2026 Salary Report

Psychiatric Nurse Salary

Psychiatric nurses earn around the registered-nurse median of $97,550, but the real number swings widely by state, setting, shift, and certification. Here is what psych RNs actually make in 2026, with BLS data broken down by state, employer, experience, and education, plus an honest look at how the pay compares with the PMHNP role one rung up.

Compiled from BLS & AANP data by the Best PMHNP Programs editorial team ·

Last updated: June 15, 2026

· Source: BLS & AANP

10th percentile

$69,000

Entry & lower-cost markets

National median

$97,550

Typical Psychiatric Nurse pay

90th percentile

$137,000

Senior & cash-pay practice

42%

Median lands 42% up the 10th–90th range

The short version

Psychiatric Nurse pay at a glance

The BLS median annual wage for registered nurses is $97,550 (May 2025). Psychiatric nurses are RNs, so their pay tracks this figure, with the lowest 10% near $69,000 and the top 10% above $137,000.

State is the single biggest factor. RNs in California average roughly $137,000 a year, with Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, and Alaska also well above the national median, while many Southern and rural states sit closer to $75,000 to $85,000.

Setting and shift matter. Inpatient psychiatric and hospital roles add night, weekend, and holiday differentials, and travel or agency psychiatric nursing pays well above staff rates.

The ANCC PMH-BC certification and a BSN can move you up the clinical ladder and into higher pay bands, even though neither is strictly required to work as a psych RN.

Advancing to PMHNP is the largest raise available. A PMHNP earns a median total income near $138,000 and can clear $200,000 in cash-pay or telehealth practice, well above the RN ceiling.

The honest take

Psychiatric nurse salary is really registered-nurse salary, because a psychiatric nurse is a licensed RN who specializes in mental-health care. The BLS reports a median wage of $97,550 for registered nurses (May 2025), and psych RNs land around that figure depending on where and how they work.

The biggest lever is geography. The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics show California RNs averaging near $137,000, while several Southern and rural states sit in the $75,000 to $85,000 range. After state, your setting (inpatient vs. community), your shift (nights and weekends pay more), and your credentials (BSN, PMH-BC certification) move the number. The largest jump of all comes from leaving the RN role entirely and becoming a PMHNP, which is why so many psych nurses use this job as a stepping stone.

The BLS median wage for registered nurses is $97,550 a year (May 2025). The lowest 10% of RNs earn around $69,000, while the top 10% earn more than $137,000. Psychiatric nurses sit within this range, with most full-time psych RNs landing near the median and moving up with state premiums, shift differentials, experience, and certification.

By state

Top-paying states for Psychiatric Nurses

State median NP wages from BLS OEWS data. PMHNPs generally earn at or above the all-NP figure for their state. Search for yours or re-sort the table.

#	State	Median wage	Employed
1	California	$137,690	332,560
2	Hawaii	$136,320	11,330
3	Oregon	$123,990	37,180
4	Washington	$112,180	63,290
5	Massachusetts	$106,270	90,940
6	Alaska	$105,410	6,540
7	New York	$104,570	188,060
8	New Jersey	$98,090	83,000
9	Colorado	$91,730	54,030
10	Texas	$87,540	251,840
11	Illinois	$84,600	136,500
12	Georgia	$83,620	85,470
13	Florida	$82,940	215,840
14	Pennsylvania	$82,780	154,070

By experience

How Psychiatric Nurse pay grows over a career

Pay climbs steeply in the first few years, then flattens. The early jumps come from speed and a full caseload, not new titles.

1

New graduate (0-1 years)

$66,000 to $78,000
2

Early career (1-3 years)

$75,000 to $90,000
3

Mid career (4-9 years)

$88,000 to $105,000
4

Experienced (10-19 years)

$98,000 to $120,000
5

Late career (20+ years)

$110,000 to $135,000+

By employer

Where Psychiatric Nurses earn the most

Employer type moves pay more than tenure does. Practice ownership and high-volume telehealth sit far above salaried clinic roles.

Inpatient psychiatric / behavioral-health hospital

$88,000 to $110,000 plus differentials

General hospital (psychiatric unit)

$90,000 to $112,000 plus differentials

Community mental health center / FQHC

$72,000 to $92,000

Addiction treatment and detox programs

$80,000 to $100,000

State psychiatric hospital / correctional

$78,000 to $105,000 plus benefits

Travel / agency psychiatric nursing

Highest ceiling

$100,000 to $150,000+

By degree

Does the degree change the paycheck?

More education raises the ceiling, not the floor. Weigh the added years and cost against the bump.

