Psychiatric Aides

What Psychiatric Aides Do

Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff. May assist with daily living activities, lead patients in educational and recreational activities, or accompany patients to and from examinations and treatments. May restrain violent patients. Includes psychiatric orderlies.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Short-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

1.8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Psychologyimportance 4.0/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.6/5
• Therapy and Counselingimportance 3.1/5
• English Languageimportance 3.1/5
• Administrativeimportance 3.0/5
• Sociology and Anthropologyimportance 3.0/5
• Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.9/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 2.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Contact With Others4.8/5
• Physical Proximity4.5/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
• Exposed to Disease or Infections4.2/5
• Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People4.1/5

Related Careers

• Psychiatric Technicians
• Physical Therapist Aides
• Occupational Therapy Aides
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Nursing Assistants
• Registered Nurses
• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Flight Attendants98% skill match
• Animal Control Workers97% skill match
• Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers97% skill match
• Tellers97% skill match
• Medical Assistants97% skill match
• Compliance Officers97% skill match
• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses97% skill match
• Cooks, Fast Food97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.9/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.9/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.3/5
• Instructingimportance 3.1/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.0/5
• Negotiationimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Empathy
• Dependability
• Cooperation
• Stress Tolerance
• Self-Control
• Sincerity
• Social Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• SocialHigh
• InvestigativeMedium
• ConventionalMedium
• RealisticMedium
• ArtisticLow
• EnterprisingLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where psychiatric aides make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Salem, OR21.02× national avg
2. 2Jackson, MS16.81× national avg
3. 3Topeka, KS9.47× national avg
4. 4Utica-Rome, NY8.25× national avg
5. 5Hattiesburg, MS8.05× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Occupational Therapy AssistantsAdvancement
• Psychiatric TechniciansCareer Change
• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesCareer Change
• Medical AssistantsLateral Move

See the full career path from Psychiatric Aides →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.