Patient care technician vs psychiatric technician

The differences between patient care 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 $32,806 average annual salary of a patient care technician.

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

Patient care technician vs psychiatric technician overview

	Patient Care Technician	Psychiatric Technician
Yearly salary	$32,806	$39,662
Hourly rate	$15.77	$19.07
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	167,520	64,888
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	-	-

What does a patient care technician do?

Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.

What does a psychiatric technician do?

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.

Patient care technician vs psychiatric technician salary

Patient care technicians and psychiatric technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Care Technician	Psychiatric Technician
Average salary	$32,806	$39,662
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $25,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NH	Santa Barbara, CA
Highest paying state	Vermont	California
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	St. Tammany Health System
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between patient care technician and psychiatric technician education

There are a few differences between a patient care technician and a psychiatric technician in terms of educational background:

	Patient Care Technician	Psychiatric Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Nursing	Psychology
Most common college	Emory University	Johns Hopkins University

Patient care technician vs psychiatric technician demographics

Here are the differences between patient care technicians' and psychiatric technicians' demographics:

	Patient Care Technician	Psychiatric Technician
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%	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%

Differences between patient care technician and psychiatric technician duties and responsibilities

Patient care technician example responsibilities.

Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.

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.

Patient care technician vs psychiatric technician skills

Common patient care technician skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 9%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 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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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Patient Care Technician
Patient Care Technician vs Psychiatric Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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