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Psychiatric Assistant Salary in the United States

How much does a Psychiatric Assistant make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Psychiatric Assistant in the United States is $113,786 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $55.

However, a Psychiatric Assistant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $126,594
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $107,125 to $120,490
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $101,061
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Psychiatric Assistant Salaries

A Psychiatric Assistant's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Psychiatric Assistant Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Psychiatric Assistant's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $113,139
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $113,601
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $114,249
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $115,391
  • Expert (over 8 years): $117,561
Levels Salary
Entry Level Psychiatric Assistant$113,139
Intermediate Level Psychiatric Assistant$113,601
Senior Level Psychiatric Assistant$114,249
Specialist Level Psychiatric Assistant$115,391
Expert Level Psychiatric Assistant$117,561
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How Do Psychiatric Assistant Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Psychiatric Assistants. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $125,984.
  • California: $125,506.
  • Massachusetts: $123,833.

Top Paying Cities for Psychiatric Assistants

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $143,518
  • San Francisco: $141,947
  • Oakland: $138,955

What Skills Can Increase a Psychiatric Assistant's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Collaboration (Mentioned in 5.91% Job Postings): Works cooperatively and shares ideas with coworkers and managers to achieve common goals and objectives.
  • CPR (Mentioned in 2.5% Job Postings): Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combines rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth) and chest compressions to temporarily pump enough blood to the brain until specialized treatment is available.
  • Long Term Care (Mentioned in 1.79% Job Postings): Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long term care is focused on individualized and coordinated services that promote independence, maximize patients' quality of life, and meet patients' needs over a period of time. It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like dressing, feeding, using the bathroom. Increasingly, long-term care involves providing a level of medical care that requires the expertise of skilled practitioners to address the multiple chronic conditions associated with older populations. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes. Long-term care may be needed by people of any age, although it is a more common need for senior citizens.
Skills Demand Percentage
Collaboration 5.91%
CPR 2.5%
Long Term Care 1.79%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Psychiatric Assistant's salary.

  • Palliative Care: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Clinical Services: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Clinical Care: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Palliative Care $119,475
5%
Clinical Services $117,200
3%
Clinical Care $117,200
3%
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Psychiatric Assistant Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Psychiatric Assistant roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 25% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 10% above the average. Conversely, Psychiatric Assistant positions in Edu., Government & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Psychiatric Assistant as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Psychiatric Assistant

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$125,165$60.010%

Psychiatric Assistant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Psychiatric Assistant's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$107,125
Average $113,786/year
$120,490
$8,927
Average $9,482/month
$10,041
$2,060
Average $2,188/week
$2,317
$52
Average $55/hour
$58
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $120,490 $10,041 $2,317 $58
Average $113,786 $9,482 $2,188 $55
25th Percentile $107,125 $8,927 $2,060 $52

Most common benefits for Psychiatric Assistant

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Psychiatric Assistant

Here are companies hiring for Psychiatric Assistant and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Psychiatric Assistant

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Psychiatric Assistant?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Psychiatric Assistant roles, with salaries approximately 10% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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