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Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses vs Psychiatric Technicians: what changes?

Consider Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses if you want to care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. Consider Psychiatric Technicians if you would rather care for individuals with mental or emotional conditions or disabilities, following the instructions of physicians or other health practitioners. Both list postsecondary nondegree award; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Psychiatric Technicians (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses and Psychiatric Technicians. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

National median pay (2025)
$64,400
Route into the job
Postsecondary nondegree award
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
51,800
Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses brief

Psychiatric Technicians

National median pay (2025)
$45,130
Route into the job
Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing
One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Provide nursing, psychiatric, or personal care to patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
17,000
Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Psychiatric Technicians brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Psychiatric Technicians has the edge on projected growth

Psychiatric Technicians is at 22.3% projected growth, compared with 3% projected growth for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses.

2

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses has the edge on median pay

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses is at $64,400, compared with $45,130 for Psychiatric Technicians.

3

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses has the edge on annual openings

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses is at 51,800 annual openings, compared with 17,000 annual openings for Psychiatric Technicians.

63.8/ 100

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

vs
60.1/ 100

Psychiatric Technicians

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses vs Psychiatric Technicians

DimensionLicensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPsychiatric Technicians
Median pay (2025)$64,400$45,130
Pay percentile56 percentile18.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)3%22.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)51,80017,000
2025 employment666,900161,500
How you qualifyPostsecondary nondegree awardPostsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 3Job Zone 3
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses briefRead Psychiatric Technicians brief

Try another comparison

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses vs Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
$64,400 · 3% growth
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
$45,570 · 21.4% growth
Compare careers →

Psychiatric Technicians vs Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Psychiatric Technicians
$45,130 · 22.3% growth
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
$45,570 · 21.4% growth
Compare careers →
ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.