Key Takeaways
What Is a Mental Health Technician?
A mental health technician is a direct-care worker who monitors and supports people with mental health conditions or developmental disabilities, mostly in psychiatric hospitals, residential programs and outpatient clinics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) files the job under psychiatric technicians, "sometimes called mental health technicians," an occupation with about 161,500 jobs in 2025[1].
Technicians work under physicians or registered nurses on teams that include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and counselors[1]. Their patients include many of the people counted on our any mental illness page, and inpatients are more likely to have a severe diagnosis such as those on our serious mental illness page[4].
Employers use several titles for overlapping work: mental health technician (MHT), behavioral health technician (BHT), psychiatric technician and psychiatric aide. BLS separates the last two: technicians monitor patients' conditions and provide therapeutic care such as overseeing medications, while aides help with daily activities and keep the unit safe and clean[1].
Hospital quality data also treat MHTs as their own staff category, alongside registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and assistive personnel[5]. For the licensed clinicians MHTs work beside, see our guide to kinds of therapists.
Psychiatric technician (mental health technician)
A health care worker who cares for people with mental or emotional conditions or developmental disabilities, typically by monitoring their condition and providing therapeutic care such as overseeing medications, under the direction of physicians or registered nurses[1].
Related Terms
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
What Does a Mental Health Technician Do?
BLS lists these typical duties for psychiatric technicians[1]:
- Listening to patients' concerns, observing behavior and recording each patient's condition
- Reporting changes in health or behavior to medical staff
- Leading therapeutic and recreational activities
- Giving medications and other treatments on the instructions of doctors and other medical professionals
- Helping with intake and discharge
- Taking vital signs such as blood pressure and body temperature
- Helping with eating, bathing and other daily living activities
- Restraining patients who are or may become physically violent
The mix depends on the setting. Some technicians work with people who have severe developmental disabilities or mental health conditions; others work with people in rehabilitation for drug and alcohol addiction[1].
Restraint, seclusion and de-escalation training
Physical restraint is the most regulated part of the job. Under Medicare's hospital conditions of participation, staff must be trained and show competency in restraint, seclusion and monitoring before performing them, during orientation and periodically afterward[6].
That training must cover triggers for escalation, nonphysical intervention skills, choosing the least restrictive intervention, recognizing distress such as positional asphyxia, and first aid with CPR certification[6]. Employers may also require CPR or basic life support certification at hiring[1].
Our explainer on the psychiatric ward covers admission, patient rights and length of stay on the units where many MHTs work.
Psychiatric Technician vs. Psychiatric Aide
The two BLS categories differ most in training and projected demand. Technicians typically need a postsecondary certificate; aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent[1].
BLS projects psychiatric technician jobs to grow 22% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 2% for aides[1]. Its explanation is that organizations increasingly rely on technicians rather than aides to provide care[1].
Pay is close: the May 2025 medians were $45,130 for technicians and $44,910 for aides[1]. The table compares the two occupations.
Psychiatric Technicians vs. Psychiatric Aides at a Glance
| Measure | Psychiatric technicians | Psychiatric aides |
|---|---|---|
| SOC code | 29-2053 | 31-1133 |
| Jobs, 2025 | 161,500 | 36,900 |
| Projected jobs, 2035 | 197,500 | 37,600 |
| Projected growth, 2025–35 | 22% | 2% |
| Median annual wage, May 2025 | $45,130 | $44,910 |
| Lowest 10% earned less than | $35,090 | $32,090 |
| Highest 10% earned more than | $60,750 | $60,440 |
| Typical entry education | Postsecondary certificate | High school diploma or equivalent |
Employment, projections, wages and education for the two BLS occupations that cover mental health technician work, U.S., 2025[1]
1Wage data are from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey and exclude self-employed workers[1].
Sources
- •U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026
How to Become a Mental Health Technician
Most technicians complete a certificate or associate degree at a community college or technical school. Programs teach basic nursing skills plus psychology, anatomy and pharmacology, and some include supervised clinical work[1].
