Psychiatric Technicians vs Registered Nurses
Median pay is about $52k higher for Registered Nurses. The usual entry education is postsecondary cert for Psychiatric Technicians and associate's or Bachelor's plus license for Registered Nurses.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Psychiatric Technicians | Registered Nurses |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $45,130 | $97,550, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $38,430 | $80,330, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $50,160 | $112,350, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +22% Growing fast, higher | +5.6% Growing fast |
| Openings a year | 17,000 | 180,800 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Postsecondary cert | Associate's or Bachelor's plus license |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.4 / 5 | 3 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 3rd pct | 73rd pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Psychiatric Technicians
- Writing
Only Registered Nurses
- Active Learning
Both lean on active listening, monitoring, speaking, reading comprehension, critical thinking.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.