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Job outlook for psychiatric nursing assistants in the United States
Are psychiatric nursing assistant jobs in demand?
Psychiatric nursing assistant job and salary trends over time
Psychiatric nursing assistant jobs over time
Psychiatric nursing assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,058 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 966 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 889 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,642 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 5,096 | 0.00% |
Average psychiatric nursing assistant salary over time
Psychiatric nursing assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $30,184 | $14.51 | +5.2% |
| 2024 | $28,683 | $13.79 | --4.3% |
| 2023 | $29,963 | $14.41 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | $28,892 | $13.89 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | $27,916 | $13.42 | +3.4% |
Psychiatric nursing assistant jobs by state
Most common states for psychiatric nursing assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 453 | 34% |
| 2 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 414 | 31% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 161 | 26% |
| 4 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 430 | 24% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,295 | 23% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 220 | 23% |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 233 | 22% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,377 | 20% |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,096 | 19% |
| 10 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,112 | 17% |
| 11 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 597 | 17% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 495 | 16% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,875 | 15% |
| 14 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,706 | 15% |
| 15 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 996 | 15% |
| 16 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 830 | 15% |
| 17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 153 | 15% |
| 18 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 133 | 15% |
| 19 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,006 | 14% |
| 20 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 603 | 14% |
Most common cities for psychiatric nursing assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa City | 15 | 20% | $30,443 |
| 2 | Saint Charles | 2 | 6% | $26,944 |
| 3 | Staunton | 1 | 4% | $27,938 |
| 4 | San Luis Obispo | 1 | 2% | $31,769 |
| 5 | Longview | 1 | 1% | $23,996 |
| 6 | Fresno | 1 | 0% | $31,947 |
| 7 | Virginia Beach | 1 | 0% | $27,088 |
Psychiatric Nursing Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of psychiatric nursing assistant experts
Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City
Spokane Community College
Merrimack College
Bellevue College
Endicott College
University of Baltimore
Carlow University
Eastern Michigan University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Bellevue College
Jeanne Martin PhD, MSN, RN, CNE
Clinical Associate ProfessorWhat will help Psychiatric Nursing Assistants increase their earning potential?
Jeanne Martin PhD, MSN, RN, CNE: I think honing clinical judgment is the KEY to safe patient care. A lack of clinical judgment competency is associated with preventable nursing errors, such as medication inaccuracies or failure to recognize a patient is deteriorating and then step in to rescue that patient. These errors are more prevalent in new graduate nurses. This is why the National Council State Board of Nursing changed the licensure exam to reflect the Clinical Judgment Model. As the complexities of health care expand, the clinical judgment of the nurse must expand with it.
What general advice would you give to a Psychiatric Nursing Assistant?
Eve Leija AAS, NCMA: To maximize salary for a medical assistant obtaining certification from one of the credentialing organizations such as American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) can make a new hire more competitive. Continuing educations along with developing any specialized skills such as phlebotomy. Demonstrating professionalism initiative and reliability, along with gaining a strong reference from previous employers.
Penny Ridenour
Dean of School of Health SciencesOklahoma State University - Oklahoma City
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Psychiatric Nursing Assistant?
Penny Ridenour: In order to maximize your earnings, flexibility is key to fit the niche the employer needs. Intentionally accept assignments that will allow growth in a specialization. If possible, ask to shadow other professionals proficient in the specialization you desire.
What Psychiatric Nursing Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Penny Ridenour: To differentiate yourself from the other new professionals entering healthcare after graduation, pay attention to the soft skills employers are looking for. Listening, empathy, and communication skills polish professional persona. Also, developing skills in resiliency will equip new professionals for a growing career in healthcare.
Jean Schlittenhart
NAC Program DirectorSpokane Community College
NAC Program
What skills stand out on Psychiatric Nursing Assistant resumes?
Jean Schlittenhart: Nurses' aids are the foundation of nursing and medical practice as they are the professionals' eyes, ears, and hands. The nurses' aid is a very trusted position as they care for the largest and most vulnerable group of people in the United States: Aged and Disabled. They have been educated to treat people with respect, respect their wishes and provide very personal care cheerfully and with skill. Upon graduation and State certification, they can provide at least 22 skills that relate to vital signs, personal care, transfers, and providing feeding support. They are educated to identify health risks, emergency situations and provide rehabilitation and restorative care under the direction of a nurse or other therapist.
What soft skills should all Psychiatric Nursing Assistants possess?
Jean Schlittenhart: Communication such as listening skills, empathy, compassion, emotional support, and holistic care.
What skills will help Psychiatric Nursing Assistants earn the most?
Jean Schlittenhart: Communication and compassion are among the top priorities and the 22 basic care skills provided for the residents and patients.
Comora Sarah
Assistant Clinical ProfessorMerrimack College
Nursing Department
What skills stand out on Psychiatric Nursing Assistant resumes?
Comora Sarah: Experience in the industry, Dementia training, BLS certification
What soft skills should all Psychiatric Nursing Assistants possess?
Comora Sarah: Ability to effectively communicate with all patients and interdisciplinary team members, willing to be flexible with shifts and scheduling, a team player with a great work ethic.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Psychiatric Nursing Assistants?
Comora Sarah: Ability to accurately take and record vital signs, safe patient mobility practice, and ability to assist clients with activities of daily living.
