31 Series · SOC 31-1133
Psychiatric Aides Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $44,910
- Median / year
- $60,440
- Top 10% earn
- -0.4%
- Growth '23–'33
- 35,520
- US workers
Psychiatric Aides earn a median of $44,910 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $44,910, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $32,090 (10th percentile) to $60,440 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 35,520 US workers. Minnesota pays the most ($55,040), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Psychiatric Aides earn a median of $44,910, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 20% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Healthcare Support, it ranks #9 of 17 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 0.4% by 2033.
- $44,910
- Median annual wage
- Top 80%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #9 of 17
- in Healthcare Support
- 1.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Minnesota at $55,040. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Psychiatric Aides (SOC 31-1133) pays a national median of $44,910 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $32,090 at the 10th percentile to $60,440 at the 90th, with a mean of $45,690 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 35,520 Americans work in this occupation across 39 reporting states and 88 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -0.4% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 5,300 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.6 per 100,000 and injury rate of 5.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Minnesota pays the highest state median at $55,040, which is +23% above the national figure. The top metro is Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY at $75,670 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$44,910
per year
Median Hourly
$21.59/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$45,690
average
Employment
35,520
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Psychiatric Aides pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$44,910 Bottom 20% higher than 20% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 31-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Psychiatric Aides; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 17 31-series occupations with growth data, Psychiatric Aides sits on the slower-growing side at -0.4% growth and $44,910 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-0.4%
Declining
Annual Openings
5,300
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.6/100K
Injury Rate
5.5/100
Danger Index
22.3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Psychiatric Aides roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients.
- ▸ Provide patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities with routine physical, emotional, psychological, or rehabilitation care under the direction of nursing or medical staff.
- ▸ Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
- ▸ Restrain or aid patients as necessary to prevent injury.
- ▸ Work as part of a team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, or social workers.
- ▸ Record and maintain patient information, such as vital signs, eating habits, behavior, progress notes, treatments, or discharge plans.
- ▸ Maintain patients' restrictions to assigned areas.
- ▸ Organize, supervise, or encourage patient participation in social, educational, or recreational activities.
- ▸ Provide patients with assistance in bathing, dressing, or grooming, demonstrating these skills as necessary.
- ▸ Aid patients in becoming accustomed to hospital routines.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$32,090
25th Percentile
$37,750
Median
$44,910
75th Percentile
$49,950
90th Percentile
$60,440
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 39 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $55,040 | +23% above national |
| 2 | Washington | $52,570 | +17% above national |
| 3 | Hawaii | $52,310 | +16% above national |
| 4 | Maryland | $51,440 | +15% above national |
| 5 | Nevada | $51,400 | +14% above national |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $51,100 | +14% above national |
| 7 | New York | $50,220 | +12% above national |
| 8 | Alaska | $49,300 | +10% above national |
| 9 | Illinois | $48,670 | +8% above national |
| 10 | Oregon | $48,300 | +8% above national |
| 11 | Vermont | $47,860 | +7% above national |
| 12 | California | $47,500 | +6% above national |
| 13 | Maine | $46,720 | +4% above national |
| 14 | Montana | $46,340 | +3% above national |
| 15 | Colorado | $46,130 | +3% above national |
| 16 | Michigan | $45,800 | +2% above national |
| 17 | New Jersey | $45,780 | +2% above national |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $45,300 | +1% above national |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $44,960 | same as national |
| 20 | Indiana | $44,860 | same as national |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $44,790 | same as national |
| 22 | Connecticut | $44,660 | 1% below national |
| 23 | Texas | $42,560 | 5% below national |
| 24 | Utah | $40,810 | 9% below national |
| 25 | Missouri | $39,840 | 11% below national |
| 26 | Iowa | $39,260 | 13% below national |
| 27 | Kentucky | $38,610 | 14% below national |
| 28 | Ohio | $38,480 | 14% below national |
| 29 | North Carolina | $38,400 | 14% below national |
| 30 | Kansas | $38,390 | 15% below national |
| 31 | Florida | $37,930 | 16% below national |
| 32 | West Virginia | $37,910 | 16% below national |
| 33 | Virginia | $37,280 | 17% below national |
| 34 | Georgia | $36,790 | 18% below national |
| 35 | South Carolina | $36,320 | 19% below national |
| 36 | Arkansas | $36,270 | 19% below national |
| 37 | Mississippi | $30,510 | 32% below national |
| 38 | Louisiana | $30,030 | 33% below national |
| 39 | Alabama | $27,150 | 40% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 88 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $75,670 | +68% above national |
| 2 | Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $64,940 | +45% above national |
| 3 | Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $61,580 | +37% above national |
| 4 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $60,110 | +34% above national |
| 5 | Utica-Rome, NY | $58,600 | +30% above national |
| 6 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $58,550 | +30% above national |
| 7 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $57,360 | +28% above national |
| 8 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $55,100 | +23% above national |
| 9 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $53,520 | +19% above national |
| 10 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $52,570 | +17% above national |
