typical worker, below the national median, program ROI depends heavily on keeping tuition costs low. The middle 50% of earners fall between $38,430 and $50,160. Treat the national figure as a starting point rather than a promise: employer size, industry and city all move it.
Is Psychiatric Technicians a good career?
Psychiatric Technicians involves trade-offs worth understanding before committing. At $45,130 median, programs with high tuition are difficult to justify on salary return alone. Prioritize in-state public schools or employer-sponsored pathways. Job growth is projected at +22.3% through 2035. Genuine interest in the work, not just the salary, matters most here.
How do I become a Psychiatric Technicians?
Most Psychiatric Technicians positions require a postsecondary nondegree award as the minimum credential. a medium amount of preparation is required, often an associate degree, certificate program, or apprenticeship, plus some related experience. Programs like Mental Health Services are common starting points.
How fast is the Psychiatric Technicians field growing?
Very fast. The BLS projects +22.3% growth for Psychiatric Technicians through 2035, well above the roughly 5% national average and among the fastest rates across all occupations. Demand is being driven by structural forces, not cyclical ones. About 17,000 job openings per year are expected as the field expands and existing workers move on. From a current base of 157K workers, sustained growth creates real hiring volume, though fast-growing fields also attract more new graduates competing for entry-level roles.
What skills do Psychiatric Technicians professionals need?
Mainly Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking, and Coordination. Notice how many of those are habits rather than facts: they come from doing the work, not from a lecture. That is why programs with an internship or co-op requirement put you ahead of people who only studied the theory. Source: O*NET.
Related Findings
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- No bachelor degree
- High paying careers
- Associate degree
- Trades
- Median wage
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Does a Master's Degree Pay Off? Barely, on Average
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
- Master's degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Median wage
- Graduate school
- Career outcomes
-
Growing and Paying $80K Plus: The Careers That Do Both
Only 106 of 393 federal careers both pay a median above $80,000 and grow faster than the typical job. Here is the rare set that clears both bars.
- Career growth
- Median wage
- High-paying careers
- Job outlook
- Career change
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