After ten years in the field, the median salary among Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®s) in Nebraska was $55,915 as of December 2016. Top earning ABAs whose salaries fall within the 90th percentile can earn up to $84,000 a year. In addition, ABAs enjoyed an incremental salary increase of more than $1,000 a year over a ten-year period.
Shown below is a summary of the highlights of the salaries among ABAs in the six largest cities in Nebraska (December 2016):
- Omaha was home to highest paid ABAs in Nebraska
- Experienced ABAs in the 90th percentile employed by the government in Omaha earned the highest median salary statewide
- ABAs in Fremont received the largest yearly increase—nearly $1,400 each year
Salaries for Experienced Board Certified Behavior Analysts in Nebraska’s Largest Cities
Shown below are the salary figures for applied behavior analysts with ten years of experience in the six largest cities in Nebraska by sector. Each list provides the overall salary range (from median to 90th percentile) for each city, followed by the median salary for a number of employment sectors (December 2016):
Omaha – $58.395 – $76,000
- Companies – $60,138
- Government – $62,236
- Private Practice – $59.674
- School Districts – $59,528
- Non-Profits – $57,732
Lincoln – $54,155 – $71,000
- Companies – $59,018
- Private Practice – $58,521
- Government – $57,446
- School Districts – $55,514
- Non-Profits – $53,864
Bellevue – $56,688 – $76,000
- Government – $60,920
- Companies – $59,839
- Private Practice – $58,058
- School Districts – $56,669
- Non-Profits – $55,915
Grand Island – $53,673 – $70,000
- Companies – $59,210
- Private Practice – $58,997
- Government – $57,619
- Non-Profits – $56,095
- School Districts – $55,625
Kearney – $56,453 – $77,000
- Companies – $60,762
- Private Practice – $60,675
- Government – $59,537
- Non-Profits – $57,156
- School Districts – $56,531
Fremont – $56,125 – $75,000
- Private Practice – $60,492
- Companies – $60,006
- Non-Profits – $56,159
- Government – $55,981
- School Districts – $54,835
Entry-Level Salaries for Board Certified Behavior Analysts in Nebraska’s Largest Cities
Shown below are the entry-level salary figures for behavior analysts in the six largest cities in Nebraska by sector. Each list provides the overall salary range (from median to 90th percentile) for each city, followed by the median salary for a number of employment sectors (December 2016):
Omaha – $49,054 – $64,000
- Companies – $50,573
- Government – $50,311
- School Districts – $49,696
- Private Practice – $48,972
- Non-Profits – $47,604
Lincoln – $46,776 – $62,000
- Government – $48,752
- Private Practice – $47,038
- School Districts – $45,952
- Companies – $45,793
- Non-Profits – $45,115
Bellevue – $46,920 – $63,000
- Companies – $48,851
- Government – $48,740
- Private Practice – $47,624
- School Districts – $46,007
- Non-Profits – $45,396
Grand Island – $43,143 – $57,000
- Companies – $46,525
- Private Practice – $45,758
- Government – $45,439
- Non-Profits – $45,190
- School Districts – $44,722
Kearney – $44,582 – $61,000
- Companies – $47,715
- Government – $47,121
- Private Practice – $47,111
- School Districts – $46,334
- Non-Profits – $45,157
Fremont – $42,323 – $57,000
- Companies – $47,235
- Government – $45,574
- Private Practice – $44,385
- Non-Profits – $43,943
- School Districts – $43,562
Nebraska Enacted Autism Insurance Reform in 2014
April 21, 2014 marked “a great day for Autism families in Nebraska” according to Vicki Depenbusch, the advocacy chair for Nebraska for the national science and policy organization Autism Speaks and the parent of an autistic child.
On that day, Governor Heineman signed legislation that required certain insurance companies to cover autism diagnosis and treatment up to age 20. This bill made Nebraska the 36th state to enact autism insurance reform.
Behavioral health treatment such as ABA is a critical component in treating autism by training patients to interact with other people more effectively and become more aware of the feelings of others. However, the intensive ABA treatment that many patients require can be highly expensive and out of the reach of many families with autistic children.
The law requires certain insurance companies to cover up to 25 hours of behavioral treatment a week, including ABA. An additional benefit of this new law is that the expanded availability of these services enhances the opportunities for ABAs in the private sector.
State employees will be covered under the new law as well as residents covered by certain state-regulated group and individual health policies.
PayScale.com provides detailed information on what applied behavior analysts in various employment settings and with various levels of experience can expect to earn in Nebraska.