| 11 | Colorado Springs, CO | $51,670 | +15% above national |
| 12 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $51,610 | +15% above national |
| 13 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $51,440 | +15% above national |
| 14 | Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $50,630 | +13% above national |
| 15 | Salem, OR | $50,580 | +13% above national |
| 16 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $50,140 | +12% above national |
| 17 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $49,840 | +11% above national |
| 18 | Syracuse, NY | $49,820 | +11% above national |
| 19 | Merced, CA | $49,590 | +10% above national |
| 20 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $49,560 | +10% above national |
| 21 | Binghamton, NY | $49,340 | +10% above national |
| 22 | Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $48,830 | +9% above national |
| 23 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $48,780 | +9% above national |
| 24 | Anchorage, AK | $48,730 | +9% above national |
| 25 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $48,670 | +8% above national |
| 26 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $48,560 | +8% above national |
| 27 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $48,100 | +7% above national |
| 28 | Helena, MT | $47,930 | +7% above national |
| 29 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $47,780 | +6% above national |
| 30 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $47,730 | +6% above national |
| 31 | Fresno, CA | $47,480 | +6% above national |
| 32 | Columbus, OH | $47,160 | +5% above national |
| 33 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $47,080 | +5% above national |
| 34 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $47,050 | +5% above national |
| 35 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $46,660 | +4% above national |
| 36 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $46,380 | +3% above national |
| 37 | Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area | $46,340 | +3% above national |
| 38 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $46,280 | +3% above national |
| 39 | Evansville, IN | $46,080 | +3% above national |
| 40 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $46,010 | +2% above national |
| 41 | Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $45,830 | +2% above national |
| 42 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $45,660 | +2% above national |
| 43 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $45,410 | +1% above national |
| 44 | Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $45,150 | +1% above national |
| 45 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $45,080 | same as national |
| 46 | Pittsburgh, PA | $44,920 | same as national |
| 47 | Reading, PA | $44,720 | same as national |
| 48 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $44,700 | same as national |
| 49 | Redding, CA | $44,700 | same as national |
| 50 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $44,590 | 1% below national |
| 51 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $43,770 | 3% below national |
| 52 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $43,690 | 3% below national |
| 53 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $43,180 | 4% below national |
| 54 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $41,780 | 7% below national |
| 55 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $40,810 | 9% below national |
| 56 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $39,950 | 11% below national |
| 57 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $39,290 | 13% below national |
| 58 | Winston-Salem, NC | $39,280 | 13% below national |
| 59 | Bloomington, IN | $39,100 | 13% below national |
| 60 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $39,080 | 13% below national |
| 61 | Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $39,050 | 13% below national |
| 62 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $38,800 | 14% below national |
| 63 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $38,710 | 14% below national |
| 64 | Topeka, KS | $38,390 | 15% below national |
| 65 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $38,080 | 15% below national |
| 66 | Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $37,910 | 16% below national |
| 67 | Jacksonville, FL | $37,750 | 16% below national |
| 68 | Toledo, OH | $37,710 | 16% below national |
| 69 | Oklahoma City, OK | $37,320 | 17% below national |
| 70 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $37,280 | 17% below national |
| 71 | Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $37,200 | 17% below national |
| 72 | Baton Rouge, LA | $37,130 | 17% below national |
| 73 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $36,910 | 18% below national |
| 74 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $36,740 | 18% below national |
| 75 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $36,490 | 19% below national |
| 76 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $36,460 | 19% below national |
| 77 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $36,360 | 19% below national |
| 78 | Flint, MI | $35,580 | 21% below national |
| 79 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $31,640 | 30% below national |
| 80 | Jackson, MS | $31,560 | 30% below national |
| 81 | Hattiesburg, MS | $31,380 | 30% below national |
| 82 | West Delta Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $30,510 | 32% below national |
| 83 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $30,020 | 33% below national |
| 84 | Lower East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $29,850 | 34% below national |
| 85 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $29,290 | 35% below national |
| 86 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $29,110 | 35% below national |
| 87 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $28,250 | 37% below national |
| 88 | Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $27,840 | 38% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 31 (healthcare support) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Psychiatric Aides make? ▼
What state pays Psychiatric Aides the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Psychiatric Aides? ▼
How dangerous is being a Psychiatric Aides? ▼
Is Psychiatric Aides a good career? ▼
How does Psychiatric Aides pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Psychiatric Aides? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Psychiatric Aides pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $49,950/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Minnesota leads at $55,040/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.