How long does mental health technician training take in Florida?

Most people become a Mental Health Technician in Florida through a short mental-health technician certificate or employer training; most states do not license this role.

Do mental health technicians need a license in Florida?

No statewide license is required for mental health technicians in Florida. See the licensing section above for the credential path.

How to Become a Mental Health Technician in Florida (2026)

Q: How much do mental health technicians earn in Florida?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), mental health technicians in Florida earned a median annual wage of approximately $43,570. Employment concentration in Florida is about 1.27 times the national average for this occupation.

Q: What is the job outlook for mental health technicians in Florida?

Florida currently employs approximately 12,710 workers, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 20.0% national employment change for this occupation from 2024 to 2034.

Updated June 8, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

Florida psychiatric technicians earn a median annual wage of $43,570 ($20.95/hr) according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), with about 12,710 workers employed statewide. The state median is approximately -3.5% below the national median of $45,130 for the same occupation.

Key Takeaways

Median annual pay: $43,570 ($20.95/hr)
25th percentile: $37,670 per year
75th percentile: $50,160 per year
Top 10% earn: more than $57,290 per year
Entry-level (bottom 10%): under $35,280 per year
Workers employed in Florida: 12,710
Versus national median: -3.5% below the U.S. median of $45,130
Job concentration: Location quotient 1.27 - this occupation is more concentrated in Florida than the national average

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Last reviewed June 8, 2026.

Florida employs about 12,710 mental health technicians earning a median $43,570 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Training as a Mental Health Technician here means completing a short mental-health technician certificate or employer training; most states do not license this role.

Key Facts

Median wage (Florida): $43,570/yr (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Employed in Florida: 12,710 workers (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Location quotient: 1.27x U.S. average (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Projected growth: 20.0% (2024-2034) (Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024)

Compare Mental Health Technician Schools in Florida

BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. Earnings are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single trade. Distance is measured from the page's primary location.
#	School	BOC Score (0–100)	Tuition	Median grad earnings (all majors)	Graduation rate	Online	Distance
1	St Petersburg College	74.6	Contact school for pricing	$54,088	Not reported	Yes*	67 mi
2	Indian River State College	68.6	Contact school for pricing	$47,615	44%	Yes*	80 mi
3	Florida SouthWestern State College	66.7	Contact school for pricing	$53,901	39%	Yes*	92 mi
4	Pasco-Hernando State College	65.7	Contact school for pricing	$51,981	Not reported	Yes*	74 mi
5	Eastern Florida State College	63.6	$2,496 - $11,966	$49,053	52%	Yes*	59 mi
6	Hillsborough Community College	61.2	Contact school for pricing	$49,784	34%	Yes*	54 mi
7	Daytona State College	59.8	Contact school for pricing	$49,001	42%	Yes*	96 mi

Schools closest to the page's primary location are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the page's primary location is shown for reference. The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation, earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it. *Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is completed in person. Read the full methodology.

Florida employs approximately 12,710 mental health technicians according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a median annual wage of $43,570 ¹. The state’s concentration of mental health technician jobs is 1.27x the national average, indicating strong demand. Nationally, mental health technician employment is projected to grow 20.0% from 2024 to 2034, with about 15,900 openings per year ². This page covers how to become a Mental Health Technician in Florida, including licensing requirements, training programs, and salary data.

At a Glance

Training paths: mental-health technician certificate or employer training (find programs)
Typical timeline: a short mental-health technician certificate or employer training; most states do not license this role
Median wage (Florida): $43,570 per year ¹

Quick Answers About How to Become a Mental Health Technician in Florida

How to become a Mental Health Technician in Florida? Complete a short mental-health technician certificate or employer training; most states do not license this role. Confirm credential rules with the program and employer.

How long does it take? Most people finish a short mental-health technician certificate or employer training; most states do not license this role. Confirm current hour totals with the program and employer.

Do I need a license in Florida? Licensing varies. See the licensing section below for the Florida path.

