SalaryExplorer

SOC 29-2053 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Psychiatric Technicians — Buffalo

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY · 3 metro areas compared

$65,500 /year
$31.49per hour
50jobs in area
+45.1%vs US median

The median wage for Psychiatric Technicians in Buffalo, NY is $65,500 per year, well above the national median of $45,130.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $45,13010TH$38,13025TH$48,320MEDIAN$65,50090TH$73,880

How pay has moved

$74,710$19,45020192020202120232025$65,500
$29,140 in 2019 to $65,500 in 2025, +124.8% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow much faster than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+20.0%
Openings per year
15,900
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Related work experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Psychiatric Technicians in Buffalo, NY is $65,500 per year, well above the national median of $45,130. The gap of 45.1% is among the widest recorded for this occupation. Half of workers earn between $48,320 and $73,880. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $38,130 and the ninetieth at $73,880.

Employment stands at 50, or 0.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, New York records the highest median at $58,610. Of the 586 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 265th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$38,130−15.5%
25th$48,320+7.1%
Median (50th)$65,500+45.1%
75th$73,880+63.7%
90th$73,880+63.7%
Mean$59,520+31.9%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in New York

Median annual wage for Psychiatric Technicians, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1New York$58,6102,980
2Syracuse$52,84090
3Rochester$41,770120

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Buffalo run 4.2% below the national average, so the median of $65,500 goes as far as $68,372 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 51.5% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$65,500as reported by BLS

Local price level

95.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$68,372US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $65,500 a year, 45.1% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $38,130 to $73,880 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 50 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is New York, at $58,610.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Psychiatric Technicians in Buffalo, NY?

The median annual wage is $65,500, or $31.49 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $45,130, so pay in Buffalo, NY is 45.1% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Buffalo, NY earns more than $73,880 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $38,130 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in New York, at $58,610 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 50 jobs in this occupation in Buffalo, NY. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Psychiatric Technicians in Buffalo, NY Earn $65,500 — 45.1% Above the US Median (2025) | Salary Explorer