Mental Health Technician Jobs
Behavioral health technician (BHT), psych tech and mental health tech openings at psychiatric hospitals, residential programs, crisis units and community mental health centers.
Behavioral Technician - Crisis Center
Compass Health Network
Behavioral Technician - Crisis Center
Compass Health Network
Behavioral Health Technician
The Emily Program
Behavioral Health Technician
The Emily Program
Behavioral Technician - Crisis Center
Compass Health Network
Behavioral Technician - Crisis Center
Compass Health Network
Behavioral Technician
Compass Health Network
Center-Based Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA)
Centria Autism
Center-Based Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA)
Centria Autism
Recovery Technician
Northpoint Recovery
Sr. Mental Health Technician
Sandstone Care
Behavioral Health Tech
Centerstone
Behavioral Health Technician Day Shifts
The Emily Program
Behavioral Health Technician Manager
Pyramid Healthcare
Behavioral Health Technician Mids Shifts
The Emily Program
Behavioral Health Technician
Pyramid Healthcare
Behavioral Technician
Compass Health Network
Behavioral Technician
Compass Health Network
Behavioral Technician
Compass Health Network
Behavioral Health Technician
Pyramid Healthcare
Behavioral Health Technician PRN Days
The Recovery Village (Advanced Recovery Systems)
Behavioral Health Technician
The Recovery Village (Advanced Recovery Systems)
Behavioral Technician, Child Crisis
Monarch
Behavioral Technician
Community Reach Center
Crisis Mental Health Worker
Aspire Health Alliance
Mental Health Aide 7am-7pm
Universal Health Services
Mental Health Associate (MHA) Nights TU2 Substance Abuse/Detox
Universal Health Services
Mental Health Technician
Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital
Mental Health Technician
Universal Health Services
Recovery Technician
Northpoint Recovery
Hiring a behavioral health technician? Reach licensed clinicians and behavioral health staff actively looking for their next role.
Post a Job →Mental Health Technician Jobs Near You
Mental health technician jobs are the front-line roles on psychiatric hospital units, residential and detox programs, and crisis services. Employers post the same job as behavioral health technician (BHT), mental health tech (MHT), psych tech, mental health associate or mental health worker, and this page collects all of them in one feed.
BehavioralHires lists behavioral health jobs only. The openings above are a mix of jobs posted directly by employers and jobs gathered from employers' own career pages, refreshed daily, and Apply takes you to the employer's application.
To find openings near you, use the location filter at the top of the page or open a city or state page further down. If the titles confuse you, BHT vs psych tech vs mental health tech explains how the four titles differ and which one a state license attaches to.
What Does a Behavioral Health Technician Do?
A behavioral health technician (also posted as psych tech, mental health technician, or BHT) is front-line staff who monitor clients, run the therapeutic milieu, document behavior, and support daily programming on residential, detox, and inpatient units.
It is the highest-volume, highest-turnover hire in behavioral health and the most common entry point into the field.
Hospital, Residential and Crisis Technician Jobs
Where you work shapes the job more than the title does. Most mental health technician openings fall into four settings.
- Inpatient psychiatric units. Behavioral health technician hospital jobs sit on locked or open psychiatric units in freestanding psychiatric hospitals and general hospitals. Techs work alongside registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and the pace follows admissions, groups and safety rounds.
- Residential and detox programs. Substance use and mental health residential programs hire techs to run the daily schedule, supervise the house and monitor clients through withdrawal. Many of these clients have co-occurring disorders, meaning a mental health condition and a substance use disorder at the same time.
- Crisis services. Crisis stabilization units and child crisis programs post crisis technician or crisis behavioral technician roles. The work centers on de-escalation and keeping people safe during their first hours in care.
- Community and outpatient programs. Community mental health centers, partial hospitalization and day programs hire techs to support groups and day-to-day programming outside a hospital.
Adult, Adolescent and Geriatric Units
Postings usually name the unit, and the population changes the work. Adult units focus on acute stabilization and group programming. Child and adolescent units add school schedules, family contact and more structured behavior plans.
Geriatric psychiatric units (older-adult units) involve more physical care, including help with mobility and activities of daily living. If you have a preference, search the unit name in the listing title or description before you apply.
Shifts and Schedules for Mental Health Techs
Psychiatric units and residential programs are staffed around the clock, so mental health tech jobs run on day, evening and night (overnight) shifts. Current listings include both 8-hour and 12-hour shifts, and many require working every other weekend or a holiday rotation.
