Psychiatric Aides: Career Profile
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.
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What Do Psychiatric Aides Do?
The core tasks performed by psychiatric aides include:
- 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.
What Psychiatric Aides Need to Know
Successful psychiatric aides rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Psychiatric Aides Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- BHA (Behavioral Health Aide)
- BHA (Behavioral Health Associate)
- Behavior Aide
- Behavior Assistant
- Behavior Intervention Assistant
- Behavior Support Assistant
- Behavioral Aide
- Behavioral Assistant
Job Outlook
There are about 816,098 psychiatric aides working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +3.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Psychiatric Aides Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $51,090 |
| Hourly median | $24.56 |
| 10th percentile | $34,274 |
| 25th percentile | $42,682 |
| 75th percentile | $59,498 |
| 90th percentile | $67,906 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Psychiatric Aides Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $55,690 |
| New York | $53,270 |
| Massachusetts | $51,250 |
| Washington | $51,080 |
| Colorado | $50,690 |
| Nevada | $50,250 |
| Minnesota | $49,720 |
| Rhode Island | $48,270 |
| Illinois | $47,650 |
| Alaska | $46,950 |
| Oregon | $46,650 |
| Vermont | $46,490 |
| New Jersey | $46,390 |
| Connecticut | $46,260 |
| Texas | $45,780 |
| Ohio | $44,530 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,620 |
| Indiana | $43,220 |
| Maryland | $43,050 |
| California | $42,970 |
| Maine | $41,590 |
| Missouri | $38,680 |
| Kentucky | $37,700 |
| Florida | $37,150 |
| Kansas | $37,050 |
| Michigan | $36,890 |
| Montana | $36,390 |
| North Carolina | $36,190 |
| Virginia | $36,170 |
| Oklahoma | $36,100 |
| Georgia | $36,060 |
| Iowa | $35,720 |
| Utah | $35,390 |
| Arkansas | $34,890 |
| South Carolina | $32,860 |
| West Virginia | $32,650 |
| Mississippi | $30,660 |
| Louisiana | $29,340 |
| Alabama | $29,320 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for psychiatric aides differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $49,411 | 28.2% | 2.16 |
| New England | $48,133 | 5.1% | 1.68 |
| Far Western US | $44,877 | 14.1% | 1.38 |
| Southwest | $44,616 | 5.3% | 0.52 |
| Great Lakes | $41,642 | 10.8% | 1.37 |
| Rocky Mountains | $36,101 | 1.3% | 2.05 |
| Southeast | $33,908 | 31.2% | 3.35 |
| Plains States | $30,185 | 4.0% | 1.48 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | CA | $70,710 | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | NY | $68,180 | 240 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | NY | $67,720 | 220 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $59,730 | 460 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $59,240 | |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $57,790 | 470 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | NY | $54,280 | 260 |
| Binghamton, NY | NY | $52,250 | 80 |
Top Industries Employing Psychiatric Aides
The largest employers of psychiatric aides are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 26,780 | $41,910 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 230 | $37,250 |
Below are examples of industries where psychiatric aides work:
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for psychiatric aides tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Physical Proximity
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Disease or Infections
Education and Training
Most psychiatric aides positions require a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Mental Health Counselors (Supplemental)
- Healthcare Social Workers (Supplemental)
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (Supplemental)
- Recreational Therapists (Supplemental)
- Registered Nurses (Primary-Long)
- Acute Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Supplemental)
- Clinical Nurse Specialists (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future psychiatric aides typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
2 programs across 2 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 31-1133.00 (Psychiatric Aides).
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