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Mental Health Services Technician

A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and other mental health care professionals, to provide direct patient care services, assist in developing and implementing treatment plans, administer medications, and perform related administrative functions. Includes instruction in mental health theory, applied psychopathology, patient communication and management, crisis intervention, psychotropic medication, mental health treatment procedures, substance abuse, record-keeping, clinical administrative skills, and applicable standards and regulations.

Types of Degrees Mental Health Services Technician Majors Are Earning

Those studying 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

This major prepares you for careers needing 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

The skill set built by 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

Innate 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 Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Patient management software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
ADL Data Systems OptimumClinicals Electronic Health Record	Medical software	—
InfoLogix HealthTrax Engine	Inventory management software	—
Netsmart Technologies Avatar Clinical Workstation CWS	Medical software	—
Allscripts Sunrise	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
• Clinical Assistant
• Psychiatric Technician Assistant (Psychiatric Tech Assistant)
• Neuropsychiatric Aide
• Mental Health Worker (MHW)
• Developmental Aide
• Charge Aide
• Behavioral Health Assistant
• Psychiatric Orderly
• Residential Care Tech (Residential Care Technician)
• Psychiatric Attendant
• Mental Health Program Assistant
• Behavior Intervention Assistant
• Behavioral Assistant

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?

Federal data 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

Online study is tracked 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?

On the earnings side, 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	33,946
Mental Health Counseling/Counselor	10,855
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling	6,135
Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling	4,476
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other	3,545
Clinical/Medical Social Work	3,296
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling	2,298
Health Aide	488
Genetic Counseling/Counselor	378
Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling	187
Trauma Counseling	161
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist	6

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.