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Psychiatric technician vs health technician

The differences between psychiatric technicians and health 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 $37,873 average annual salary of a health technician.

The top three skills for a psychiatric technician include patients, mental health and social work. The most important skills for a health technician are patients, excellent interpersonal, and customer service.

Psychiatric technician vs health technician overview

Psychiatric TechnicianHealth Technician
Yearly salary$39,662$37,873
Hourly rate$19.07$18.21
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs64,888110,277
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age3434
Years of experience--

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.

What does a health technician do?

A health technician is responsible for supporting medical operations in a health care facility by performing administrative and clerical duties, ensuring that the organization provides the highest quality care service to the patients. Health technicians process patients' information, manage their medical payments, monitor their conditions as instructed by physicians, maintain an organized medical chart, administer medication, and assist in conducting medical procedures. They also check the adequacy of stock inventories and write request reports, as well as inspecting the cleanliness of all the medical tools and equipment during operations.

Psychiatric technician vs health technician salary

Psychiatric technicians and health technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Psychiatric TechnicianHealth Technician
Average salary$39,662$37,873
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $61,000Between $27,000 And $51,000
Highest paying CitySanta Barbara, CABoston, MA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaMassachusetts
Best paying companySt. Tammany Health SystemMeta
Best paying industryGovernmentGovernment

Differences between psychiatric technician and health technician education

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

Psychiatric TechnicianHealth Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common majorPsychologyNursing
Most common collegeJohns Hopkins UniversityEmory University

Psychiatric technician vs health technician demographics

Here are the differences between psychiatric technicians' and health technicians' demographics:

Psychiatric TechnicianHealth Technician
Average age3434
Gender ratioMale, 40.1% Female, 59.9%Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage15%15%

Differences between psychiatric technician and health technician duties and responsibilities

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.
  • Show more

Health technician example responsibilities.

  • Maintain and manage medical and administrative records for all patients assign to clinic area to assure accurate care and patient confidentiality.
  • Supervise labs, diets, schedule radiology procedures, EKG's, respiratory, and medical tasks for patients.
  • Can perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and/or initiate appropriate emergency alert notifications.
  • Administer ABA therapy for children with autism and provide support for other technicians when not with own clients.
  • Assist providers in direct physical examinations, minor procedures, emergency care to include CPR, and other clinical duties.
  • Assist children with autism spectrum disorders in learning life still and helping them transition successfully in all aspects of their lives.
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Psychiatric technician vs health technician skills

Common psychiatric technician skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Mental Health, 9%
  • Social Work, 6%
  • Vital Signs, 6%
  • Patient Behavior, 4%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%
Common health technician skills
  • Patients, 18%
  • Excellent Interpersonal, 8%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Blood Pressure, 6%
  • Veterans, 6%
  • Vital Signs, 5%

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