Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 91,600 people employed as psychiatric technicians in the United States. The median annual salary is $35,000. Entry level employees earn approximately $24,960 per year and senior employees earn approximately $59,020 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Collaborate with or assist doctors, psychologists, or rehabilitation therapists in working with mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or developmentally disabled patients to treat, rehabilitate, and return patients to the community.
• Encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, or other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills or develop social relationships.
• Restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required.
• Take and record measures of patients' physical condition, using devices such as thermometers or blood pressure gauges.
• Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff.
• Provide nursing, psychiatric, or personal care to mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or mentally retarded patients.
• Observe and influence patients' behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling, or befriending them.
• Train or instruct new employees on procedures to follow with psychiatric patients.
• Develop or teach strategies to promote client wellness and independence.
• Administer oral medications or hypodermic injections, following physician's prescriptions and hospital procedures.
• Issue medications from dispensary and maintain records in accordance with specified procedures.
• Aid patients in performing tasks, such as bathing or keeping beds, clothing, or living areas clean.
• Lead prescribed individual or group therapy sessions as part of specific therapeutic procedures.
• Interview new patients to complete admission forms, to assess their mental health status, or to obtain their mental health and treatment history.
• Escort patients to medical appointments.
• Contact patients' relatives to arrange family conferences.

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