---

Mental Health Services Technician

Types of Degrees Mental Health Services Technician Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Mental Health Services Technician have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	502
Associate’s Degree	1,013
Bachelor’s Degree	764
Master’s Degree	322

What Mental Health Services Technician Majors Need to Know

Studies in Mental Health Services Technician build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Mental Health Services Technician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Mental Health Services Technician emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Psychology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Mental Health Services Technician program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Mental Health Services Technician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Mental Health Services Technician graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.7 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Mental Health Services Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Patient management software	Medical software	—
GE Healthcare Centricity EMR	Medical software	—
Cerner ProFile	Medical software	—
ADL Data Systems OptimumClinicals Electronic Health Record	Medical software	—
MEDITECH Behavioral Health Clinicals	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Mental Health Services Technician graduates include:

• Psychiatric Assistant
• Mental Health Associate
• Psychiatric Technician Assistant (Psychiatric Tech Assistant)
• Neuropsychiatric Aide
• Charge Aide
• Behavioral Health Assistant
• Resident Care Technician (Resident Care Tech)
• Therapeutic Program Worker (TPW)
• Behavior Aide
• BHA (Behavioral Health Associate)
• Mental Health Worker (MHW)
• Psychiatric Orderly
• Charge Attendant
• Psychiatric Attendant
• Psychiatric Nursing Aide

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Mental Health Services Technician graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Some college courses	43.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	22.6%
Bachelor’s degree	13.2%
Postsecondary certificate	12.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.3%
Master’s degree	0.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Mental Health Services Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 82.5% of Mental Health Services Technician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,145	82.5%
Men	456	17.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Mental Health Services Technician graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,276	49.1%
Asian	101	3.9%
Hispanic or Latino	499	19.2%
Black or African American	542	20.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.2%
Two or More Races	95	3.7%
Race Unknown	51	2.0%
International Students	18	0.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Mental Health Services Technician Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Mental Health Services Technician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$46,066
4 years	$46,824
5 years	$52,641

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $52,641 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Mental Health Services Technician Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Mental Health Services Technician. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	11	5
Bachelor’s	4	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Mental Health Services Technician Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Mental Health Services Technician graduates earn a median of $46,824 four years after completion — roughly 23% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	51.15
Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling	51.1506
Clinical/Medical Social Work	51.1503
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling	51.1504
Genetic Counseling/Counselor	51.1509
Hospice and Palliative Care	51.1512
Infant/Toddler Mental Health Services	51.1510
Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling	51.1505
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist	51.1511
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other	51.1599
Mental Health Counseling/Counselor	51.1508
Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy	51.1507

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.