What Is The Average RBT Salary?
The average Registered Behavior Technician salary is around $54,000 per year in the U.S.
Entry-level positions begin at salaries of around $47,000 per year.
If someone has more years of experience as an RBT, they can earn more than $66,000 per year. Over the next 10 years, RBT's job growth rate is 12%-22%. Experts believe there will be more RBT jobs than ever before over the next 10 years.
There are several factors which influence the actual salary you'll make working as a behavior technician:
- Certifications
- Skills
- Location
- Experience
- Demand for ABA therapy
- Additional education
Of course, there are numerous benefits of working as an RBT, but one of them is the potential for job growth. Starting as an RBT will allow you to get increases in salary as you receive additional experience, skills, and certification.
RBT Average Salary By State
| State |
Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
| New York |
$48,157 |
$4,013 |
$926 |
$23.15 |
| New Hampshire |
$45,694 |
$3,807 |
$878 |
$21.97 |
| Vermont |
$44,090 |
$3,674 |
$847 |
$21.20 |
| Wyoming |
$41,938 |
$3,494 |
$806 |
$20.16 |
| Arizona |
$41,756 |
$3,479 |
$803 |
$20.08 |
| Hawaii |
$41,695 |
$3,474 |
$801 |
$20.05 |
| Massachusetts |
$41,621 |
$3,468 |
$800 |
$20.01 |
| Montana |
$41,455 |
$3,454 |
$797 |
$19.93 |
| Tennessee |
$41,213 |
$3,434 |
$792 |
$19.81 |
| Nevada |
$41,084 |
$3,423 |
$790 |
$19.75 |
| Indiana |
$40,685 |
$3,390 |
$782 |
$19.56 |
| Washington |
$40,631 |
$3,385 |
$781 |
$19.53 |
| West Virginia |
$40,628 |
$3,385 |
$781 |
$19.53 |
| New Jersey |
$40,560 |
$3,380 |
$780 |
$19.50 |
| Connecticut |
$40,120 |
$3,343 |
$771 |
$19.29 |
| Minnesota |
$40,090 |
$3,340 |
$770 |
$19.27 |
| Rhode Island |
$39,733 |
$3,311 |
$764 |
$19.10 |
| Pennsylvania |
$39,476 |
$3,289 |
$759 |
$18.98 |
| Alaska |
$39,378 |
$3,281 |
$757 |
$18.93 |
| Oregon |
$39,317 |
$3,276 |
$756 |
$18.90 |
| North Dakota |
$38,559 |
$3,213 |
$741 |
$18.54 |
| Maryland |
$38,338 |
$3,194 |
$737 |
$18.43 |
| Wisconsin |
$38,166 |
$3,180 |
$733 |
$18.35 |
| Ohio |
$37,635 |
$3,136 |
$723 |
$18.09 |
| Virginia |
$37,276 |
$3,106 |
$716 |
$17.92 |
| California |
$37,075 |
$3,089 |
$712 |
$17.82 |
| Idaho |
$36,961 |
$3,080 |
$710 |
$17.77 |
| Iowa |
$36,849 |
$3,070 |
$708 |
$17.72 |
| Alabama |
$36,666 |
$3,055 |
$705 |
$17.63 |
| South Dakota |
$36,523 |
$3,043 |
$702 |
$17.56 |
| Utah |
$36,377 |
$3,031 |
$699 |
$17.49 |
| Nebraska |
$36,276 |
$3,023 |
$697 |
$17.44 |
| New Mexico |
$36,231 |
$3,019 |
$696 |
$17.42 |
| Colorado |
$36,117 |
$3,009 |
$694 |
$17.36 |
| Florida |
$35,950 |
$2,995 |
$691 |
$17.28 |
| Delaware |
$35,912 |
$2,992 |
$690 |
$17.27 |
| South Carolina |
$35,501 |
$2,958 |
$682 |
$17.07 |