What do mental health technicians earn in Florida? The median annual wage for mental health technicians in Florida is $43,570 according to BLS data. Entry-level wages start around $35,280 and experienced professionals can earn $57,290 or more ¹.

How to Become a Mental Health Technician in Florida

Complete a short program or employer training. Finish a mental-health technician certificate or train on the job. This is not a registered apprenticeship.
This is not psychiatric technician licensure. A licensed psychiatric technician is a different occupation. Do not treat that license, or a health-information technician credential, as the mental-health tech path.
Most states do not license this role. Confirm employer and facility rules. Do not apply to a licensing board for a credential that does not exist.

Steps and hour totals vary by credential level; confirm current requirements with the program and employer before you enroll.

Mental Health Technician License Requirements in Florida

Most states do not license mental health technicians. This role is not psychiatric technician licensure and not health-information technology. Employers typically want a short certificate or on-the-job training.

Typical path

Complete a short certificate or employer training.
Do not apply for a psychiatric technician or HIT license as this path.

Hour totals, fees, and reciprocity rules change. Confirm current requirements with the program and employer before you enroll.

Mental Health Technician Wages by Metro Area in Florida

Psychiatric Technicians Wages by Metro Area in Florida

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), psychiatric technicians wages in Florida vary by metro area.

Metro Area	Employment	Median Annual Wage	Avg. Annual Wage	Entry Level (10th pctile)	Experienced (90th pctile)
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach	3,890	$44,500	$45,860	$34,700	$58,590
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford	1,550	$45,440	$45,250	$36,160	$59,560
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater	1,330	$40,340	$44,190	$35,930	$57,290
Jacksonville	770	$40,540	$44,680	$35,750	$54,310
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota	740	$38,010	$44,040	$35,580	$55,590
Port St. Lucie	660	$37,260	$41,610	$35,280	$53,940
Cape Coral-Fort Myers	370	$46,200	$45,840	$33,610	$61,270
Gainesville	340	$38,780	$40,890	$35,660	$47,440
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent	260	$37,580	$40,960	$34,430	$49,490
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach	230	$38,640	$40,480	$33,900	$48,990
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville	230	$41,330	$43,760	$35,400	$56,510
Naples-Marco Island	180	$42,020	$44,790	$32,920	$58,370
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin	170	$39,590	$41,670	$35,240	$49,700
Lakeland-Winter Haven	170	$41,120	$42,680	$35,210	$52,310
Tallahassee	140	$38,570	$40,930	$34,490	$48,170
Ocala	130	$38,540	$40,710	$31,030	$46,010
Panama City-Panama City Beach	120	$39,940	$41,660	$34,760	$48,270
Punta Gorda	40	$44,770	$47,530	$36,180	$54,350
Wildwood-The Villages	30	$40,380	$46,740	$38,000	$61,200

Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the job outlook for mental health technicians in Florida? Florida currently employs approximately 12,710 mental health technicians ¹. Nationally, mental health technician employment is projected to grow 20.0% from 2024 to 2034 ².

What training programs are available in Florida? Options include trade schools, community colleges, and state-approved training programs. Use the school finder above to search for programs in Florida.

How much do mental health technicians earn in Florida compared to the national average? The median annual wage for mental health technicians in Florida is $43,570, which is $980 above the national median of $42,590 according to BLS data ¹.

In Florida

Florida Trade Schools 2026: Programs, Costs, Licensing

Top local programs

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Citations

About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/oes/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Bureau of Labor Statistics - Employment Projections: https://www.bls.gov/emp/ ↩︎ ↩︎

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

Data	Provider	Vintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics	May 2025
Employment Projections	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics	2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System	National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)	2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)	U.S. Department of Education	latest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)	U.S. Department of Education	latest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirements	CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)	latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programs	CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)	latest release (updated 2025-10-25)
O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones)	U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.)	O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13)