New data illustrate the explosion of demand for clinicians who practice applied behavior analysis (ABA) in the U.S. job market.
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB) new research shows that the number of online job postings calling for board-certified behavioral analysts (BCBA) increased 9.2 times in 2023 compared to 2017. Similarly, the total number of job postings calling for board-certified assistant behavior analysts (BCaBAs) was up sixfold in the same period.
The growth in demand for BCBAs is meteoric and shows no signs of slowing. However, demand for BCaBAs has softened since reaching a high in 2021.
The number of jobs available for BCBAs and other clinicians in the industry starkly contrasts with the total number of certified BCBAs recognized by BACB in the first place.
In 2023, there were a total of 65,300 unduplicated job postings for BCBAs. There are a total of 66,300 clinicians with BCBA credentials recognized by the BACB, according to its latest certification data. In one year, there were more job postings for BCBAs than there were BCBA certificants, theoretically allowing all BCBAs to change jobs even assuming that all certificants are active in the field.
There is a similar gap for BCaBAs. There were 6,300 job postings in 2023. Compare that to the 5,400 BCaBAs recognized by the BACB.
“Annual nationwide demand for individuals holding BCBA or BCBA-D certification has increased each year since 2010, with a 14% increase from 2022 to 2023,” the report states.
State-level differences
Not all states see the same increased demand for BCBAs and BCaBAs.
“Demand was highest in five states in 2023 (ordered from most to least): California, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida, and Georgia,” the report states. “These five states account for 40% of the recent demand for behavior analysts, with California alone accounting for 18% of the 2023 demand.”
Growth in demand is widely seen across the states, but not evenly so. Demand in 2023 for BCBAs has exploded in Oregon (291%), Kansas (228%) and New Hampshire (107%). Seven other states saw notable demand increases: New Mexico (87%), Michigan (78%), Maryland (77%), Nebraska (77%), North Carolina (73%) and Connecticut (70%).
Six states saw decreases in the number of job postings for BCBAs: Minnesota (17%), Colorado (15%), California (10%), Florida (10%), Virginia (1%) and Texas (0.1%).
Overall demand for BCaBAs was down 12% in 2023 compared to 2021.
At the state level, the fastest-growing states for BCaBA job postings in 2023 were New Hampshire (325%), North Carolina (286%), New Mexico (186%), Kentucky (183%) and Oklahoma (167%). Eight states saw a reduction in demand for BCaBAs.
Other insights
The report, authored in partnership with labor market analysis company Lightcast, does not explore the reasons behind the explosion in demand for BCBAs and BCaBAs.
The explosion in autism spectrum disorder detection, the historic shortage of ABA services and massive interest from investors make these clinicians a hot commodity in the behavioral health industry, according to industry insiders.
This leaves autism therapy companies fighting to retain clinicians.Clinician turnover is an immense barrier to growth and a millstone for clinical quality and patient satisfaction.
To an increasing degree, this requires autism therapy providers to invest in educating front-line staff and aiding them along the path to becoming BCBAs, all the while paying wages and developing a company culture that compels retention while payer rates remain stubbornly fixed at historic levels.
