Psychiatric Technicians Salary
The median pay for a psychiatric technicians in Wheeling, WV-OH is $29,430/year ($14.15/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.32), which stretches that salary to about $33,322 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $991/month, about 47.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Wheeling?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wheeling’s Regional Price Parity (88.32). 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 Wheeling
Pay for psychiatric technicians in Wheeling runs about 35% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $991/month, which is 47.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.32 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 Wheeling, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington-Ashland | $35K | $39K |
| Charleston | $35K | $40K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $47K | $46K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $47K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wheeling, WV-OH
Entry-level psychiatric technicians (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. 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
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 Wheeling numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a psychiatric technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wheeling?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 47.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $991/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for psychiatric technicians in Wheeling?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new psychiatric technicians typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,766/month. At HUD’s $991/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Wheeling?
Local pay runs 35% below the national median — $29K here vs. $45K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Wheeling compare to the national average for psychiatric technicians?
Wheeling pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -35%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.32), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do psychiatric technicians make in Wheeling, WV-OH?
The median is $29,430 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,430, and experienced psychiatric technicians can clear $37,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Wheeling?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,068/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $991/month, which eats 47.9% 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 Wheeling?
Wheeling has a Regional Price Parity of 88.32 (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 $33,322 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.
