Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between mental health 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 $32,118 average annual salary of a mental health technician.
The top three skills for a mental health technician include patients, vital signs and CPR. The most important skills for a psychiatric technician are patients, mental health, and social work.
| Mental Health Technician | Psychiatric Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $32,118 | $39,662 |
| Hourly rate | $15.44 | $19.07 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 103,710 | 64,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 34 | 34 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A mental health technician's primary responsibility is to provide care and assistance to patients with mental health issues. Their tasks mainly revolve around administering scheduled and prescribed medication, monitoring vital signs, assisting during therapy sessions, and assessing patients' progress and behavior. They may also have administrative support tasks such as processing necessary documentation, preparing reports, managing schedules, and even reaching out to patients' guardians and families. A mental health technician may also build a healthy rapport with patients, giving them guidance and positive influence.
A psychiatric technician is responsible for supporting patients with mental issues and disabilities by administering treatment plans and quality therapeutic care. Psychiatric technicians assist the patients through counseling, observing their mental and social behaviors, and suggesting recreational activities to help them interact with others. They also work with other medical professionals to seek advice, especially when performing medical procedures and suggesting medications. A psychiatric technician must have excellent communication and time-management skills, especially when responding to the patients' concerns and looking after them during daily activities.
Mental health technicians and psychiatric technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Technician | Psychiatric Technician | |
| Average salary | $32,118 | $39,662 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $39,000 | Between $25,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | California |
| Best paying company | CARE | St. Tammany Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a mental health technician and a psychiatric technician in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Technician | Psychiatric Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between mental health technicians' and psychiatric technicians' demographics:
| Mental Health Technician | Psychiatric Technician | |
| Average age | 34 | 34 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0% | Male, 40.1% Female, 59.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 15% | 15% |