Experienced board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA®s) in California can earn salaries as high as $112,210 a year, according to 2021 statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Burning Glass Technologies reported that California was one of the top three states in the country with the largest number of job postings for BCBA®s between 2012 and 2014.
While BCBA®s serve a variety of functions ranging from crisis intervention to employee training, applied behavior analysis is best recognized for being one of the most effective forms of treatment for autism. In fact, experience with autism was the top skill listed in job postings for BCBA®s in 2014 according to Burning Glass Technologies.
Salaries for Experienced BCBA®s in the Largest Metropolitan areas of California
The range of salaries for board-certified behavior analysts with ten years of experience in the field are shown below (median to top 10% – current as of May, 2021):
Fresno:
- 50th: $104,420
- 75th: $128,160
- 90th: $128,160
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim:
- 50th: $108,720
- 75th: $136,780
- 90th: $165,060
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario:
- 50th: $112,240
- 75th: $129,770
- 90th: $144,660
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade:
- 50th: $132,260
- 75th: $143,580
- 90th: $168,300
San Diego-Carlsbad:
- 50th: $113,420
- 75th: $127,170
- 90th: $134,060
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward:
- 50th: $135,990
- 75th: $156,600
- 90th: $171,670
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara:
- 50th: $112,380
- 75th: $138,610
- 90th: $146,120
Starting Salaries for BCBA®s in the Largest Metropolitan areas of California
The most highly paid BCBA®s in California who lack job experience in the field of behavior analysis can command salaries that exceed the median salary among highly experienced BCBA®s in the state. Salary data shown below for entry-level ABAs is current as of May 2021 (10th percentile to median):
Fresno:
- 10th: $31,400
- 25th: $50,520
- 50th: $104,420
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim:
- 10th: $52,520
- 25th: $88,480
- 50th: $108,720
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario:
- 10th: $52,520
- 25th: $91,440
- 50th: $112,240
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade:
- 10th: $92,870
- 25th: $114,130
- 50th: $132,260
San Diego-Carlsbad:
- 10th: $51,850
- 25th: $86,720
- 50th: $113,420
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward:
- 10th: $56,080
- 25th: $103,960
- 50th: $135,990
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara:
- 10th: $31,820
- 25th: $56,080
- 50th: $112,380
The Rate of Autism in California Increased Nearly 500% Over a Ten-Year Period
The large number of children with autism in California is one of the reasons why the state has such a large number of job postings for BCBA®s. UC Irvine reported that the rate of autism increased by nearly 500% over a ten-year period.
In 2011, the California Department of Education found that about 1% of all children in the state’s public schools had been diagnosed with autism. This figure is likely to be an underestimate of the true number of children affected, since many children that meet the criteria for an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis are too severely afflicted to attend school. Orange County had the highest rate of autism with 15% of students receiving special education services for autism.
California requires that all insurance plans provide coverage to treat autism. They include ABA intervention programs among the treatments covered. The implementation of this legislation in 2012 increased the demand for BCBA®s who frequently supervise the behavior technicians who provide direct therapy to the children.
ABA Providers in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles area has a tremendous number of ABA providers. Autism Speaks® listed 229 of them within 60 miles of downtown Los Angeles. Fifteen providers offered ABA services within five miles of the center of Los Angeles:
- AHEAD: Advancing Higher Education and Development
- Behavioral Health Works (BHW)
- Bloom Child Development
- Building Block Resolutions, Inc.
- Butterfly Effects
- Betty B. Bostani
- Holding Hands Pediatric Therapy & Diagnostics
- Innovative Speech and Language Pathology (ISLP)
- Integrated Therapy Solutions (ITS)
- Intercare Therapy, Inc.
- Kayne Eras Center
- Keany Associates, Inc.
- Language & Learning Centers of America (LLCA)
- STAR of CA Behavioral and Psychological Services
- Working with Autism
2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Psychologists, All Other reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed January 2023.