ABA Therapist Salary
The yearly income that an ABA Therapist will receive is estimated between $25,181 per year and up to $50,810 per year. There were also reported bonuses that according to the type of employer could reach at $1,498 per year. The Applied Behavior Analysis salary in 2017 it still depends on several crucial factors such as the educational level.
How much does an ABA Therapist make?
The 2017 ABA therapist hourly payment is reported by the PayScale.com surveys to have had a rate that started at $12.16 per hour and went up to $23.11 per hour. This figures have been introduced as estimated average amounts, without including the overtime. The median hourly average for these professionals reached at $15.01 per hour.
For instance, ABA therapists that held a Bachelor of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis can earn an annual income that reaches at an average of $47,282 per year. The entry-level ABA salaries are quoted to range from $25,529 per year and up to $50,863 per year. All these figures were typically impacted by another factor that was and it still remains actual – which is the years of experience gained in the field.
The incomes increased with a higher educational level degree. For instance, those who had a Master of Science degree in ABA gained an average annual income that reached at $55,403 per year while some of the earnings reached as high as $80,288 per year.
The years of experience affected and impacted these professional incomes as well. Those who held a bachelor degree and worked on an entry-level position earned from $32,010 per year and up to $43,010 per year. At the same time, those who were classified between 5 and 10 years of working experience could have expected to take home earnings that were comprised between $45,010 per year and up to $55,010 per year. After more than 10 years of work ABA therapists could expected at earnings that were situated between $50,010 per year and up to $65,010 per year.
A Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis lead the total incomes to increase even more. The granted entry-level salaries varied from $45,510 per year and up to $60,010 per year. On the other hand, those individuals that worked in this field for 5 and up to 10 years earned from $50,029 per year and up to $59,719 per year. With more than 10 years of experience ABA therapists could have expected to take home annual salaries estimated between $58,810 per year and up to $80,288 per year.
Another factor that affected the income values was the geographical location factor. The cities that granted ABA therapists an income that was higher than the national average were to be found in: New York, NY, Los Angeles, CA, San Antonio, TX as well as in Boston, MA and a few other cities. On the other hand, below the national average incomes were reported in cities such as San Diego, CA, Huston, TX, and Philadelphia, PA, Greenville, SC and other areas.
Salary of an ABA Therapist in 2016
The average reported hourly wage for ABA therapists for the year 2016 was estimated at a rate of $15.63 per hour according to the salary data surveys provided by PayScale.com. The median income for these professionals is estimated at $33,932 per year with a starting point in the incomes that ranges from $24,644 per year and up to $51,996 per year. The bonuses that are received vary based on the employer being comprised between $97.31 and up to $3,538. At the same time, the profit sharing reaches at $526.
The main factor that affects compensation is the career length as well as location and the specific type of employment. The vast majority of therapists working in this field are women rather than men, this leading also to different rates in the salary. When it comes to the level of experience in this field, an entry-level ABA therapist, with up to five years of experience can expect to earn around $32,010 per year while one professionals with 5 and up to 10 years of work practice will gain around $40,010 per year.
The experienced ABA therapists with 10 and up to 20 years of working experience can expect to earn around $44,010 per year. On the other hand, the veterans in this field with more than 20 years of activity and with plenty of experience receive an income that reaches at $53,010 per year. The reported national average all across the US reaches at $32,786 per year, leading to incomes that vary a lot according to each state, region or city.
Earnings that reach higher than the national average can be encountered in New York, where the total median payment gets around $46,359 per year, followed by the city of San Jose that offers to these professionals incomes that reach at $41,468 per year. Other cities that offer above the national average incomes can be found in Los Angeles as well as San Diego with a 4% rate of salary increase. Below the national average incomes are to be found in cities such as Florida, Austin as well as Bloomington that represents the lowest-paying economic market earnings.
As an ABA therapist, you are likely to be entitled to various benefits or perks that can include life and disability insurance, paid holidays, working hours that have a flexible schedule, as well as reimbursement that is related to your education and training.
ABA Therapist salary in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom
The average median income for ABA therapist in Canada is estimated to reach at C$39,973 per year, with a starting point that ranges from C$29,306 per year and up to C$59,323 per year. The national average for this particular group all across the country is estimated at C$39,010 per year, with an entry-level position that reaches only at C$38,688 per year.
The salary of an ABA therapist is influenced and dictated by the working environment, the educational qualifications that one therapist has, as well the fact that each payment varies from one family to another, the area in which professionals are located, the gathered experience and a few other factors. In general lines, in Australia, the average income for ABA therapists is estimated to reach at AU$42,010 per year. The hourly wage that is received may vary, known to start at around AU$15.01 per hour and go up to as high as AU$25.01 per hour.
In the UK, the salary of an ABA therapist has an average that ranges from £14,010 per year and up to £29,010 per year. In addition to these earnings, the professionals hired on this types of positions can expect to earn bonuses as well as certain cash benefits.
ABA Career
An ABA therapist or else known as an Applied Behavior Analysis therapist is seen as one of the specialists that is involved in studying the human behavior and in making a difference in many people’s lives due to the help that he or she often provides. This aid includes helping people that have disabilities by offering a behavior based therapy to all those children or adults that have autism.
Behavior analysis is seen as a validated approach that has the main focus on human behavior understanding it and how this behavior is affected by the surrounding environment. The word behavior, in this particular context offers a clear image involving actions and skills, while the environment that is studied includes any physical or social influence that has the effect of changing or being changed by an individual behavior.
