Behavioral Technician
Impact: Direct, personal, and developmental impact on individuals.
Behavioral Technicians work under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to implement behavior intervention plans for individuals, often children with autism spectrum disorder. They provide direct one-on-one therapy, collect data, and assist clients in developing new skills and reducing challenging behaviors.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- Team-oriented
- Client facing
- Always
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- Local travel to client homes or schools
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- Limited Remote
- Typical work hours
- 40 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $40,000
- Entry-level
- $30,000
- Senior
- $55,000
- Growth by 2033
- 0.22
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Medium
- Typical student debt
- $15,000 - $30,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles
- Data Collection
- Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) implementation
Soft skills
- Patience
- Communication
- Empathy
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- High School Diploma or GED; some positions prefer an Associate's or Bachelor's degree
- Licensing
- Varies by State
- Years to mid-career
- 3
- Years to senior
- 7
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Lead BT, BCBA Assistant, BCBA (with further education)
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 0.15
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Growing
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 7/10
- Meaning
- 8.5/10
- Work-life balance
- 6/10
- Prestige
- 4.5/10
- Social perception
- High