Psychiatric Aides Salary
The median pay for a psychiatric aides in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is $45,660/year ($21.95/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $43,312 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 61% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $46K actually covers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About psychiatric aides
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Psychiatric aides pay in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,922/month, which is 65.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for psychiatric aides in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Salem | $51K | $49K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $50K | $49K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $47K | $41K |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $53K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level psychiatric aides (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Psychiatric Aides pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Psychiatric Aides salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $55K | +23% | 620 |
| Washington | $53K | +17% | 330 |
| Hawaii | $52K | +16% | 30 |
| Maryland | $51K | +15% | 250 |
| Nevada | $51K | +14% | 220 |
| Rhode Island | $51K | +14% | 130 |
| New York | $50K | +12% | 5,120 |
| Alaska | $49K | +10% | 190 |
| Illinois | $49K | +8% | 120 |
| Oregon | $48K | +8% | 1,550 |
| Vermont | $48K | +7% | 330 |
| California | $48K | +6% | 3,760 |
| Maine | $47K | +4% | 110 |
| Montana | $46K | +3% | 330 |
| Colorado | $46K | +3% | 300 |
| Michigan | $46K | +2% | 1,410 |
| New Jersey | $46K | +2% | 2,060 |
| Massachusetts | $45K | +1% | 950 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | +0% | N/A |
| Indiana | $45K | -0% | 1,930 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | -0% | 1,620 |
| Connecticut | $45K | -1% | 520 |
| Texas | $43K | -5% | 1,760 |
| Utah | $41K | -9% | 130 |
| Missouri | $40K | -11% | 110 |
| Iowa | $39K | -13% | 400 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -14% | 250 |
| Ohio | $38K | -14% | 980 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -14% | N/A |
| Kansas | $38K | -15% | 580 |
| Florida | $38K | -16% | 2,210 |
| West Virginia | $38K | -16% | 220 |
| Virginia | $37K | -17% | N/A |
| Georgia | $37K | -18% | 1,090 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -19% | 200 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -19% | 490 |
| Mississippi | $31K | -32% | 2,490 |
| Louisiana | $30K | -33% | 280 |
| Alabama | $27K | -40% | 790 |
Showing 1–10 of 39 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track psychiatric aides salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a psychiatric aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 65.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for psychiatric aides in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new psychiatric aides typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,699/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 71% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is psychiatric aide a high-paying job in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for psychiatric aides?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do psychiatric aides make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $45,660 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,650, and experienced psychiatric aides can clear $57,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,938/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 65.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a psychiatric aides salary go in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median psychiatric aides salary is worth about $43,312 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do psychiatric aides get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.