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Career overview · SOC 29-1141

Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses

Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders. Apply therapeutic activities, including the prescription of medication, per state regulations, and the administration of psychotherapy.

Also called: Adult Psychiatric Mental Health APRN (Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) · Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse · APN (Advanced Practice Nurse) · Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (BC PMH-CNS) · PMHNP (Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) · Psychiatric APN (Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse)

Median pay (national)
$93,600
$66,030–$135,320 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
3,282,010
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+4.9%
~189,100 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for advanced practice psychiatric nurses shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $135,320 versus $66,030 at the bottom 10% — 2.0x. The median of $93,600 leaves roughly 45% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +4.9% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 189,100 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $140,330, +50% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $37,780 — a 271% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Google Meet, Microsoft Teams as in-demand technologies for this role.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Writing
  • Critical Thinking
  • Monitoring
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Science
  • Mathematics

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
  • Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
  • Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
  • Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
  • Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.
  • Distinguish between physiologically- and psychologically-based disorders, and diagnose appropriately.
  • Develop and implement treatment plans.
  • Conduct individual, group, or family psychotherapy for those with chronic or acute mental disorders.
  • Participate in activities aimed at professional growth and development, including conferences or continuing education activities.
  • Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, including psychiatrists, psychologists, or nursing staff, to develop, implement, or evaluate treatment plans.

Tools & technology

  • Google Meet
  • Microsoft Teams
  • SAS
  • AUDIT-C
  • Beck Anxiety Inventory
  • Beck Depression Inventory
  • Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale BPRS Nursing Modification
  • California Verbal Learning Test
  • Category Fluency Test
  • Children's Depression Inventory
  • Controlled Oral Word Association Task
  • Electroconvulsive therapy equipment
  • Epic HER
  • Geriatric Depression Scale
  • Hendrich Falls Risk Model
  • Invivo Data EPX ePRO Management System

Knowledge areas

  • Psychology
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • English Language
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Biology
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • Education and Training
  • Customer and Personal Service