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Psychiatric Aides

Occupation · SOC 31-1133.00

Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff. May assist with daily living activities, lead patients in educational and recreational activities, or accompany patients to and from examinations and treatments. May restrain violent patients. Includes psychiatric orderlies.

Also called: Mental Health Worker (MHW) · Psychiatric Aide · Residential Care Tech (Residential Care Technician) · Therapeutic Program Worker (TPW) · Developmental Aide · Mental Health Aide (MHA) · Psychiatric Assistant · Psychiatric Nursing Aide · Qualified Medication Aide (QMA) · Resident Care Technician (Resident Care Tech) · BHA (Behavioral Health Aide) · BHA (Behavioral Health Associate)

Job family: Healthcare Support Occupations

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A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch /roles/role-31-1133-00/context.md directly.

AI work map

A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.

14th-percentile task overlap — yet about 5,300 openings a year (-0.4% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

Measure Rank vs all occupations Percentile Score
LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low 17th 0.1
AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low 17th 0.1

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.1), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.1). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

How AI is actually used in this job

Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.

Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients. 0.2%
Complete administrative tasks, such as entering orders into computer, answering telephone calls, or maintaining medical or facility information. 0.2%

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

Outlook Declining · -0.4% by 2034
Projected annual openings 5,300
Employment 2024 → 2034 38,500 → 38,300

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Tasks

All 17 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

Work activities

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Knowledge

Psychology 4.0
Customer and Personal Service 3.6
Therapy and Counseling 3.1
English Language 3.1
Administrative 3.0
Sociology and Anthropology 3.0

Abilities

Oral Expression 4.0
Oral Comprehension 3.9
Problem Sensitivity 3.9
Written Comprehension 3.8
Deductive Reasoning 3.6
Inductive Reasoning 3.5
Speech Clarity 3.5
Speech Recognition 3.4
Information Ordering 3.3
Written Expression 3.1
Selective Attention 3.1
Near Vision 3.1
Far Vision 3.1
Category Flexibility 3.0
Flexibility of Closure 3.0
Perceptual Speed 3.0
Trunk Strength 3.0
Auditory Attention 3.0

Essential skills

Speaking 3.9
Active Listening 3.8
Monitoring 3.8
Critical Thinking 3.4
Active Learning 3.3
Reading Comprehension 3.1
Writing 3.1
Learning Strategies 2.9

Transferable skills

Social Perceptiveness 3.9
Service Orientation 3.9
Coordination 3.3
Instructing 3.1
Complex Problem Solving 3.1
Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
Persuasion 3.0
Negotiation 3.0

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

Tools & technology

Example Category
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software Hot technology
Microsoft Office software Office suite software Hot technology
Microsoft Outlook Electronic mail software Hot technology
Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation software Hot technology
Microsoft Windows Operating system software Hot technology
Microsoft Word Word processing software Hot technology
Email software Electronic mail software
Patient management software Medical software

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

Contact With Others 4.8
Physical Proximity 4.5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team 4.5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams 4.5
Exposed to Disease or Infections 4.2
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People 4.1
Conflict Situations 4.1
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities 4.0
E-Mail 3.9
Health and Safety of Other Workers 3.9
Consequence of Error 3.8
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled 3.8
Telephone Conversations 3.8
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals 3.8
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate 3.7
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks 3.7
Time Pressure 3.7
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People 3.7
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets 3.7
Freedom to Make Decisions 3.6
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results 3.6
Frequency of Decision Making 3.5
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable 3.4
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers 3.4
Spend Time Standing 3.2
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General 3.2
Spend Time Walking or Running 3.1
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body 3.1
Written Letters and Memos 3.1
Spend Time Sitting 3.0
Exposed to Contaminants 3.0
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions 2.9
Public Speaking 2.8
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions 2.8
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls 2.8
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment 2.6
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions 2.3
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings 2.0
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection 2.0
Level of Competition 1.9

How to get in

Job zone
Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Education
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
Related experience
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Preparation level
SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Health Professions and Related Programs . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Education of current workers

Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.

Some College Courses 45.7%
High School Diploma 24.2%
Post-Secondary Certificate 16.5%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) 9.6%
Bachelor's Degree 4.1%

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Work styles

Dependability 9.0
Integrity 8.0
Cooperation 7.0
Social Orientation 6.0
Self-Control 5.0
Stress Tolerance 4.0
Empathy 3.0

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Social 6.8
Investigative 4.0
Conventional 3.7
Realistic 3.4

Interest areas

Social Service 6.5
Health Care Service 5.9
Social Science 3.9
Personal Service 3.5
Protective Service 2.7

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

$31k10th$36k25th$42kMedian$49k75th$59k90th
Annual wages by percentile — U.S. (BLS OEWS). The light band spans the 10th–90th percentile; the darker band is the middle half (25th–75th); the line is the median.
39k202438k2034 (proj.)-0.4% · Declining
Projected U.S. employment, 2024–2034 (BLS Employment Projections). A labor-market forecast for the occupation, not an AI-impact forecast.
10th percentile $30,920
25th percentile $35,930
Median (50th) $41,590
75th percentile $48,770
90th percentile $58,530
People employed 34,900

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Industry Workers National median pay
Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector 26,780 $41,910
Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities · National industry 2,600 $37,850
Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers · National industry 860 $38,080
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities · National industry 670 $35,810
Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists · National industry 650 $39,520
Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) · National industry 610 $47,450
Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities · National industry 270 $45,810
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector 230 $37,250
Temporary Help Services · National industry 230 $37,250
Educational Services · Sector — $77,810

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Industry Concentration Workers
Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities · National industry 44.4× 2,600
Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers · National industry 12.27× 860
Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) · National industry 11.14× 610
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities · National industry 7.6× 670
Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists · National industry 6.03× 650
Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector 5.12× 26,780
Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities · National industry 0.49× 270
Temporary Help Services · National industry 0.38× 230

Part of the Healthcare & Human Services career cluster.

Exposure quadrant: AI task-overlap percentile vs Median pay Psychiatric Aides sits at the 14th percentile of AI task-overlap and the 16th percentile of median pay, placed here against 11 adjacent occupations on the same two axes. Lower overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · lower pay Lower overlap · lower pay Psychiatric Aides Nursing Assistants Physical Therapist Aides Occupational Therapy Aides Physical Therapist Assistants Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Occupational Therapy Assistants Medical Assistants Registered Nurses Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers AI task-overlap percentile → ↑ Median pay
AI task-overlap percentile (horizontal) vs. median-pay percentile (vertical), across all scored occupations. This occupation is highlighted; related occupations are plotted alongside it. Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation.

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Psychiatric Aides — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Skills that travel

Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.

Adjacent roles

Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.

Paths in

How people typically prepare for this work.

Zoom out

See where this work sits in the bigger picture.

Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation

Psychiatric Aides show 14th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 5,300 annual U.S. openings

  • Psychiatric Aides rank in the 14th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
  • The occupation is projected to see about 5,300 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
  • BLS projects employment to be declining (-0.4%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
  • Median annual pay is $41,590, across about 34,900 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Psychiatric Aides show 14th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 5,300 annual U.S. openings

• Psychiatric Aides rank in the 14th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE)
• The occupation is projected to see about 5,300 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34)
• BLS projects employment to be declining (-0.4%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34)
• Median annual pay is $41,590, across about 34,900 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024))

Source: Singulariki — "Psychiatric Aides". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-31-1133-00
Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom

Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Psychiatric Aides." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-31-1133-00

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Psychiatric Aides. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-31-1133-00

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-role-31-1133-00,
  title  = {Psychiatric Aides},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-31-1133-00}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.

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