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Psychiatric technician vs technician

The differences between psychiatric technicians and 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 $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.

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

Psychiatric technician vs technician overview

Psychiatric TechnicianTechnician
Yearly salary$39,662$38,045
Hourly rate$19.07$18.29
Growth rate9%1%
Number of jobs64,888596,842
Job satisfaction-2
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age3440
Years of experience-2

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 technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Psychiatric technician vs technician salary

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

Psychiatric TechnicianTechnician
Average salary$39,662$38,045
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $61,000Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying CitySanta Barbara, CASan Jose, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaHawaii
Best paying companySt. Tammany Health SystemMicrosoft
Best paying industryGovernmentTelecommunication

Differences between psychiatric technician and technician education

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

Psychiatric TechnicianTechnician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common majorPsychologyBusiness
Most common collegeJohns Hopkins University-

Psychiatric technician vs technician demographics

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

Psychiatric TechnicianTechnician
Average age3440
Gender ratioMale, 40.1% Female, 59.9%Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage15%2%

Differences between psychiatric technician and 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.
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Technician example responsibilities.

  • Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
  • Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
  • Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
  • Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
  • Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
  • Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.
  • Show more

Psychiatric technician vs technician skills

Common psychiatric technician skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Mental Health, 9%
  • Social Work, 6%
  • Vital Signs, 6%
  • Patient Behavior, 4%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%
Common technician skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 6%
  • Diagnosis, 5%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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