Psychiatric Technicians
What Psychiatric Technicians Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Psychologyimportance 4.2/5
- Therapy and Counselingimportance 4.1/5
- English Languageimportance 4.1/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.0/5
- Medicine and Dentistryimportance 3.7/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.5/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.5/5
- Law and Governmentimportance 3.2/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
- Contact With Others4.7/5
- Telephone Conversations4.7/5
- Physical Proximity4.6/5
- Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People4.5/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.4/5
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.
- Musicians and Singers97% skill match
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses97% skill match
- Occupational Therapy Assistants97% skill match
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education97% skill match
- Public Safety Telecommunicators97% skill match
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists97% skill match
- Self-Enrichment Teachers97% skill match
- Physical Therapist Aides97% 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 4.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.9/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.6/5
- Instructingimportance 3.3/5
- Persuasionimportance 3.1/5
- Negotiationimportance 3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- ADL Data Systems OptimumClinicals Electronic Health Record
- Allscripts Sunrise
- Cerner ProFile
- Epic EpicCare Inpatient Clinical System
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
- ICANotes
- InfoLogix HealthTrax Engine
- MEDITECH Behavioral Health Clinicals
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Empathy
- Dependability
- Stress Tolerance
- Cooperation
- 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
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where psychiatric technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Springfield, MO5.46× national avg
- 2Jonesboro, AR4.28× national avg
- 3Napa, CA4.05× national avg
- 4South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI3.98× national avg
- 5Tuscaloosa, AL3.93× 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 AssistantsCareer Change
- Psychiatric AidesCareer Change
- Physical Therapist AidesCareer Change
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesLateral Move
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.
Clinical/Medical Social Work
- Capella University (Minneapolis, MN)grads earn ~$59,050
- Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, AZ)grads earn ~$58,045
- Walden University (Minneapolis, MN)grads earn ~$60,034
- Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA)grads earn ~$53,721
- Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, AZ)grads earn ~$51,490