Careers / Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses

Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$97,550

United States, 2025

Employment

3,379,720

United States, 2025

Typical education

Master's Degree

Job Zone 5

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders. Apply therapeutic activities, including the prescription of medication, per state regulations, and the administration of psychotherapy.

O*NET code
29-1141.02
Job zone
5
Experience required
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

Typical tasks

  • Consult with psychiatrists or other professionals when unusual or complex cases are encountered.
  • Assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
  • Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
  • Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
  • Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
  • Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
  • Monitor patients' medication usage and results.
  • Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$68,940
10th
$80,330
25th
$97,550
Median
$112,350
75th
$137,470
90th

10th percentile

$68,940

25th percentile

$80,330

75th percentile

$112,350

90th percentile

$137,470

Most important skills

  • Active Listening4.4
  • Social Perceptiveness4.3
  • Speaking4.1
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making4.0
  • Monitoring4.0
  • Time Management4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Complex Problem Solving3.9
  • Active Learning3.9
  • Coordination3.8

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 19 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

19

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Social Perceptiveness4.34.9Not selected4.9
Active Listening4.44.1Not selected4.1
Reading Comprehension4.04.3Not selected4.3
Speaking4.14.0Not selected4.0
Critical Thinking4.04.0Not selected4.0
Judgment and Decision Making4.04.0Not selected4.0
Monitoring4.04.0Not selected4.0
Writing4.04.0Not selected4.0
Time Management4.03.9Not selected3.9
Active Learning3.94.0Not selected4.0
Coordination3.83.9Not selected3.9
Service Orientation3.83.9Not selected3.9
Learning Strategies3.83.8Not selected3.8
Negotiation3.63.9Not selected3.9
Complex Problem Solving3.93.5Not selected3.5
Persuasion3.63.8Not selected3.8
Instructing3.83.3Not selected3.3
Systems Analysis3.43.3Not selected3.3
Systems Evaluation3.13.1Not selected3.1

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
San Jose, CA$216,74022,9302025
Vallejo, CA$203,2904,1202025
San Francisco, CA$186,61041,7502025
Santa Rosa, CA$174,5503,7202025
Sacramento, CA$171,46023,5902025
Santa Cruz, CA$170,9601,7502025
Yuba City, CA$149,3201,0802025
Kahului, HI$144,3501,2702025
CA$140,270338,9402025
San Diego, CA$139,52028,6802025
Urban Honolulu, HI$139,2609,6802025
San Luis Obispo, CA$138,8202,1802025
Santa Maria, CA$137,3603,2802025
HI$136,32012,9402025
Los Angeles, CA$135,560109,3602025
Bend, OR$135,0102,5002025
Salinas, CA$134,9103,1802025
Stockton, CA$134,5805,4602025
Redding, CA$134,3501,7202025
Riverside, CA$133,94035,2902025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.