SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 31-1133.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $32,090 | $2,674 | $617 | $15.43 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $37,750 | $3,146 | $726 | $18.15 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $44,910 | $3,742 | $864 | $21.59 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $49,950 | $4,162 | $961 | $24.01 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $60,440 | $5,037 | $1,162 | $29.06 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Psychiatric Aides is $44,910, which is 12% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Healthcare Support, it ranks number 9 by median pay. With 35,520 jobs, it makes up about 2.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Psychiatric Aides pay by state
The highest median pay was in Minnesota ($55,040), Washington ($52,570) and Hawaii ($52,310). The lowest was in Alabama ($27,150), Louisiana ($30,030) and Mississippi ($30,510). The most jobs were in New York (5,120), California (3,760) and Mississippi (2,490). The occupation is most concentrated in Mississippi, where its share of all jobs is 9.4 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 620 | $55,040 | $52,710 | $26.46 |
| Washington | 330 | $52,570 | $56,060 | $25.27 |
| Hawaii | 30 | $52,310 | $47,860 | $25.15 |
| Maryland | 250 | $51,440 | $49,940 | $24.73 |
| Nevada | 220 | $51,400 | $51,030 | $24.71 |
| Rhode Island | 130 | $51,100 | $50,520 | $24.57 |
| New York | 5,120 | $50,220 | $54,450 | $24.14 |
| Alaska | 190 | $49,300 | $50,630 | $23.70 |
| Illinois | 120 | $48,670 | $47,130 | $23.40 |
| Oregon | 1,550 | $48,300 | $49,920 | $23.22 |
| Vermont | 330 | $47,860 | $48,260 | $23.01 |
| California | 3,760 | $47,500 | $53,670 | $22.84 |
| Maine | 110 | $46,720 | $45,560 | $22.46 |
| Montana | 330 | $46,340 | $47,460 | $22.28 |
| Colorado | 300 | $46,130 | $47,510 | $22.18 |
| Michigan | 1,410 | $45,800 | $45,410 | $22.02 |
| New Jersey | 2,060 | $45,780 | $47,630 | $22.01 |
| Massachusetts | 950 | $45,300 | $50,830 | $21.78 |
| Oklahoma | not published | $44,960 | $41,650 | $21.62 |
| Indiana | 1,930 | $44,860 | $47,100 | $21.57 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,620 | $44,790 | $47,260 | $21.53 |
| Connecticut | 520 | $44,660 | $47,230 | $21.47 |
| Texas | 1,760 | $42,560 | $42,890 | $20.46 |
| Utah | 130 | $40,810 | $43,740 | $19.62 |
| Missouri | 110 | $39,840 | $42,500 | $19.16 |
| Iowa | 400 | $39,260 | $44,320 | $18.88 |
| Kentucky | 250 | $38,610 | $40,040 | $18.56 |
| Ohio | 980 | $38,480 | $42,160 | $18.50 |
| North Carolina | not published | $38,400 | $39,770 | $18.46 |
| Kansas | 580 | $38,390 | $37,940 | $18.46 |
| Florida | 2,210 | $37,930 | $38,680 | $18.24 |
| West Virginia | 220 | $37,910 | $37,510 | $18.22 |
| Virginia | not published | $37,280 | $38,540 | $17.92 |
| Georgia | 1,090 | $36,790 | $35,510 | $17.69 |
| South Carolina | 200 | $36,320 | $35,600 | $17.46 |
| Arkansas | 490 | $36,270 | $34,490 | $17.44 |
| Mississippi | 2,490 | $30,510 | $31,310 | $14.67 |
| Louisiana | 280 | $30,030 | $32,940 | $14.44 |
| Alabama | 790 | $27,150 | $30,340 | $13.05 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Medical Equipment Preparers$47,700 a year
- Medical Assistants$45,690 a year
- Phlebotomists$45,230 a year
- Nursing Assistants$42,260 a year
- Medical Transcriptionists$40,410 a year
- Occupational Therapy Aides$39,160 a year
Common questions
How much do Psychiatric Aides earn in the United States?
The median pay was $44,910 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $32,090 and the highest-paid 10% more than $60,440.
How many people work as Psychiatric Aides?
About 35,520 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.