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Best states for a mental health technician
Quoted expert
Jennifer Hughes Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to mental health technician jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for mental health technician jobs.
In order to get you the best states for mental health technicians, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the South is best for mental health technicians, and the Northeast is the worst. Sacramento, CA is the best city in the country for mental health technician jobs, where as Vermont is the best state in the country.
10 best states for mental health technicians in 2026
1. Vermont
Total mental health technician jobs: 182 Average annual salary: $45,112 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
2. Massachusetts
Total mental health technician jobs: 2,115 Average annual salary: $35,792 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
3. Arkansas
Total mental health technician jobs: 653 Average annual salary: $32,269 Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
4. Wisconsin
Total mental health technician jobs: 1,299 Average annual salary: $32,908 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
5. California
Total mental health technician jobs: 4,884 Average annual salary: $42,164 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
6. Montana
Total mental health technician jobs: 140 Average annual salary: $41,513 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
7. North Dakota
Total mental health technician jobs: 154 Average annual salary: $35,168 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
8. New Hampshire
Total mental health technician jobs: 262 Average annual salary: $36,550 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
9. Kansas
Total mental health technician jobs: 539 Average annual salary: $33,456 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
10. Minnesota
Total mental health technician jobs: 1,624 Average annual salary: $32,706 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
Mental health technician jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a mental health technician
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a mental health technician
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $45,112 | $37,000 | 623,657 | 182 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $35,792 | $29,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,115 |
| 3 | Arkansas | $32,269 | $25,000 | 3,004,279 | 653 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $32,908 | $26,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,299 |
| 5 | California | $42,164 | $33,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,884 |
| 6 | Montana | $41,513 | $34,000 | 1,050,493 | 140 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $35,168 | $29,000 | 755,393 | 154 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $36,550 | $30,000 | 1,342,795 | 262 |
| 9 | Kansas | $33,456 | $27,000 | 2,913,123 | 539 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $32,706 | $26,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,624 |
| 11 | Oregon | $38,958 | $31,000 | 4,142,776 | 450 |
| 12 | Illinois | $34,149 | $27,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,070 |
| 13 | Washington | $38,471 | $31,000 | 7,405,743 | 729 |
| 14 | Maine | $33,062 | $27,000 | 1,335,907 | 246 |
| 15 | Colorado | $34,217 | $27,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,046 |
| 16 | Michigan | $30,172 | $24,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,977 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $34,351 | $27,000 | 3,588,184 | 482 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $32,750 | $26,000 | 1,815,857 | 176 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $31,338 | $24,000 | 2,984,100 | 392 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $32,482 | $26,000 | 1,920,076 | 350 |
| 21 | Arizona | $31,037 | $24,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,305 |
| 22 | Iowa | $30,052 | $24,000 | 3,145,711 | 822 |
| 23 | Ohio | $29,559 | $23,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,305 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $33,673 | $26,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,101 |
| 25 | New York | $33,678 | $26,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,702 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $31,096 | $25,000 | 579,315 | 96 |
| 27 | Nevada | $31,487 | $24,000 | 2,998,039 | 348 |
| 28 | Alabama | $29,059 | $23,000 | 4,874,747 | 912 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $31,889 | $25,000 | 1,427,538 | 168 |
| 30 | Virginia | $31,824 | $25,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,621 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $26,784 | $21,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,634 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $28,867 | $23,000 | 869,666 | 199 |
| 33 | Missouri | $28,223 | $22,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,405 |
| 34 | Texas | $28,495 | $22,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,778 |
| 35 | Indiana | $26,872 | $21,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,888 |
| 36 | Utah | $28,776 | $23,000 | 3,101,833 | 568 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $29,057 | $23,000 | 1,059,639 | 219 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $31,889 | $25,000 | 693,972 | 207 |
| 39 | Delaware | $28,624 | $22,000 | 961,939 | 231 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $28,538 | $22,000 | 5,024,369 | 776 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $27,464 | $21,000 | 4,684,333 | 706 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $27,074 | $21,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,212 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $26,806 | $21,000 | 4,454,189 | 740 |
| 44 | Georgia | $28,860 | $22,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,475 |
| 45 | Alaska | $25,947 | $22,000 | 739,795 | 197 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $25,916 | $20,000 | 3,930,864 | 641 |
| 47 | Idaho | $25,854 | $21,000 | 1,716,943 | 327 |
| 48 | Pennsylvania | $27,168 | $21,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,795 |
| 49 | Florida | $26,377 | $20,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,645 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $26,561 | $21,000 | 2,088,070 | 274 |
| 51 | Maryland | $24,391 | $19,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,239 |
Highest paying states for mental health technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. Mental Health Technician Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $45,112 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $35,792 |
| 3 | Arkansas | $32,269 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $32,908 |
| 5 | California | $42,164 |
| 6 | Montana | $41,513 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $35,168 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $36,550 |
| 9 | Kansas | $33,456 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $32,706 |
| 11 | Oregon | $38,958 |
| 12 | Illinois | $34,149 |
| 13 | Washington | $38,471 |
| 14 | Maine | $33,062 |
| 15 | Colorado | $34,217 |
| 16 | Michigan | $30,172 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $34,351 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $32,750 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $31,338 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $32,482 |
| 21 | Arizona | $31,037 |
| 22 | Iowa | $30,052 |
| 23 | Ohio | $29,559 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $33,673 |
| 25 | New York | $33,678 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $31,096 |
| 27 | Nevada | $31,487 |
| 28 | Alabama | $29,059 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $31,889 |
| 30 | Virginia | $31,824 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $26,784 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $28,867 |
| 33 | Missouri | $28,223 |
| 34 | Texas | $28,495 |
| 35 | Indiana | $26,872 |
| 36 | Utah | $28,776 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $29,057 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $31,889 |
| 39 | Delaware | $28,624 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $28,538 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $27,464 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $27,074 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $26,806 |
| 44 | Georgia | $28,860 |
| 45 | Alaska | $25,947 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $25,916 |
| 47 | Idaho | $25,854 |
| 48 | Pennsylvania | $27,168 |
| 49 | Florida | $26,377 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $26,561 |
| 51 | Maryland | $24,391 |
Expert opinions on the best states for mental health technicians
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for mental health technicians to find work opportunities?
Jennifer Hughes Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Psychology Associate Editor, Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, Agnes Scott College
Many of our psychology graduates go to graduate school, but those that do not, work for mental health facilities, not-for-profits, education, business consulting, etc. The pandemic is producing a mental health crisis in the United States, and those with psychology backgrounds will be needed more than ever.
Mental health technician best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025