Psychiatric Aides: Career Overview
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.
Featured schools near , edit
What Do Psychiatric Aides Take On?
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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top psychiatric aides combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Psychiatric Aides Jobs
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
Employment and Demand
There are about 816,098 psychiatric aides working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +3.6% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Psychiatric Aides
| 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
Pay 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 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| 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
Most 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:
Software Psychiatric Aides Use
- 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)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions 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
Getting Started in This Career
Typical psychiatric aides positions require a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
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)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future psychiatric aides typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
2 programs across 2 majors
About the Data
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).
HealthcareDegreeSearch.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© HealthcareDegreeSearch.com – All Rights Reserved.