Occupational Therapist vs Psychiatric Technicians: $100K vs $45K Median Pay

Occupational Therapist vs Psychiatric Technicians: what changes?

Consider Occupational Therapist if you want to assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental…. 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. Entry credentials differ: Occupational Therapist, master's degree; Psychiatric Technicians, postsecondary nondegree award. 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 Occupational Therapist 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

Occupational Therapist

National median pay (2025): $100,330
Route into the job: Master's degree
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: Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 10,000

Know before you choose

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

See the full Occupational Therapist 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

How the national numbers differ

Occupational Therapist has the edge on median pay

Occupational Therapist is at $100,330, compared with $45,130 for Psychiatric Technicians.

Typical preparation differs.

Occupational Therapist: Master's degree Psychiatric Technicians: 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 Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Psychiatric Technicians has the edge on annual openings

Psychiatric Technicians is at 17,000 annual openings, compared with 10,000 annual openings for Occupational Therapist.

Psychiatric Technicians has the edge on projected growth

Psychiatric Technicians is at 22.3% projected growth, compared with 14.8% projected growth for Occupational Therapist.

69.8/ 100

Occupational Therapist

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

Occupational Therapist vs Psychiatric Technicians

Dimension	Occupational Therapist	Psychiatric Technicians
Median pay (2025)	$100,330	$45,130
Pay percentile	82.9 percentile	18.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	14.8%	22.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	10,000	17,000
2025 employment	169,600	161,500
How you qualify	Master's degree	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
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job training	BLS 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 Occupational Therapist brief Read Psychiatric Technicians brief

Occupational Therapist vs Psychiatric Technicians: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Occupational Therapist

Psychiatric Technicians

How the national numbers differ

Occupational Therapist has the edge on median pay

Typical preparation differs.

Psychiatric Technicians has the edge on annual openings

Psychiatric Technicians has the edge on projected growth

Occupational Therapist vs Psychiatric Technicians

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