Chemical dependency technician vs psychiatric technician

The differences between chemical dependency technicians and psychiatric technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a psychiatric technician has an average salary of $39,662, which is higher than the $35,341 average annual salary of a chemical dependency technician.

The top three skills for a chemical dependency technician include chemical dependency, patients and vital signs. The most important skills for a psychiatric technician are patients, mental health, and social work.

Chemical dependency technician vs psychiatric technician overview

	Chemical Dependency Technician	Psychiatric Technician
Yearly salary	$35,341	$39,662
Hourly rate	$16.99	$19.07
Growth rate	4%	9%
Number of jobs	20,927	64,888
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	44	34
Years of experience	2	-

Chemical dependency technician vs psychiatric technician salary

Chemical dependency technicians and psychiatric technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chemical Dependency Technician	Psychiatric Technician
Average salary	$35,341	$39,662
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $42,000	Between $25,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Barbara, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	St. Tammany Health System
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between chemical dependency technician and psychiatric technician education

There are a few differences between a chemical dependency technician and a psychiatric technician in terms of educational background:

	Chemical Dependency Technician	Psychiatric Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Washington	Johns Hopkins University

Chemical dependency technician vs psychiatric technician demographics

Here are the differences between chemical dependency technicians' and psychiatric technicians' demographics:

	Chemical Dependency Technician	Psychiatric Technician
Average age	44	34
Gender ratio	Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7%	Male, 40.1% Female, 59.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 5.5% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	9%	15%

Differences between chemical dependency technician and psychiatric technician duties and responsibilities

Chemical dependency technician example responsibilities.

Drive to pick up new clients, drive clients to outside AA or NA meetings.
Transport to outside AA meetings.
Diagnose and recommend treatment for clients base on ASAM and DSM criteria.
Understand and comply with the practice regulations as outlined by OASAS and JCAHO.
Plan or implement follow-up or aftercare programs for clients to be discharge from detox.
Perform monitoring of detox clients and their medications, as well as their vitals.

Psychiatric technician example responsibilities.

Prioritize and utilize therapeutic communication and CPI skills to diffuse and manage difficult situations.
Participate in rehabilitation and treatment programs, also lead prescribed individual and group therapy sessions as part of specific therapeutic procedures.
Respond to emergency situations such as fire evacuation or the administration of first aid and/or CPR.
Observe patients comfort levels and mood changes, show compassion and respect to minimize clients stress levels.
Demonstrate triage and emergency assistance when need, including suicide prevention plans (currently CPR and CPI certify).
Participate in rehabilitation and treatment programs, help with personal hygiene, and assist with administration of oral medications.

Chemical dependency technician vs psychiatric technician skills

Common chemical dependency technician skills

Chemical Dependency, 12%
Patients, 12%
Vital Signs, 11%
Patient Care, 9%
Substance Abuse, 7%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

Common psychiatric technician skills

Patients, 27%
Mental Health, 9%
Social Work, 6%
Vital Signs, 6%
Patient Behavior, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Chemical Dependency Technician
Chemical Dependency Technician vs Psychiatric Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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