How Much Do Behavioral Specialists Make?
Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary behavioral specialists make, you've come to the right place.
Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for behavioral specialists and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of behavioral specialists are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much behavioral specialists can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Behavioral Specialists
According to data from 2023, there were about 74,995 positions for behavioral specialists in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for behavioral specialists was reported to be $96,096. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 87,005 job postings related to positions for behavioral specialists.
How Much Money Do Behavioral Specialists Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money behavioral specialists and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.
Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for behavioral specialists.
Annual Salary for Behavioral Specialists
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for behavioral specialists and related professions earned about $48,818 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $168,875 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for behavioral specialists in the United States in 2023 was $96,096.
Annual Salary Range For Behavioral Specialists In 2023
Hourly Salary for Behavioral Specialists
The BLS also breaks down compensation for behavioral specialists by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for behavioral specialists in 2023 was $46. Lowest hourly earners took home $23 while the highest reported hourly salaries for behavioral specialists was $81.
Hourly Salary Range For Behavioral Specialists In 2023
Advertised Compensation for Behavioral Specialists
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for behavioral specialists, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for behavioral specialists.
Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™
Annual Salary from Job Postings for Behavioral Specialists
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 29,656 job postings related to behavioral specialists, advertised salary was included in 16,715 of them, which was 56%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for behavioral specialists was $120,704 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Behavioral Specialists
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for behavioral specialists. Based on 19% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for behavioral specialists in the United States is about $58.
Salary Trend for Behavioral Specialists
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for behavioral specialists. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.
Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for behavioral specialists dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for behavioral specialists have increased 15%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Behavioral Specialists
What's the Job Growth for Behavioral Specialists?
Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for behavioral specialists over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 74,927 jobs for behavioral specialists in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 13,344 jobs will be added. That's a 17.8% increase over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Behavioral Specialists
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about behavioral specialists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for behavioral specialists.
What do behavioral specialists do?
Behavioral Specialists: How do you become one?
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