Psychiatric Aides
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.
- Median pay
- $44,910
- Doing it now
- 36,900
- By 2035
- Up 1.9%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
4,900 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Provide patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities with routine physical, emotional, psychological, or rehabilitation care under the direction of nursing or medical staff.
- Work as part of a team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, or social workers.
- Aid patients in becoming accustomed to hospital routines.
- Organize, supervise, or encourage patient participation in social, educational, or recreational activities.
- Serve meals or feed patients needing assistance or persuasion.
- Restrain or aid patients as necessary to prevent injury.
- Provide patients with assistance in bathing, dressing, or grooming, demonstrating these skills as necessary.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsSee 138 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Helping and teaching
Analytical and curious
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $44,910 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.