Psychiatric Technicians Salary in Phoenix, AZ (2024)
Psychiatric Technicians in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area earn a median of $44,580 per year ($21.44 per hour) based on 6,000 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +4.7% against the national median of $42,590 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where psychiatric technicians actually sit across the pay range in Phoenix, AZ, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.81 | $34,960 | |
| 25th percentile | $18.59 | $38,670 | |
| Median | $21.44 | $44,580 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $22.86 | $47,540 | |
| 90th percentile | $25.28 | $52,590 | |
| Average (mean) | $21.26 | $44,220 |
How Phoenix, AZ compares
The local median of $44,580 runs +4.7% above the US median of $42,590 for this occupation; it pays 10.6% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($49,840); within the metro it ranks 496th of 637 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ — this occupation | $44,580 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $42,590 | +4.7% |
| Phoenix, AZ — all occupations | $49,840 | -10.6% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $71,330 | -37.5% |
Phoenix, AZ has an unusually deep bench in this occupation — the location quotient of 2.90 means the job is roughly 290% as common here as it is nationally, which usually reflects a specialised local industry cluster.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.2%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 496th of 637 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Phoenix, AZ
To put $44,580 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 496th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatricians, General | $227,410 | 780 |
| Dentists, General | $211,260 | 2,160 |
| Physicists | $206,070 | 60 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $198,800 | 1,990 |
| Sales Engineers | $169,560 | 1,130 |
| Chief Executives | $164,980 | 2,160 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $163,970 | 11,700 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $163,220 | 3,200 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $163,100 | 210 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $156,020 | 220 |
Where psychiatric technicians earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $38,690 to $71,330. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $71,330 | 880 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $70,370 | 750 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $59,150 | 2,580 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $55,530 | 2,570 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $55,020 | 1,010 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $50,950 | 1,290 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $50,390 | 440 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $48,910 | 1,530 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $48,320 | 840 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $47,890 | 4,870 |
See the full national picture on the Psychiatric Technicians salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for psychiatric technicians in Phoenix, AZ?
The median annual wage is $44,580, or $21 per hour. That means half of the psychiatric technicians working in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $44,220.
What do the highest and lowest paid psychiatric technicians in Phoenix, AZ earn?
The bottom 10% earn $34,960 or less, while the top 10% earn $52,590 or more — a spread of $17,630 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $38,670 and $47,540.
Is psychiatric technicians pay in Phoenix, AZ above the local average?
Yes, it is 10.6% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $49,840. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Phoenix, AZ pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $44,580 the metro median is 4.7% higher than the US median of $42,590 for psychiatric technicians. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $38,690 to $71,330.
How many psychiatric technicians work in Phoenix, AZ?
BLS counts about 6,000 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 2.56 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. Phoenix, AZ has an unusually deep bench in this occupation — the location quotient of 2.90 means the job is roughly 290% as common here as it is nationally, which usually reflects a specialised local industry cluster.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 8.2%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.