Psychiatric Technicians Salary
The median pay for a psychiatric technicians in Lake Charles, LA is $34,550/year ($16.61/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $40,245 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,217/month, about 51.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.85). 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 technicians
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What this looks like in Lake Charles
Pay for psychiatric technicians in Lake Charles runs about 23% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,217/month, which is 50.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for psychiatric technicianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for psychiatric technicians in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $32K | $35K |
| Lafayette | $30K | $35K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $36K | $39K |
| Alexandria | $29K | $34K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level psychiatric technicians (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $8K spread from bottom to top.
Psychiatric Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Psychiatric Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $67K | +49% | 380 |
| Oregon | $60K | +33% | 1,250 |
| New York | $58K | +29% | 2,040 |
| Nebraska | $57K | +27% | 1,390 |
| Connecticut | $56K | +23% | 1,040 |
| Hawaii | $55K | +22% | 2,060 |
| New Jersey | $54K | +20% | 2,520 |
| Washington | $52K | +16% | 1,920 |
| Massachusetts | $52K | +15% | 5,340 |
| Alaska | $52K | +14% | 340 |
| California | $49K | +9% | 14,100 |
| Rhode Island | $49K | +8% | 990 |
| Virginia | $48K | +7% | 3,950 |
| Vermont | $48K | +5% | 600 |
| Colorado | $47K | +5% | 1,740 |
| Nevada | $46K | +3% | 2,060 |
| Georgia | $46K | +2% | 5,560 |
| Illinois | $46K | +2% | 9,410 |
| Missouri | $46K | +2% | 4,450 |
| Arizona | $46K | +1% | 8,160 |
| Maryland | $46K | +1% | 680 |
| Maine | $45K | +0% | 620 |
| New Hampshire | $45K | -1% | 260 |
| Pennsylvania | $44K | -3% | 10,340 |
| Kansas | $44K | -3% | 1,670 |
| Florida | $44K | -3% | 12,710 |
| Michigan | $43K | -4% | 4,850 |
| Iowa | $43K | -5% | 690 |
| Idaho | $41K | -8% | 780 |
| South Carolina | $41K | -9% | 560 |
| Indiana | $41K | -9% | 6,790 |
| Utah | $41K | -10% | 1,940 |
| North Carolina | $41K | -10% | 5,950 |
| Kentucky | $40K | -11% | 910 |
| Minnesota | $40K | -11% | 3,550 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | -11% | 4,430 |
| Texas | $40K | -11% | 11,350 |
| North Dakota | $40K | -11% | 270 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -12% | 3,810 |
| Montana | $39K | -13% | 310 |
| Ohio | $39K | -13% | 3,950 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -13% | 820 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -14% | 660 |
| Delaware | $38K | -15% | 350 |
| Alabama | $37K | -19% | 3,290 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -20% | 1,900 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -22% | 930 |
| West Virginia | $34K | -24% | 770 |
| Louisiana | $31K | -30% | 2,420 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track psychiatric technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a psychiatric technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 50.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for psychiatric technicians in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new psychiatric technicians typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,790/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 68% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is psychiatric technician a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Local pay runs 23% below the national median — $35K here vs. $45K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for psychiatric technicians?
Lake Charles pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do psychiatric technicians make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $34,550 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,840, and experienced psychiatric technicians can clear $37,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,400/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 50.7% 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 technicians salary go in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 85.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median psychiatric technicians salary is worth about $40,245 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do psychiatric technicians 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.