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

$70,000 to $90,000

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

$80,000 to $105,000

Master's (MSN) / advanced practice (PMHNP)

Highest range

$110,000 to $150,000+

Compare roles

How Psychiatric Nurse pay compares

Median pay for the roles people weigh against this one. Pay tracks scope of practice and years of training. Tap a role to read its guide.

Role	Relative median	Median pay
PMHNP		$138,000
Nurse Practitioner		$132,300
Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (PMH-CNS)		$120,000
Psychiatric Nurse This role		$97,550

Raise your number

How to increase your Psychiatric Nurse salary

Psychiatric nurse pay has a clear ceiling at the RN level, but there are several reliable ways to move up within it, and one big way to break past it. Here is what actually moves the number.

Earn the ANCC PMH-BC certification. The specialty credential signals expertise and often unlocks a higher pay band or clinical-ladder step.

Finish your BSN if you hold an ADN. BSN-prepared nurses earn more over a career and qualify for roles and graduate programs that ADN nurses do not.

Work the differentials. Night, weekend, and holiday shifts on inpatient units add meaningful premiums to base pay.

Consider travel or agency psychiatric nursing. These roles pay well above staff rates, with the trade-off of frequent moves and less stability.

Move to a higher-paying state or metro. The gap between California and many Southern states is roughly $50,000 a year for the same work.

Step into charge-nurse, nurse-manager, or clinical-educator roles to add leadership pay on top of clinical experience.

Advance to PMHNP. This is the single largest raise available, moving the median from about $97,550 to roughly $138,000, with a far higher ceiling in cash-pay and telehealth practice.

Keep going

Keep reading

How to Become a Psychiatric Nurse

The full career guide: the RN path, the PMH-BC certification, and how psych nursing leads to the PMHNP role.

PMHNP Salary

What the prescriber role one rung up actually pays, by state, practice model, and experience.

Best PMHNP Programs

Ready to advance? Our national ranking of accredited PMHNP MSN and DNP programs.

Common questions

Salary questions, answered

How much do psychiatric nurses make?+

Psychiatric nurses earn around the registered-nurse median. The BLS reports a median wage of $97,550 for RNs (May 2025), with the lowest 10% near $69,000 and the top 10% above $137,000. Most full-time psych RNs land near the median and move up with state premiums, shift differentials, experience, and the PMH-BC certification.

Which states pay psychiatric nurses the most?+

California pays the most by a wide margin, with RNs averaging roughly $137,000 a year per BLS wage data. Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, and Alaska also pay well above the national median. Many Southern and rural states sit closer to $75,000 to $85,000, so location can change your pay by roughly $50,000 a year for the same work.

Do psychiatric nurses make more than regular nurses?+

Roughly the same. A psychiatric nurse is a registered nurse, so base pay follows the same RN scale of about $97,550 median. The differences come from setting and shift: inpatient psychiatric units run on 12-hour shifts with night and weekend differentials that can lift total pay, and high-acuity psychiatric roles sometimes carry premiums. The specialty does not have a separate, higher pay scale on its own.

Does the PMH-BC certification increase your salary?+

Often, yes. The ANCC PMH-BC certification is not required to work as a psych RN, but many employers reward it with a higher pay band or a step on the clinical ladder, and it strengthens applications for advanced roles and graduate school. To earn it you need an RN license, 2 years of full-time RN experience, 2,000 hours of psychiatric-mental health practice in the last 3 years, and 30 hours of relevant continuing education.

How much more does a PMHNP make than a psychiatric nurse?+

A lot. The psych RN median is about $97,550, while a PMHNP earns a median total income near $138,000, roughly $40,000 more, with a far higher ceiling. PMHNPs in cash-pay private practice or high-volume telepsychiatry can clear $200,000. That gap, plus the autonomy to diagnose and prescribe, is the main reason many psych RNs go back to school for the PMHNP.

How can a psychiatric nurse increase their salary?+

Within the RN role: earn the PMH-BC certification, finish your BSN, work night and weekend differentials, take travel or agency assignments, move to a higher-paying state, or step into charge-nurse and leadership roles. Beyond the RN role: advance to PMHNP, which is the single largest raise available and breaks the RN pay ceiling. See our psychiatric nurse career guide for the full path.

Do travel psychiatric nurses earn more?+

Yes. Travel and agency psychiatric nurses typically earn well above staff rates, often $100,000 to $150,000 or more annually depending on the market and demand, because they fill urgent staffing gaps. The trade-offs are frequent relocations, short orientations, and less job stability, so the higher pay comes with real lifestyle costs.

References

Every figure on this page traces to a primary source.