Careers / Psychiatric Aides

Psychiatric Aides — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$44,910

United States, 2025

Employment

35,520

United States, 2025

Typical education

Some College Courses

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff. May assist with daily living activities, lead patients in educational and recreational activities, or accompany patients to and from examinations and treatments. May restrain violent patients. Includes psychiatric orderlies.

O*NET code
31-1133.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Typical tasks

  • Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients.
  • Provide patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities with routine physical, emotional, psychological, or rehabilitation care under the direction of nursing or medical staff.
  • Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
  • Restrain or aid patients as necessary to prevent injury.
  • Work as part of a team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, or social workers.
  • Record and maintain patient information, such as vital signs, eating habits, behavior, progress notes, treatments, or discharge plans.
  • Maintain patients' restrictions to assigned areas.
  • Organize, supervise, or encourage patient participation in social, educational, or recreational activities.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$32,090
10th
$37,750
25th
$44,910
Median
$49,950
75th
$60,440
90th

10th percentile

$32,090

25th percentile

$37,750

75th percentile

$49,950

90th percentile

$60,440

Most important skills

  • Social Perceptiveness3.9
  • Speaking3.9
  • Service Orientation3.9
  • Monitoring3.8
  • Active Listening3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.4
  • Active Learning3.3
  • Coordination3.3
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1
  • Writing3.1
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Instructing3.1

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 15 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

15

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 Perceptiveness3.94.1Not selected4.1
Monitoring3.83.8Not selected3.8
Service Orientation3.93.3Not selected3.3
Coordination3.33.6Not selected3.6
Active Listening3.83.1Not selected3.1
Speaking3.93.0Not selected3.0
Critical Thinking3.43.4Not selected3.4
Reading Comprehension3.13.3Not selected3.3
Active Learning3.33.0Not selected3.0
Judgment and Decision Making3.13.0Not selected3.0
Writing3.13.0Not selected3.0
Complex Problem Solving3.13.0Not selected3.0
Persuasion3.03.0Not selected3.0
Instructing3.12.9Not selected2.9
Negotiation3.02.9Not selected2.9

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

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Kiryas Joel, NY$75,6702102025
Trenton, NJ$60,1103702025
Utica, NY$58,6002202025
San Jose, CA$58,5501002025
Waterbury, CT$57,360402025
Kalamazoo, MI$55,1001802025
MN$55,0406202025
Las Vegas, NV$53,5202102025
WA$52,5703302025
Seattle, WA$52,5703202025
HI$52,310302025
Colorado Springs, CO$51,670402025
Minneapolis, MN$51,6102202025
Baltimore, MD$51,4401602025
MD$51,4402502025
NV$51,4002202025
RI$51,1001302025
Salem, OR$50,5809102025
NY$50,2205,1202025
Buffalo, NY$50,1402602025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Psychiatric Aides to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

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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.