Psychiatric Technicians Salary
The median pay for a psychiatric technicians in Reading, PA is $36,990/year ($17.78/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.06), that's roughly $38,110 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,575/month, about 61.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Reading?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Reading’s Regional Price Parity (97.06). 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 Reading
Pay for psychiatric technicians in Reading runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,575/month, which is 61.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.06) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Reading, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $47K | $46K |
| Pittsburgh | $41K | $44K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $45K | $48K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $42K | $42K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Reading, PA
Entry-level psychiatric technicians (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $12K 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 Reading numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a psychiatric technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Reading?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 61.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,575/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for psychiatric technicians in Reading?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new psychiatric technicians typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,110/month. At HUD’s $1,575/month FMR, rent would take 75% 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 Reading?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $37K here vs. $45K nationally.
How does Reading compare to the national average for psychiatric technicians?
Reading pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do psychiatric technicians make in Reading, PA?
The median is $36,990 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,170, and experienced psychiatric technicians can clear $47,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Reading?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,552/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,575/month, which eats 61.7% 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 Reading?
Reading has a Regional Price Parity of 97.06 (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 $38,110 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.