Psychiatric Aides Salary
The median pay for a psychiatric aides in Trenton-Princeton, NJ is $60,110/year ($28.9/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.18), that's roughly $58,257 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,950/month, about 49.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Trenton-Princeton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.18). 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
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What this looks like in Trenton-Princeton
Trenton-Princeton sits well above the national pay line for psychiatric aides, local pay runs about 34% higher than the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,950/month, which is 48.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.18) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for psychiatric aides in metros near Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $50K | $44K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $49K | $47K |
| Pittsburgh | $45K | $47K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $50K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level psychiatric aides (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $29K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Trenton-Princeton numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a psychiatric aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 48.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for psychiatric aides in Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new psychiatric aides typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,723/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Local pay is 34% above the national median — $60K here vs. $45K nationally.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for psychiatric aides?
Trenton-Princeton pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +34%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do psychiatric aides make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $60,110 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,390, and experienced psychiatric aides can clear $74,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,042/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 48.2% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 103.18 (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 $58,257 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.