On a practical base the principles as well as the methods used on patients through this behavior analysis include a huge help for various learners that acquire various and different skills such as a healthier way of life or even achieving a mastery level of a new language.
Job Description of an ABA Therapist
The primary and main responsibilities of ABA therapists include specific care and treatment addressed to the children that are suffering from autism. The provided care is often addressed in one on one situations in which these specialists assess the needs of each child and then develop and implement the right therapies that have the main purpose of addressing those particular and specific needs.
These therapies might include the verbal or speech parts in which the verbal as well as communication skills are mainly developed and improved. With the communication part established, the daily common activities, the social skills, as well as the cooperation part are established and addressed. The work of an ABA therapist also includes the families of the children that are dealing with autism. These professionals are trying to teach the family members various methods on how to assist their children in developing necessary life skills.
ABA Therapists are also responsible with fully tracking and analyzing the constant progress of the children to which they offer their aid to and inform on a continuous base their BCBA manager or else known as the Board Certified Behavior Consultant, about the current applied treatment and its effectiveness. Most of their duties as well as their planning take place under the direction and surveillance of a BCBA.
This job entails a constant and renewed knowledge of this field, leading ABA therapists to attend to more conferences as well as workshops in order to know and learn new therapies and strategies to treat their patients.
How to become an ABA Therapist?
If your dream is to become an ABA therapist than you must first know what this job entails as well as the educational requirements you need to fulfill, since they vary a lot according to each working setting. However, the minimum requirements may include having an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in the area of psychology or in the branch of special education. One of the best options in your educational and training steps includes a degree that is a lot closer or related to the childhood autistic therapy.
You’ll find out that some of the employers will provide on job training, while in other settings you’ll be required to have some previous ABA experience. This sort of job is very demanding, involving a good stamina, a physical fit as well as a huge dose of emotional calmness. Before going further make sure to evaluate yourself first and discover if you are truly up for this particular job.
Certain skills that you must possess are also involved in order to be able to fulfill your job. For instance, working with autistic children means that one day they are there totally committed to you and happy to see you while the other day you might encounter that they are very hurtful. Because of this, you really need to be very passionate in working with children and not only and really committed to your job and helping others in needs.
Another skill is to know your job and how to do it, since patience is a virtue you really need to show it especially when providing this sort of help. You will also need to be very flexible and firm in all the given instructions. If you are thinking of advancing in your position and becoming a supervisory therapist then you’ll definitely need a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. Many of the master’s degree programs, especially those in ABA can be found at some schools.
Even though there are not any nationally recognized ABA certifications, the Behavioral Analyst Certifications often include ABA training and are usually provided by the BACB or else known as the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. They are available on three levels according to the degree that you hold: bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or a doctorate degree. For each level, you need to have completed your education at a school that is approved, and have taken specific ABA coursework. For each of the certification levels you’ll need some experience in the field as well.
Work Environment and Schedule
As an ABA therapist, the working environment often involves providing one on one sessions to each patient that this professional is having in order to be there to fulfill the needed attention, as well as be able to give the proper aid in each case. The settings will differ according to each client from a therapy office up to the patient’s home.
Some of these professionals take into account other working environments such as play centers, swimming pools, gyms, while others work with their patients in schools, medical settings and facilities as well as childcare centers. According to the type of work that these professionals offer as well as the setting in which they provide support, the working schedule varies. From the therapy programs or support programs to therapy sessions, from children to adults, the schedule is mainly accommodated with each patient’s work or with his or her life.
However – in general lines – these professionals work the standard 40 hours week schedule, and many times they will deal with situations that include a huge amount of stress and that prove out to be quite challenging.
Pros and cons of being an ABA Therapist
A huge pro when working as an ABA therapist and also a great reward is the fact that you get to help a lot of people that society might not understand. You will also need to cope with their disability such as autism and help them – or at least give your best try – to live a normal life as possible. There are quite many entry-level positions in this profession that require for a good start only a bachelor’s degree.
The job outlook is one that seems to be safe and stable. The employment growth in this field for the next years being projected at 12% rate of increase, meaning that there are plenty of job openings and the number of demands for an ABA therapist services doesn’t stop. The work environment comes also as a pro since there are plenty of work opportunities that are to be encountered for these professionals.
An ABA therapist can easily find work in settings such as mental health centers, schools or even patients homes or in a lot of clinical settings. On the other side, working with patients that are autistic or that are dealing with other disabilities or developmental issues brings forth a lot of daily stress.
Another con is related with the educational path since most of the states ask people in this profession to be certified or have a license not to mention the fact that you might need a graduate degree. This whole process can be very expensive and at the end of all your years of training if you couldn’t find a way to go through all the fees, you might also end up with a debt to pay.
Since you are working with people you’ll have to accommodate the patient’s work as well as life schedule, this being one of the factors that might give from time to time some headaches.
Conclusion on the ABA Therapist Salary
The income of an ABA therapist is influenced a lot of times by various factors such as the educational level, the work duties as well as the location, years of experience and particular work setting. This job, as exhausting or challenging it might seem has its benefits and its particular reward. Helping people that are in need is more than a great reward to take into account. Of course, this is a special type of help and you probably know that many people could never even imagine being involved in something like this. Thus, the job is perfect for those who like it and are willing to commit to helping, among others, those with special needs.