Coursework can run from one semester to 2 years[4]. Some employers prefer a bachelor's degree or experience in a related job such as nursing assistant or licensed practical nurse[1].
Both technicians and aides usually get short-term on-the-job training, often working under an experienced technician or aide at first[1].
Mental health technician certification and licensing
Licensing is not universal: BLS notes that some states require psychiatric technicians to be licensed, with requirements that can include an accredited education program and an exam[1]. Optional certifications also exist, with requirements that vary by education and work experience[1].
California, Colorado, Kansas and Arkansas each issue a state license for this work, under different titles[2][7][8][9]. Kansas uses the title Licensed Mental Health Technician (LMHT)[8].
California's rules show what a license involves. Applicants must be at least 18, have finished 12th grade or its equivalent, clear state and FBI fingerprint checks, and pass the California Psychiatric Technician Licensure Examination[2].
They qualify for the exam through a state-approved program, through armed forces medical corps training, or through equivalent education: 576 hours of theory and 954 hours of supervised clinical experience within the past 10 years, including at least 54 hours of pharmacology[2].
States That License Psychiatric or Mental Health Technicians
| State | License title | Licensing body | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Psychiatric Technician | Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians | State licensure exam required |
| Colorado | Psychiatric Technician (Developmentally Disabled; Mentally Ill) | Division of Professions and Occupations, nursing program | License by exam or endorsement |
| Kansas | Licensed Mental Health Technician (LMHT) | Kansas State Board of Nursing | Board application and testing |
| Arkansas | Licensed Psychiatric Technician Nurse (LPTN) | Arkansas State Board of Nursing | Endorsement only from Kansas or California licenses |
State licenses for psychiatric and mental health technicians, as listed by each state's licensing body, October 2026[2][7][8][9]
1In states without a license, employers set their own hiring requirements; BLS notes that only some states require technicians to be licensed[1].
Sources
- •California BVNPT
- •Colorado DPO
- •Kansas State Board of Nursing
- •Arkansas State Board of Nursing
Mental Health Technician Salary
The median annual wage was $45,130 for psychiatric technicians and $44,910 for psychiatric aides in May 2025, below the $50,980 median for all U.S. workers[1]. For the two occupations combined, the median was $21.68 an hour[1].
Pay varies by employer type. Technician medians ranged from $47,090 in social assistance to $39,920 in nursing and residential care facilities[1]. Among aides, state psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals paid the highest median, $48,480[1].
Related direct-care jobs had these May 2025 medians: nursing assistants and orderlies $41,870, social and human service assistants $45,930, licensed practical and vocational nurses $64,400, and registered nurses $97,550[1].
Projected growth in psychiatric technician jobs, 2025–2035
BLS projects psychiatric technician employment to rise from 161,500 to 197,500 over the decade, a growth rate about seven times the 3% average for all occupations. Psychiatric aide jobs are projected to grow 2%.
"Because psychiatric technicians are directly involved with day-to-day patient care, they will increasingly be needed to treat the growing number of people who have mental illness or substance use disorders."
Mental Health Technician Job Outlook and Where They Work
BLS projects about 21,900 openings a year for psychiatric technicians and aides combined from 2025 to 2035, many of them to replace workers who change occupations or retire[1]. It ties technician growth to the number of people with mental illness or substance use disorders who need day-to-day care[1].
That demand sits inside a broader mental health workforce shortage that also affects psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors.
The largest employers of psychiatric technicians in 2025 were offices of mental health practitioners other than physicians (15%), private psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals (14%), social assistance (12%), nursing and residential care facilities (12%) and outpatient care centers (10%)[1].
Aides are more concentrated in public institutions: state psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals employed 25% of them and other state government 18%[1].
Because hospitals and residential facilities run 24 hours a day, schedules can include nights, weekends and holidays; most technicians and aides work full time, though part-time work is common[1].
