Psychiatric Nurse salary
A psychiatric nurse earns about $96,410 a year — roughly $46.35/hour, with most earning between $78,270 and $103,800. This is an estimate — a starting point, not an exact figure.
Psychiatric Nurse — U.S. national
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$96,410
Hourly
$46.35/hr
- Typical range
- $78,270–$103,800
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $139,380
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $68,010
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- Psychiatric certification (PMH)
- Inpatient vs outpatient setting
- Shift differentials
- Metro labor market
About Psychiatric Nurses
What they do
Psychiatric / mental-health nurses care for patients with behavioral-health needs — assessing risk, managing psychiatric medications, de-escalating crises, and supporting therapeutic milieus on inpatient units and in the community.
How to become a Psychiatric Nurse
Psych nurses are RNs who develop behavioral-health experience and may earn the PMH-BC (psychiatric-mental health) certification; the advanced-practice version (PMHNP) is a separate NP track.
What drives the pay
Public wage data doesn’t separately track psychiatric RNs; values are based on registered nurse pay. Demand for behavioral-health staffing and safety-related differentials keep pay near or slightly above the RN median.
Psychiatric Nurse pay by state
Where this role tends to pay the most.
| State | Annual pay | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| California | $133,040 | +38% vs national |
| Hawaii | $115,690 | +20% vs national |
| Alaska | $113,760 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $113,760 | +18% vs national |
| Washington | $113,760 | +18% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $110,870 | +15% vs national |
| New York | $108,940 | +13% vs national |
| District of Columbia | $107,980 | +12% vs national |
Compare next
Roles nurses weigh against this one.
Source & confidence— An estimate for a specialty that public pay data does not list on its own. A ballpark to start from, not an exact figure.
Modeled specialty estimate
Psychiatric Nurse is not broken out by BLS. Figures are modeled from the SOC 29-1141 median using a specialty differential of 1.03×, reflecting commonly reported pay differences. Treat as directional, not precise.
Source year 2024. Last reviewed June 1, 2025. Full methodology
This role isn’t broken out in public wage data, so the figure starts from registered nurse pay and sharpens as nurses submit their pay. Last reviewed June 1, 2025.