What skills will help Psychiatric Nursing Assistants earn the most?
Comora Sarah: CNA are paid differently across the industry and in different settings. From an education and training perspective in CNA onboarding, it is more beneficial to an organization to hire candidates that have demonstrated the soft set of skills mentioned. The theory is that in the position of Certified Nursing Assistant, hard skills can be taught, and competency can be achieved after hire if you have the right candidate for your organization and team.
What skills stand out on Psychiatric Nursing Assistant resumes?
Marina Orobinskaia: Experience, good program attended.
What soft skills should all Psychiatric Nursing Assistants possess?
Marina Orobinskaia: Friendliness, positive energy, leadership.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Psychiatric Nursing Assistants?
Marina Orobinskaia: There are no more or less important skills. You need to learn all of them to excellence and what is most important - use your critical thinking when you do them.
What skills will help Psychiatric Nursing Assistants earn the most?
Marina Orobinskaia: Additional job training type certifications were added to the original Nursing Assistant, such as nursing delegation, phlebotomy, medication pass.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Psychiatric Nursing Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Bethany Nasser Ph.D.: A need for health care employees (nurses) as many nurses are getting fatigued and burned out and may leave the profession or look for less stressful jobs or going back to school.
Sepideh Soheilian Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Baltimore
Division of Applied Behavioral Sciences
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Psychiatric Nursing Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Sepideh Soheilian Ph.D.: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of mental health counselors is projected to grow 25% from 2019 to 2029, which is much greater than the average for all occupations. The pandemic has greatly affected the mental health of Americans due to the necessity to quarantine and/or keep a safe distance from others. Human beings are social by nature. Thus, social isolation can significantly impact stress levels and mental health. Additional ways that the pandemic has negatively affected mental health is via job loss as well as creating increased responsibilities for people while working virtually such as caring for children engaged in distance learning, or caring for the elderly. The aforementioned situations can be challenging and create stress for individuals, especially if they are unable to engage in appropriate self-care, or positive ways of coping in response to the new stresses in their lives. As such, my prediction is that there will be an even greater demand for mental health services due to the pandemic, consequently resulting in a greater need for mental health professionals.
Janice Nash
Professor, Director of the Undergraduate Nursing ProgramCarlow University
College of Health and Wellness
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Psychiatric Nursing Assistants to find work opportunities?
Janice Nash: A graduate should find opportunities in almost every region of the country at this point.
Michael Williams Ph.D.
Director and Associate ProfessorEastern Michigan University
School of Nursing
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Psychiatric Nursing Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Michael Williams Ph.D.: So much has changed with the current pandemic. With the initial surge of Covid-19 cases, nurses and nursing assistants were in high demand. Nurses were re-deployed within the healthcare system to areas overrun with Covid-19 issues. Elective surgeries and clinic visits were halted, and the healthcare agencies suffered significant financial challenges. As a result, some nursing assistants and nurses were subsequently furloughed.
However, as the healthcare systems recover from economic difficulties, or there is a second surge of Covid-19 cases, nursing assistants and nurses will again be in high demand. Nurses, working within any aspect of the healthcare system, are working harder than ever before. Staffing shortages, even short term, create additional stressors to the nurses providing care to patients.
Nursing administrators are challenged to provide sufficient staff to prevent physical and emotional distress among their nurses. Nursing faculty are working even more, challenged to prepare nursing students for this new world of healthcare. Education for nursing students has changed dramatically. Students are learning much more from simulation and virtual reality than has previously been used.
As a result, new nurse graduates will need more and additional support when they transition from nursing students to full-fledged registered nurses! All nurses will need more generous support from society with the stress of the pandemic. Nurses are, regrettably, at greater risk for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and suicide ideations due to the epidemic's prolonged strain. The physical and emotional health of nurses and all healthcare providers needs to be a societal priority. Despite all of these challenges, nurses will be there!
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Psychiatric Nursing Assistants to find work opportunities?
Shelly Wells Ph.D.: Nurses continue to be in high demand throughout the nation. While new graduate nurses may not be able to find their dream "no weekends, day shift position in their favorite specialty" right out of school, there are opportunities abound for the new nurse to build their skills to prepare for that dream position. The demand for nurses in community-based agencies is increasing. Nurses who have completed their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree find expanded leadership opportunities, public health, and non-traditional nursing positions. One does not have to live in or near a large city to find a chance to work as a registered nurse as there are countless positions in rural America waiting for the right graduate nurses.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Psychiatric Nursing Assistants to find work opportunities?
Katrina Malkin: Rather than a geographic location, I think graduates should think outside of previous conventions of where a new grad finds a point of entry into the profession. How about telehealth? How about tech industry advisors? How about virtual health education? That is having been said; our students are graduating and finding jobs where they always have - major metropolitan areas, hospital systems like Swedish, Virginia Mason, the Veterans Health Administration, Overlake Hospital. Hospital systems now run well-developed nursing residency programs. Many of these are provided to the hospital through subcontractors who specialize in residency programs. They range from 3-6 months, include significant off-unit classes and training, and don't always lead to a job on the unit, where the graduate goes initially. Understanding what is out there in terms of nursing residencies, getting a job as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), or other support roles is one of the very best ways to get a job in the hospital where you want to work as an RN after graduation.