How Dangerous Is the Job? Injury and Violence Data
BLS says psychiatric technicians and aides have some of the highest injury and illness rates of any occupation, from lifting and turning patients and from patients who are physically uncooperative[1].
In private industry in 2021–2022, psychiatric aides had 543.6 workplace-violence cases requiring days away from work, job restriction or transfer per 10,000 full-time workers[3]. The rate for all private-industry workers was 2.9[3].
The most detailed occupational breakdown is older: in 2011 data, violence-related injury rates were 69 times the national rate for psychiatric aides and 38 times for psychiatric technicians[4].
Patients were the source of 88.9% of violent injuries to aides and 82.1% to technicians that year[4]. Aides in state-owned facilities had the highest violence rate, 825.6 per 10,000 workers[4].
What hospital data add
On U.S. hospital psychiatric units from 2007 to 2013, nursing staff of all types accounted for 64.9% of the most severely injured victims of injurious patient assaults, and assault rates did not change significantly over the period[10].
A study of 461 adult psychiatric units in 327 hospitals, using 2011–2013 data, found that more non-RN staffing hours per patient day were associated with higher rates of injurious assaults on staff and on patients[5]. The study is observational, so it shows an association, not that adding staff raises assault rates.
For data on stress across the care workforce, see healthcare worker burnout statistics and our healthcare workers page.
Injury Rates for Psychiatric Aides, Technicians and Comparison Jobs
| Occupation | All injuries and illnesses | From violent events |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatric aides | 848.6 | 502.4 |
| Psychiatric technicians | 466.9 | 278.3 |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers | 580.2 | 157.4 |
| Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants | 438.4 | 57.9 |
| Registered nurses | 133.5 | 17.5 |
| All occupations | 116.4 | 7.3 |
Nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, all ownerships, U.S., 2011[4]
1These are 2011 figures, the most recent year BLS published this occupation-level comparison; the 2021–2022 private-industry violence rate for psychiatric aides was 543.6[3].
Sources
- •U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, 2015
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Psychiatric technicians and aides. Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Department of Labor. Published 2026. Accessed October 2026. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/psychiatric-technicians-and-aides.htm [Link]
- California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Summary of requirements for licensure as a psychiatric technician. State of California. Accessed October 2026. https://www.bvnpt.ca.gov/applicants/summary_pt.shtml [Link]
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workplace violence 2021-2022. Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities fact sheet. U.S. Department of Labor. Published 2024. Accessed October 2026. https://www.bls.gov/iif/factsheets/workplace-violence-2021-2022.htm [Link]
- Longton J. A look at violence in the workplace against psychiatric aides and psychiatric technicians. Monthly Labor Review. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Published 2015. Accessed October 2026. https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2015/article/a-look-at-violence-in-the-workplace-against-psychiatric-aides-and-psychiatric-technicians.htm [Link]
- Staggs VS. Injurious assault rates on inpatient psychiatric units: associations with staffing by registered nurses and other nursing personnel. Psychiatric Services. 2015;66(11):1162-1166. Published 2015. Accessed October 2026. https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.201400453 [Link]
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 42 CFR 482.13: Condition of participation: patient's rights. National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed October 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-482/subpart-B/section-482.13 [Link]
- Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations. Nursing applications and forms: psychiatric technician. Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. Accessed October 2026. https://dpo.colorado.gov/Nursing/Applications [Link]
- Kansas State Board of Nursing. Licensed mental health technicians. State of Kansas. Accessed October 2026. https://ksbn.kansas.gov/lmht/ [Link]
- Arkansas State Board of Nursing. Licensure by endorsement. Arkansas Department of Health. Published 2025. Accessed October 2026. https://healthy.arkansas.gov/boards-commissions/boards/nursing-arkansas-state-board/licensing/endorsement/ [Link]
- Staggs VS. Trends, victims, and injuries in injurious patient assaults on adult, geriatric, and child/adolescent psychiatric units in US hospitals, 2007-2013. Research in Nursing & Health. 2015;38(2):115-120. Published 2015. Accessed October 2026. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/nur.21647 [Link]