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.
Psychiatric aides assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff. The role reports a median annual salary of $41,590 in the US and is projected to decline by 40% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows low AI exposure (0.30 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Speaking, Monitoring, Active Listening.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £29,084 a year for Nursing auxiliaries and assistants (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £25,189 to £33,294 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 6131). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Service and sales workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Psychiatric aides, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 5. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Administrative
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Psychiatric aides do?
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.
How much does Psychiatric aides earn?
The median annual salary for Psychiatric aides in the US is $41,590.
What is the job outlook for Psychiatric aides?
The role is projected to decline by 40% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 38,500 workers.
How do I become psychiatric aides?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Psychiatric aides need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Speaking, Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Psychiatric aides?
Our AI-durability model gives Psychiatric aides a score of 0.30 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Psychiatric aides has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.