10 metros where Psychiatric Technicians are hardest to fill

New York scores 8.3 on psychiatric technicians, 30% above the national median, so New York isn't a lowball.

New York technician share is 0.31, thin versus a typical metro's New York bench.

Riverside still scores 7.4, and Riverside is a weak backup, not a softer Riverside market.

Each metro

Ranked table

Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.

Takeaways

• Washington scores 8.1 for technicians, and Washington pay is about $50.8K on a still difficult search.
• Madison technicians make about $64.4K, 43% above the national median, and Madison still isn't easy.
• Seattle share for technicians is 0.63, thinner than a typical Seattle metro.
• San Diego scores 7.5 for technicians, and San Diego still pays 7% above the national median.

For recruiters

• Open New York before any other metro, and write the New York offer from the local median.
• Don't treat Riverside as the easy out, because Riverside still isn't a soft backup.
• Cite the York wage in the Hiring Pack.

FAQ

Are these posted wages or open jobs?

No. The table is a government survey or a designation file.

What should a recruiter do first?

Follow the recruiter note on this page.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Related hiring pages

Methodology

Rows are the scored metro pages for Psychiatric Technicians (29-2053) with the highest public market difficulty score, up to 10. Metros under 500 workers are not scored. A metro page is scored only when OEWS employment for that occupation is at least 500. Below that, the page stays up and is left off this ranking. Postsecondary teaching occupations and medical scientists are left off even when they are scored. Nominal weights, before a missing shortage match is rescaled, are projected openings divided by 2025 employment 18%, projected growth 22%, the metro median divided by the U.S. median 40%, how common the occupation is locally compared with the country 8% (the location-quotient column; a lower figure means a thinner local bench), a matching HRSA shortage designation 8%, and statewide all-industry JOLTS for December 2025 4%. Bands are Standard under 4, Elevated from 4 up to 7, and Hard at 7 and above. The New York total-nonfarm job openings rate for December 2025 is 4.1. The U.S. rate is 4.0. Both are all-industry JOLTS rates. The article is tagged to New York because that state holds the leading metro, so the publishing calendar does not stack it with another New York article the same day. Rounded figures in the prose: $58,610 is stated as about $58.6K. a comparison of 1.30 is stated as 30 percent. $45,130 is stated as about $45.1K. Rounded figures in the prose: $50,840 is stated as about $50.8K. $64,380 is stated as about $64.4K. a comparison of 1.43 is stated as 43 percent.

Sources

• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · May 2025
• BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm · December 2025