Psychiatric Assistant Salary in the United States

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

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Psychiatric Assistant in the United States is $113,792 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): $126,605
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $107,123 to $120,499
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $101,051
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View as table View as graph 25% $107,123 10% $101,051 90% $126,605 75% $120,499 $113,792 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Psychiatric Assistant Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $120,499 $10,042 $2,317 $58
Average $113,792 $9,483 $2,188 $55
25th Percentile $107,123 $8,927 $2,060 $52
Check out Psychiatric Assistant Job Openings in the United States
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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): $113,144
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $113,607
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $114,255
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $115,399
  • Expert (over 8 years): $117,569
Levels Salary
Entry Level Psychiatric Assistant$113,144
Intermediate Level Psychiatric Assistant$113,607
Senior Level Psychiatric Assistant$114,255
Specialist Level Psychiatric Assistant$115,399
Expert Level Psychiatric Assistant$117,569
$113,144 0 yr
$113,607 < 2 yrs
$114,255 2-4 yrs
$115,399 5-8 yrs
$117,569 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

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: $143,526
  • San Francisco: $141,954
  • Oakland: $138,963

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.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Collaboration 5.91%
CPR 2.5%
Long Term Care 1.79%
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
$119,482
5%
Clinical Services
$117,206
3%
Clinical Care
$117,206
3%
Assessment And Evaluation
$117,206
3%
Care Management
$117,206
3%
Clinical Assessments
$116,068
2%
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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$125,171$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 July 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Psychiatric Assistant

Salaries for a Psychiatric Assistant can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $228,861 in 2023 to around $223,727 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Psychiatric Assistant salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Psychiatric Assistant Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$228,861
2024
$234,297
2025
$223,727
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $228,861
2024 $234,297
2025 $223,727
2026
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2027
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Most common benefits for Psychiatric Assistant

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Psychiatric Assistant

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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.)

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