Full-time roles are the bulk of the feed, but part-time and PRN (per diem, as-needed) positions are common, and they are a practical way to add hours or try a setting before committing. The breakdown below counts today's listings by job type.
What the Job Involves Day to Day
Federal occupation data describes psychiatric technicians as working under the instructions of physicians and other health practitioners. On a unit, that means a nurse or clinician sets the plan and the tech carries it out and reports back.
- Observation and safety checks. Scheduled rounds, close observation of patients at risk, and reporting changes in behavior or physical condition to nursing staff.
- Groups and therapeutic activities. Co-leading or running psychoeducational, recreational and skills groups planned by the clinical team.
- De-escalation and crisis prevention. Talking a situation down first, and taking part in restraint only under the facility's trained procedure.
- Basic patient care. Help with activities of daily living (ADLs) and, on many inpatient units, taking vital signs.
- Documentation. Charting observations and group notes in the electronic health record (EHR), under HIPAA confidentiality rules.
Education, Experience and Certifications
In most states the employer sets the bar, and many entry routes start at a high school diploma or GED. Some postings list a degree or coursework in psychology or a related field as preferred, occasionally with higher pay, but it is usually not required, and many employers hire people with no prior mental health experience and train them at orientation.
The certification most postings ask for is CPR, often as Basic Life Support (BLS). For hospital staff who perform restraint or seclusion, CPR certification is a federal requirement under Medicare's Conditions of Participation. Many employers also require a de-escalation program such as CPI, which they usually provide after you're hired.
Some inpatient postings prefer a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credential because of the physical-care side of the job. Expect a background check for any of these roles, and a valid driver's license where the job includes transporting clients.
Four states license the occupation itself: California, Colorado and Arkansas license psychiatric technicians, and Kansas licenses the title mental health technician. In those states, check whether a posting requires the license. The full entry routes are in how to become a behavioral health technician, and the state licenses are compared in licensed psychiatric technician requirements.
Mental Health Tech vs Psych Tech vs Behavior Technician
Four titles cover overlapping front-line work, and job ads mix them freely. The table separates them by what actually differs: setting, requirements and the federal pay data behind each one.
The one that is genuinely a different job is the registered behavior technician (RBT), which delivers applied behavior analysis (ABA), mostly in autism services. RBT openings have their own feed at registered behavior technician jobs.
| Title | Typical setting | What it requires | Federal pay data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioral health technician / mental health technician | Psychiatric units, residential, detox, crisis | Employer-set in most states; often HS diploma or GED plus training at orientation. Kansas licenses the mental health technician title. | Psychiatric technicians (SOC 29-2053): $45,130 median |
| Licensed psychiatric technician | State hospitals and inpatient psychiatric units | State license in CA, CO and AR: approved program plus exam | Psychiatric technicians (SOC 29-2053): $45,130 median |
| Psychiatric aide | Inpatient units, with daily-living support | Lower-preparation tier; works under nursing and medical staff | Psychiatric aides (SOC 31-1133): $44,910 median |
| Registered behavior technician (RBT) | ABA clinics, homes and schools | BACB certification: 40-hour training, competency assessment and exam; supervised by a BCBA or BCaBA | No federal occupation of its own |
Where Mental Health Technician Jobs Lead
The tech role is the most common entry point into behavioral health, and the hours you bank count toward several next steps. Techs move into substance abuse counselor jobs after credentialing, into behavioral health case manager jobs, or, with lived experience of recovery, into peer support specialist jobs.
With a master's degree and a license, the path continues to therapist jobs. Which rungs count in which state is mapped in the BHT career ladder.
Behavioral Health Technician Salary
There is no federal occupation called behavioral health technician or mental health technician. The closest official figures are for psychiatric technicians (SOC 29-2053): a median of $45,130 a year, or $21.70 an hour, with the middle half of earners between $38,430 and $50,160. Psychiatric aides (SOC 31-1133), the lower-preparation tier, earn a median of $44,910, or $21.59 an hour.
Many listings post an hourly rate, and the live data block below shows what employers on this board are offering right now. Some hospital and residential employers also advertise sign-on bonuses, often limited to certain positions or full-time hires; the amount and the conditions are in each listing. Benefits most often named in listings include health insurance, a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plan, paid time off and tuition assistance, but each employer's package differs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, SOC 29-2053 Psychiatric Technicians and SOC 31-1133 Psychiatric Aides (national, all industries). No BLS occupation is named behavioral health technician or mental health technician. Posted pay and benefits in the live block come from active BehavioralHires listings.
