Psychiatric Aides
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.
Also called: Behavior Aide, Behavior Assistant, Behavior Intervention Assistant, Behavior Support Assistant, Behavioral Aide, Behavioral Assistant
Median pay
$44,910
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$32,090 – $60,440
People employed
35,520
Holland code
SIC
Social · Investigative · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 2.Are you comfortable following clear instructions?
- 3.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 4.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 5.Do you want to stay at 40 hours a week or less?
- 6.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
The hard parts
- Exposure to disease or infection
- Dealing with conflict is part of the job
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
Psychiatric Aides pay by state
Annual median pay by state (39 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What psychiatric aides do
- 01Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients.
- 02Provide patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities with routine physical, emotional, psychological, or rehabilitation care under the direction of nursing or medical staff.
- 03Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
- 04Restrain or aid patients as necessary to prevent injury.
- 05Work as part of a team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, or social workers.
- 06Record and maintain patient information, such as vital signs, eating habits, behavior, progress notes, treatments, or discharge plans.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
Knowledge
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Administrative
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Social Orientation
- Self-Control
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
- On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from psychiatric aides
- Psychiatric Technicians88% · 0%
- Occupational Therapy Assistants88% · +61%
- Occupational Therapy Aides84% · −13%
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses82% · +43%
- Physical Therapist Aides80% · −22%
Change into psychiatric aides
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Psychiatric Technicians90% · $45,130
- Physical Therapist Aides87% · $35,240
- Occupational Therapy Aides84% · $39,160
- Nannies79% · $34,980
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistants79% · $48,430
Majors that lead here
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician
- Health Aide
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.