The median Mental Health Technician salary is $21.00 per hour, or $43,680 per year, based on 629 job postings across 58 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$21.00
Median hourly
$43,680
Annual salary
$17-$31
Pay range
58
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Mental Health Technician earns $21.00/hr, with most posted roles landing between $19.50 and $24.00/hr.
Recent posted pay is steady, with the last 30 days showing 0% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Tacoma, WASHINGTON is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Georgetown, TEXAS sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
0%
Current median: $21.00/hr
Prior period: $21.00/hr
Job openings
+34.4%
176 recent postings
Previous period: 131 postings
Daily pay signal
$22.50/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Mental Health Technician postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is holding steady across recent listings at about $21.00/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$16.50
$34,320/yr
Median
$21.00
$43,680/yr
Top earners
$31.00
$64,480/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $21.00/hr | 158 |
Mar 2026 | $21.00/hr | 149 |
Feb 2026 | $22.00/hr | 58 |
Jan 2026 | $23.00/hr | 43 |
Dec 2025 | $21.00/hr | 161 |
Nov 2025 | $22.50/hr | 60 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
Estimated from national data
~$22.04
—
Estimated from national data
~$20.21
—
Estimated from national data
~$22.87
—
5 postings · 3 companies
$18.00
$18-$21
105 postings · 21 companies
$24.00
$21-$27
30 postings · 11 companies
$20.50
$19-$22
Estimated from national data
~$18.23
—
5 postings · 2 companies
$19.00
$18-$20
Estimated from national data
~$18.60
—
15 postings · 8 companies
$16.50
$16-$18
6 postings · 2 companies
$16.00
$16-$16
Estimated from national data
~$20.39
—
Estimated from national data
~$22.39
—
36 postings · 9 companies
$21.50
$20-$24
15 postings · 6 companies
$17.00
$17-$18
5 postings · 2 companies
$19.50
$20-$20
5 postings · 3 companies
$19.50
$20-$21
Estimated from national data
~$21.97
—
5 postings · 5 companies
$13.00
$12-$15
Estimated from national data
~$18.92
—
7 postings · 6 companies
$20.00
$20-$22
25 postings · 7 companies
$23.50
$23-$25
Estimated from national data
~$17.93
—
11 postings · 4 companies
$21.00
$21-$21
Estimated from national data
~$17.74
—
Estimated from national data
~$19.17
—
Estimated from national data
~$19.50
—
10 postings · 2 companies
$19.50
$20-$20
5 postings · 4 companies
$19.00
$18-$19
Estimated from national data
~$21.02
—
15 postings · 6 companies
$21.00
$19-$22
Estimated from national data
~$23.14
—
27 postings · 7 companies
$22.00
$20-$28
8 postings · 4 companies
$20.00
$19-$21
6 postings · 5 companies
$16.50
$16-$17
8 postings · 5 companies
$18.50
$18-$19
10 postings · 4 companies
$15.00
$15-$15
7 postings · 4 companies
$30.00
$28-$31
21 postings · 9 companies
$21.00
$20-$22
Estimated from national data
~$20.02
—
Estimated from national data
~$22.49
—
Estimated from national data
~$20.32
—
Estimated from national data
~$18.30
—
28 postings · 5 companies
$17.00
$17-$18
Estimated from national data
~$21.63
—
6 postings · 0 companies
$28.00
$28-$28
32 postings · 6 companies
$21.00
$20-$21
51 postings · 12 companies
$31.00
$26-$34
Estimated from national data
~$20.41
—
10 postings · 7 companies
$20.00
$18-$24
Estimated from national data
~$21.90
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Mental Health Technician salaries.
Tacoma
Washington · 10 postings
$34.25/hr
Seattle
Washington · 11 postings
$31.00/hr
Northridge
California · 10 postings
$26.00/hr
Portland
Or · 16 postings
$23.00/hr
Vienna
Virginia · 15 postings
$21.00/hr
Georgetown
Texas · 10 postings
$17.50/hr
Waukegan
Illinois · 13 postings
$20.00/hr
Colorado Springs
Colorado · 12 postings
$20.50/hr
San Juan Capistrano
California · 11 postings
$21.00/hr
Vienna
Virginia · 15 postings
$21.00/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Mental Health Technician positions.
Kaiser Permanente
22 postings
$48.24/hr
Multicare Health System
27 postings
$33.50/hr
Richmond University Medical Center
6 postings
$29.00/hr
Adventist Health
13 postings
$27.00/hr
St. Vincent's Hospital Westchester
5 postings
$25.50/hr
State Of Oklahoma
5 postings
$14.50/hr
Oklahoma Department Of Mental Health And Substance Abuse Services
6 postings
$14.75/hr
North America Security & Select Services
23 postings
$16.50/hr
Recsol Recovery Solutions
8 postings
$16.50/hr
Columbus Regional Health
6 postings
$17.00/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Health Technician | 163 | $21.00/hr |
| Mental Health Technician (mht) | 14 | $19.50/hr |
| Recovery Coach | Entry-level Mental Health Aide | 12 | $22.50/hr |
| Behavioral Health Technician | 9 | $20.00/hr |
| Psychiatric Technician | 9 | $48.24/hr |
| Mental Health Technician I | 8 | $16.50/hr |
| Mental Health Technicians $17.00/hr Full Time (georgetown) | 7 | $17.50/hr |
| Mental Health Technician Ii | 6 | $17.00/hr |
| Psych Tech Or Lvn | 6 | $39.50/hr |
| Mental Health Technician Psychiatry | 6 | $26.00/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Mental Health Technician salaries.
FAQ
The median Mental Health Technician salary is $21.00 per hour, or $43,680 annually. Pay ranges from $16.50/hr (10th percentile) to $31.00/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 629 job postings, the highest paying states for Mental Health Technicians include Washington, Oregon, Vermont. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 629 Mental Health Technician job postings across 58 states, from 180 different healthcare employers.
Mental Health Technician pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Mental Health Technician pay is currently stable. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates remained stable.
Mental Health Technician pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $3.00 to $10.00 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Tacoma offer $34.25/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $17.50/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Mental Health Technicians typically earn around $16.50 to $19.50 per hour ($34,320 to $40,560 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $21.00/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 629 active postings with listed compensation for Mental Health Technician. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
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