Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician maps to BLS occupations averaging about $147,962, with roughly 3,527,750 workers nationwide in those roles. About 764 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median in-state published tuition is about $5,545.
Key Statistics
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician: what the data shows
Common questions about psychiatric/mental health services technician degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a psychiatric/mental health services technician degree?
A Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician program is classified under NCES CIP 51.1502 in the Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions field family (51.15).
A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and other mental health care professionals, to provide direct patient care services, assist in developing and implementing treatment plans, administer medications, and perform related administrative functions. Includes instruction in mental health theory, applied psychopathology, patient communication and management, crisis intervention, psychotropic medication, mental health treatment procedures, substance abuse, record-keeping, clinical administrative skills, and applicable standards and regulations
IPEDS counted 764 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of psychiatric/mental health services technician degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 51.15 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling (CIP 51.1506)
- Clinical/Medical Social Work (CIP 51.1503)
- Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling (CIP 51.1504)
- Genetic Counseling/Counselor (CIP 51.1509)
- Hospice and Palliative Care (CIP 51.1512)
- Infant/Toddler Mental Health Services (CIP 51.1510)
- Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling (CIP 51.1505)
- Medical Family Therapy/Therapist (CIP 51.1511)
- Mental Health Counseling/Counselor (CIP 51.1508)
- Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (CIP 51.1507)
- Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling (CIP 51.1501)
- Trauma Counseling (CIP 51.1513)
How long does it take to get a psychiatric/mental health services technician degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.1502 in our file:
- 1,013 Associate (56.8% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 764 Bachelor's (42.8% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 6 Master's (0.3% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Registered Nurses (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a psychiatric/mental health services technician degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,282,010 | $93,600 |
| Mental Health Counselors | — | — |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | 125,910 | $60,060 |
| Psychiatric Aides | 34,900 | $41,590 |
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a psychiatric/mental health services technician degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions bachelor's program family: median debt $24,199, median earnings $52,119 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.61.
About 5.3% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $5,545 and median net price is $13,381.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$5,545 Median In-State Public
$35,056 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician majors are, on average, $5,545 for in-state public colleges, and $35,056 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 3 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 4 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | 85,991 |
| 5 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tohono O'odham Community College | AZ | $932 |
| 2 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Woodland Community College | CA | $1,124 |
| 4 | Woodland Community College | CA | $1,124 |
| 5 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 2 | Fort Peck Community College | MT | $400 |
| 3 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 4 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 5 | Piedmont Community College | NC | $1,095 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician is in AZ (572 completions). That state represents about 74.9% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is AZ (0.41% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ | 572 | 74.9% | 0.41% |
| AL | 111 | 14.5% | 0.16% |
| ME | 61 | 8.0% | 0.36% |
| AK | 8 | 1.1% | 0.29% |
| WV | 8 | 1.1% | 0.02% |
| FL | 4 | 0.5% | 0.00% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 51.15 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling CIP 51.1506
- Clinical/Medical Social Work CIP 51.1503
- Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling CIP 51.1504
- Genetic Counseling/Counselor CIP 51.1509
- Hospice and Palliative Care CIP 51.1512
- Infant/Toddler Mental Health Services CIP 51.1510
- Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling CIP 51.1505
- Medical Family Therapy/Therapist CIP 51.1511
- Mental Health Counseling/Counselor CIP 51.1508
- Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy CIP 51.1507
- Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling CIP 51.1501
- Trauma Counseling CIP 51.1513
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.1502 in the survey year used in our extract (1,783 total across levels below).
- 1,013 Associate (56.8% of IPEDS total)
- 764 Bachelor's (42.8% of IPEDS total)
- 6 Master's (0.3% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $147,962. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $152,361 | 3,282,010 |
| Mental Health Counselors | — | — |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $85,369 | 125,910 |
| Psychiatric Aides | $51,699 | 34,900 |
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $110,339 | 84,930 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions CIP family (18 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician graduate.
- $24,199 median federal loan debt among completers
- $52,119 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 5.3% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$147,962 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician majors is $147,962.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician majors.
Occupations by Share
3,527,750 2023 Workforce
The number of Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician.
Age distribution for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
764 Total Degrees Awarded
101 Male (13.22%)
663 Female (86.78%)
Gender distribution of Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
432 White (56.54%)
142 Hispanic or Latino (18.59%)
120 Black or African American (15.71%)
29 Two or More Races (3.80%)
7 American Indian/Alaska Native (0.92%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and other mental health care professionals, to provide direct patient care services, assist in developing and implementing treatment plans, administer medications, and perform related administrative functions. Includes instruction in mental health theory, applied psychopathology, patient communication and management, crisis intervention, psychotropic medication, mental health treatment procedures, substance abuse, record-keeping, clinical administrative skills, and applicable standards and regulations
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician.
CIP Code
51.1502 - Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $24,199 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $52,119, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician graduate.
Women earned 82.5% of 2,601 Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $147,962. The largest mapped role by headcount is Registered Nurses (3,282,010 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $5,545 in-state at public colleges and $35,056 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.