What Behavioral Health Technician Job Listings Show Right Now
From the 731 active behavioral health technician listings on BehavioralHires as of October 29, 2026.
Employers with the most openings
Where the openings are
Pay employers post
- Median $20 an hour; the middle half of posted pay runs $19 to $23 (133 listings that state an hourly rate; 85 of them from Universal Health Services)
- 18% of behavioral health technician listings state any pay at all.
Benefits and work arrangement
- 401k Matchnamed in 71%
- Dental & Visionnamed in 66%
- Health Insurancenamed in 65%
- PTO / Paid Time Offnamed in 65%
- Continuing Education Budgetnamed in 29%
Source: active behavioral health technician listings on BehavioralHires, updated daily. Pay figures use only listings that state pay (midpoint of each posted range). Benefits count listings that name the benefit; a listing that doesn’t mention one may still offer it.
Browse 731 jobs →Mental Health Technician Jobs by Location
Looking for mental health technician jobs near you? Use the location filter at the top of the page, or open a city or state page below. Each one lists only the behavioral health technician openings in that area.
Browse by State
Related Roles
Behavioral Health Technician Career Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
01How do I find mental health technician jobs near me?
Use the location filter at the top of this page to narrow openings to your city or state, or open one of the city and state pages in the location section.
Listings are refreshed daily, so check back if your area has nothing open today.
Search more than one title in the description too: behavioral health technician, mental health tech, psych tech and mental health associate are often the same job.
02What shifts do mental health techs work?
Psychiatric hospitals and residential programs are staffed 24 hours a day, so mental health techs work day, evening and night shifts, in 8-hour or 12-hour blocks depending on the employer.
Many postings require every other weekend or a holiday rotation.
Full-time, part-time and PRN (per diem) positions are all common, and the posting says which one it is.
03What education is required to become a mental health tech?
In most states the employer sets the requirement, and a high school diploma or GED is the common floor. Some postings list college coursework in psychology or a related field as preferred. California, Colorado, Kansas and Arkansas license the occupation and require an approved program and exam. See how to become a behavioral health technician for every route.
04Do mental health techs need prior experience?
Often not.
Many psychiatric hospitals, residential programs and community agencies hire techs without mental health experience and train them at orientation, including de-escalation and CPR.
Experience in healthcare, human services or caregiving helps, and some postings list it as preferred, so check whether a listing says required or preferred.
05What certifications do mental health technicians need?
CPR, often as Basic Life Support (BLS), is the certification postings ask for most, and hospitals must certify staff who perform restraint or seclusion in CPR under federal rules.
Many employers also require a de-escalation program such as CPI, usually provided after hire.
Some inpatient postings prefer a CNA.
There is no national BHT certification requirement, and only four states license the occupation.
06What is the difference between a behavior technician (RBT) and a mental health tech?
A registered behavior technician (RBT) holds a BACB certification and delivers applied behavior analysis (ABA), mostly for autistic clients, under a BCBA or BCaBA supervisor. A mental health tech works on psychiatric, residential or crisis units under nursing and clinical staff, and in most states needs no credential. RBT openings are listed separately on registered behavior technician jobs.
07How much do mental health technicians get paid?
The closest federal figure is for psychiatric technicians: a median of $45,130 a year, or $21.70 an hour (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Psychiatric aides earn a median of $44,910. Pay in a specific listing depends on the employer, setting and shift. The behavioral health technician salary guide breaks down what the federal data does and does not measure.
08Are sign-on bonuses offered for psych tech jobs?
Some are.
Several hospital and residential employers on this board advertise sign-on bonuses, often only for certain positions or for full-time hires, and sometimes with a stay requirement.
The amount and conditions are in the listing itself, so read them before you count on one.
09Who supervises a mental health technician?
On inpatient units, techs work under registered nurses and the unit's physicians and clinicians, who set the treatment plan.
In residential and community programs, a licensed clinician or program supervisor usually oversees the work.
Arizona's facility rules, for example, require clinical oversight of a behavioral health technician by a licensed behavioral health professional.
10Is a background check or driver's license required?
Expect a background check for almost any mental health technician job, since you work with vulnerable patients.
In the four licensure states the board runs it as part of licensing; elsewhere the employer sets the screening.
A valid driver's license is required when the job includes driving clients to appointments or outings, and many residential postings ask for one.
Last updated: October 2026
This page is general career information, not legal or clinical advice. Wage figures are BLS OEWS May 2025; licensure and training rules are set by state boards, facility regulators and employers and can change, so confirm current requirements with your state board and the employer before relying on them.