How Much Do Behavior Therapists 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 behavior therapists 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 behavior therapists 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 behavior therapists are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much behavior therapists can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Behavior Therapists
According to data from 2023, there were about 70,041 positions for behavior therapists in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for behavior therapists was reported to be $58,510. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 156,462 job postings related to positions for behavior therapists.
How Much Money Do Behavior Therapists Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money behavior therapists 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 behavior therapists.
Annual Salary for Behavior Therapists
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for behavior therapists and related professions earned about $39,083 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $104,707 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for behavior therapists in the United States in 2023 was $58,510.
Annual Salary Range For Behavior Therapists In 2023
Hourly Salary for Behavior Therapists
The BLS also breaks down compensation for behavior therapists by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for behavior therapists in 2023 was $28. Lowest hourly earners took home $19 while the highest reported hourly salaries for behavior therapists was $50.
Hourly Salary Range For Behavior Therapists In 2023
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Advertised Compensation for Behavior Therapists
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for behavior therapists, 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 behavior therapists.
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 Behavior Therapists
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 46,798 job postings related to behavior therapists, advertised salary was included in 23,516 of them, which was 50%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for behavior therapists was $73,600 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Behavior Therapists
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for behavior therapists. Based on 15% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for behavior therapists in the United States is about $35.
Salary Trend for Behavior Therapists
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for behavior therapists. 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 behavior therapists dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for behavior therapists have increased 35%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Behavior Therapists
What's the Job Growth for Behavior Therapists?
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 behavior therapists over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 70,003 jobs for behavior therapists in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 13,879 jobs will be added. That's a 19.8% increase over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Behavior Therapists
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about behavior therapists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for behavior therapists.
What do behavior therapists do?
Behavior Therapists: How do you become one?
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