Behavior Analyst Salary, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 8,112 US job postings by 1,250 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for behavior analysts: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 8,112 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for behavior analysts in US job postings is $100,000 a year (3,330 postings from 442 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $85,000 to $151,000.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $94,000 a year (430 postings).
- The skills that most set behavior analyst postings apart are vb-mapp, functional behavior assessments, applied behavior analysis.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 2 years of experience.
Behavior Analyst job postings in the US, October 2026
- $100,000
- Median advertised pay (3,330 postings)
- $85,000–$151,000
- Middle 50% of postings
- $94,000
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 8,112
- US job postings from 1,250 employers
How much does a behavior analyst make?
The median advertised pay is $100,000 a year, from 3,330 US job postings by 442 employers that state pay. One in ten postings offers $192,000 or more.
Advertised pay in 3,330 US behavior analyst job postings: median $100,000 a year, middle half $85,000 to $151,000.
- Median: $100,000
- 25th percentile: $85,000
- 75th percentile: $151,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $20K–$30K | 0.3% |
| $30K–$40K | 0.5% |
| $40K–$50K | 4.2% |
| $50K–$60K | 3.3% |
| $60K–$70K | 4.1% |
| $70K–$80K | 4.4% |
| $80K–$90K | 15.1% |
| $90K–$100K | 16.3% |
| $100K–$110K | 11.8% |
| $110K–$120K | 5.2% |
| $120K–$130K | 3.4% |
| $130K–$140K | 1.5% |
| $140K–$150K | 2.5% |
| $150K–$160K | 4.2% |
| $160K–$170K | 3.4% |
| $170K–$180K | 3.7% |
| $180K–$190K | 4.7% |
| $190K–$200K | 5.5% |
| $200K–$210K | 2.6% |
| $210K–$220K | 1.1% |
| $220K–$230K | 0.7% |
| $230K–$240K | 1.0% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | Most common titles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $77.00 | $51.38–$90.00 | 874 | Board Certified Behavior Analyst, BCBA, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) |
| Postings that state an annual salary | $92,000 | $84K–$100K | 1,031 | Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), BCBA |
| All pay postings, annualised | $100,000 | $85K–$151K | 3,330 | – |
What is the starting salary for a behavior analyst?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $94,000 a year (430 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $94,000 | 430 |
| 2-4 years | $92,000 | 511 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 33 |
Highest-paying behavior analyst jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) | $105,000 | 1,604 | 320 |
| BCBA | $96,000 | 1,101 | 126 |
Behavior analyst pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $120,000 | $100,000–$172,000 | 235 | 9.0% |
| Georgia | $108,000 | $100,000–$176,000 | 215 | 6.5% |
| Pennsylvania | $106,000 | $73,000–$146,000 | 127 | 5.9% |
| Virginia | $102,000 | $93,000–$166,000 | 110 | 4.5% |
| Massachusetts | $96,000 | $80,000–$125,000 | 112 | 6.0% |
| Texas | $91,000 | $84,000–$99,000 | 145 | 4.8% |
| California | $90,000 | $68,000–$101,000 | 216 | 10.1% |
Skills employers ask for in behavior analyst job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 40% |
| Organizational skills | 22% |
| Interpersonal skills | 18% |
| Leadership | 17% |
| Problem-solving | 9% |
| Vb-mapp | 8% |
| Work independently | 8% |
| Time management | 8% |
| Compassionate | 7% |
| Functional behavior assessments | 7% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set behavior analysts apart
- Vb-mapp287.9× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Functional behavior assessments223.6× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Applied behavior analysis119.4× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Leadership3.3× as often as in all postings · 17%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a behavior analyst job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a behavior analyst do?
Employers post these jobs as Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), BCBA, Behavior Specialist, Board Certified Behavioral Analyst and other titles. The largest specializations are Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) (49%), BCBA (36%), Behavior Specialist (8%), sebh leader (under 1%).
How much experience do you need to be a behavior analyst?
Among 1,251 postings that state a minimum, the median is 2 years. Under 1% say 0 years and 47% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 1,251 US behavior analyst job postings: median 2 years, and 47% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 1% |
| 1 yr | 46% |
| 2 yrs | 32% |
| 3-4 yrs | 15% |
| 5-7 yrs | 5% |
| 8-9 yrs | 0% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 74%, Part-time 26% of the 1,212 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a behavior analyst: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Board Certified Behavior Analyst | 441 (35.3%) |
| Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) | 275 (22.0%) |
| BCBA | 253 (20.2%) |
| Behavior Specialist | 146 (11.7%) |
| Behavior Analyst | 100 (8.0%) |
| Board Certified Behavioral Analyst | 42 (3.4%) |
| Behavior Consultant | 38 (3.0%) |
| BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) | 35 (2.8%) |
| Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA) | 30 (2.4%) |
| BCaBA | 26 (2.1%) |
| Board Certified Behavior Analyst BCBA | 26 (2.1%) |
| Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst | 25 (2.0%) |
| Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) | 25 (2.0%) |
| Behavior Support Specialist | 22 (1.8%) |
| Behavioral Specialist | 20 (1.6%) |
| Clinical Supervisor | 19 (1.5%) |
| Hybrid Board Certified Behavior Analyst | 16 (1.3%) |
| Behavioral Support Specialist | 15 (1.2%) |
| Clinical Director | 15 (1.2%) |
| BCBA Board Certified Behavior Analyst | 13 (1.0%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Behavior analyst job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCBA | 2,257 | 253 | $102K | – | communication, leadership, interpersonal skills |
| Board Certified Behavior Analyst | 1,520 | 441 | $100K | 2 years | communication, organizational skills, interpersonal skills |
| Behavior Specialist | 342 | 146 | – | – | communication, organizational skills, interpersonal skills |
Behavior Analyst compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behavior Analyst | $100K | 2 years | 8,112 | – |
| Behavior Technician | $24.00/hr | 1 year | 13,716 | 13 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $52.50/hr | 1 year | 13,892 | 15 |
| Occupational Therapist | $52.00/hr | 1 year | 11,924 | 11 |
| Physical Therapist | $104K | 1 year | 29,758 | 12 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior Technician | 13 | $24.00/hr |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | 15 | $52.50/hr |
| Occupational Therapist | 11 | $52.00/hr |
| Physical Therapist | 12 | $104K |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 12 | $35.00/hr |
| Physician | 17 | $312K |
Applying for behavior analyst jobs?
- Behavior analyst resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find behavior analyst jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a behavior analyst make?
How much does a BCBA make?
How much does a Board Certified Behavior Analyst make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 20 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.