A Behavior Analyst is a behavioral health professional who designs and implements therapy programs to treat patients with mental and social disorders. They help patients to overcome their disabilities and live everyday life. They are often seen working with school students with autism and developmental disabilities. So, the Behavior Analyst’s Salary depends on their experience, educational status, and institution where they are practicing.
Behavior Analysts assess, evaluate, and treat patients following ABA techniques, positive reinforcement, shaping, prompt fading, and much more. Moreover, they provide teachers and parents training on managing children with mental, social, and learning disorders.
Ways to Become a Behavior Analyst
The first step to becoming a Behavior Analyst is obtaining a bachelor’s degree. You can enroll in any college or university undergraduate program, but earning a degree in psychology, social work, or applied behavior analysis is better. While in the bachelor’s program, gaining work experience might be an added advantage.
The second step is to earn a master’s degree in ABA or a master’s in education or psychology with an ABA concentration. Students learn various theories and research in behavior analysis and get opportunities for fieldwork for application and practice.
If you want to become a board-certified behavior analyst in the United States, you have to complete fieldwork under the supervision of a BCBA. You have to fulfill certain hours of fieldwork to qualify for board certification.
Once you are done with your graduation and fieldwork, you can apply for the BCBA certification exam. You will become an entry-level certified behavior analyst if you pass the exam. However, you still need to complete continuing education to keep yourself updated about developments in the related field.
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Average Salary of a Behavior Analyst
A behavior analyst’s average salary is $60,784 annually in the United States. The pay ranges from $41k to $79k, with a bonus of up to $10k per annum.
| Salary | $41k – $79k |
| Bonus | $516 – $10k |
| Profit-Sharing | $0 – $30k |
| Total Pay | $36k – $90k |
The top employees that pay the highest salaries to behavior analysts are Centria, The Center for the Discovery, and Devereux.
Company | Salary (per annum) |
| Centria | $58k |
| The Center for The Discovery | $62k |
| Devereux | $47k |
Skill-Based Payment
Behavior Analysts having different skills related to the field get paid based on their abilities. Skills in clinical supervision, functional analysis, etc., get above-average payment than training program development skills.
| Skills | Average Salary |
| Clinical Supervision | $63,629 |
| Program Development | $62,459 |
| Functional Analysis | $61,365 |
| Data Analysis | $61,201 |
| Training Program Development | $60,571 |
Salary Based on Experience Level
Everyone knows that the more experience you have, the more your salary will be. The same goes for a behavior analyst as well. According to a survey conducted in the United States, an entry-level behavior analyst can earn an average of $51,794 per year with less than one year of experience. With the experience of 5-9 years, one can expect an average salary of $62,099, while $66,726 with over 20 years.
| Experience Level | Average Compensation | Survey (no. of salaries) |
| Less than 1 year | $51,794 | 49 |
| 1-4 years | $58,331 | 326 |
| 5-9 years | $62,099 | 258 |
| 10-19 years | $65,595 | 170 |
| 20 years and above | $66,726 | – |
Highest Paying Cities in the United States
Behavior analysts’ salary also differs depending on the location they are practicing. The following table shows a survey of behavior analyst average salaries in the highest paying cities:
| Cities | Average Salary | Survey (no. of salaries) |
| Brooklyn, NY | $124,990 | 29 |
| Novi, MI | $83,569 | 5 |
| Miami, FL | $81,811 | 55 |
| San Jose, CA | $78,693 | 66 |
| Beverly, MA | $78,467 | 25 |
| Orlando, FL | $78,080 | 26 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $70,200 | 47 |
| Houston, TX | $69,296 | 67 |
You can earn a considerable amount if you become a board-certified behavior analyst in the United States. If you have years of experience and dedication to work, you do not have to worry about your living expenses, even in the costliest cities.
Frequently Asked Question
Q. Is a behavior analyst a good career?
You can get a huge chance to help people with various developmental or behavioral issues from this career. Depending on your experience or skill, as a behavior analyst, you can earn average annual salary amounts between $50,000 and nearly $70,000.
Q. What does a behavior analyst do?
Behavior analysts facilitate disruptive behavior to improve their ability to interact with others. Behavior analyst observes the individual’s interactions in various environments and perspectives to find social and behavioral issues like self-injury or hostility.
Q. How much time in college do you need to be a behavior analyst?
If you want to work in this field, you can easily get several colleges for behavioral analysis graduate programs. This program will take 2 years, excluding the research. Also, you may need practical experiences from a clinic or mental health support center.
Q. Which degree do I need to become a behavior analyst?
To be a behavior analyst, you will need a Master’s or higher degree for BCBA certification from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. If you want to get the certification, you must complete the application process to get admitted into the UBC graduate program in special education. The degree might be either an M. Ed. or M.A.
Q. How do you become a behavior analyst?
To become a behavior analyst, you should earn a bachelor’s degree in health science. After that, you should complete an MS degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, Education, or Psychology. You can also take higher clinical, counseling, educational, or school psychology studies. Upon graduating from the master’s program, prospective behavior analysts must have practical work experience through supervised clinical work.
Q. Which 4 certification levels require to be a behavior analysis?
The four certifications in behavior analysis include:
- Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst
- Registered Behavior Technician
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst Doctoral
Q. Is a behavior analyst a scientist?
Behavior analysis, called natural science, analyses people’s mental processes and behavior. Behavior analysts study biology, psychology, pharmacology, and experiential factors to see the impact of humans’ and animals’ behavior.
Q. Who can call themselves a behavior analyst?
No one can use behavior-related titles like ABA therapists, Behavior Specialists if they don’t have earned professional degrees. Instead, they can be called credentials themselves by “Behavior Analysts.” To become an ABA therapist/Behavior Specialist/Behavior Consultant, a graduate and master’s certificate requires board-certified behavior analysts.
Q. Is a behavior analyst a psychologist?
A behavior analyst is a licensed clinical therapist who needs additional training and experience in applied behavior analysis. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) recognizes ABA therapists with graduate-level education.
Q. What are the functions of a behavior analyst in the FBI?
The behavior analyst’s work includes analysis, interviewing, writing, public speaking, assessing human Behavior, and group behavior or management.
Q. How long time may it need to become a board-certified behavior analyst?
A board-certified behavior analyst needs:
- 1,500 hours of practical work experience.
- In 1,500 hours, at least 75 hours must need supervision from a certified behavior analyst or behavior analysis instructor.
Usually, completing this whole process may take over one year.
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