| Maine |
$35,167 |
$2,930 |
$676 |
$16.91 |
| Arkansas |
$34,848 |
$2,904 |
$670 |
$16.75 |
| Kansas |
$34,724 |
$2,893 |
$667 |
$16.69 |
| Mississippi |
$34,434 |
$2,869 |
$662 |
$16.55 |
| Oklahoma |
$34,375 |
$2,864 |
$661 |
$16.53 |
| Kentucky |
$34,153 |
$2,846 |
$656 |
$16.42 |
| Michigan |
$33,865 |
$2,822 |
$651 |
$16.28 |
| Georgia |
$33,777 |
$2,814 |
$649 |
$16.24 |
| Missouri |
$32,960 |
$2,746 |
$633 |
$15.85 |
| Illinois |
$32,951 |
$2,745 |
$633 |
$15.84 |
| Texas |
$32,851 |
$2,737 |
$631 |
$15.79 |
| Louisiana |
$31,969 |
$2,664 |
$614 |
$15.37 |
| North Carolina |
$29,760 |
$2,480 |
$572 |
$14.31 |
Highest-Paying Cities For RBTs
| Rank |
City |
Average Salary |
Hourly Rate |
| 1 |
Urban Honolulu, HI |
$54,234 |
$26.07 |
| 2 |
Campbell, CA |
$46,546 |
$22.38 |
| 3 |
Worcester, MA |
$44,464 |
$21.38 |
| 4 |
Baltimore, MD |
$42,536 |
$20.45 |
| 5 |
New York, NY |
$42,350 |
$20.36 |
| 6 |
Lakewood, WA |
$42,347 |
$20.36 |
| 7 |
Lakewood, NJ |
$42,115 |
$20.25 |
| 8 |
Chicago, IL |
$41,072 |
$19.75 |
| 9 |
Saint Paul, MN |
$37,623 |
$18.09 |
| 10 |
Lakewood, CO |
$36,340 |
$17.47 |
| 11 |
Surprise, AZ |
$36,073 |
$17.34 |
| 12 |
Tampa, FL |
$36,054 |
$17.33 |
| 13 |
Jacksonville, NC |
$35,770 |
$17.20 |
| 14 |
Houston, TX |
$35,517 |
$17.08 |
| 15 |
Fond du Lac, WI |
$35,503 |
$17.07 |
RBT Salary By Experience
The average salary for behavior technicians is lower than that of other professions in the ABA industry, such as behavior analysts. This is mainly because one only needs a high school diploma and an RBT certification to become an RBT.
Below is a table which shows how your salary will change as you gain more experience working as an RBT:
| Years of Experience |
RBT Hourly Rate |
| Less than 1 year |
$16.21/hour |
| 1-4 years |
$17.18/hour |
| 5-9 years |
$18.11/hour |
| 10-19 years |
$18.84/hour |
| 20+ years |
$20/hour |
Registered Behavior Technician Salary By Year
| Year |
Average Salary |
Hourly Rate |
% Change |
| 2022 |
$38,000 |
$18.28 |
+3.6% |
| 2021 |
$36,700 |
$17.63 |
+2.7% |
| 2020 |
$35,700 |
$17.15 |
+3.7% |
| 2019 |
$34,400 |
$16.53 |
+2.2% |
| 2018 |
$33,600 |
$16.16 |
-0.5% |
| 2017 |
$33,800 |
$16.25 |
+0.0% |
| 2016 |
$33,800 |
$16.25 |
+4.0% |
| 2015 |
$32,400 |
$15.59 |
-0.6% |
| 2014 |
$32,600 |
$15.68 |
+5.3% |
| 2013 |
$30,900 |
$14.86 |
- |
Highest Paying States For Registered Behavior Technician Jobs
The states where the average RBT salary is above the national average are:
- New York
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
FAQs
Which state pays RBTs the most?
New York is the state which pays RBTs the most. In fact, RBTs earn $48,157 per year in New York, on average.
What type of behavior technician earns the most?
Mental Health Nurse earns the most, and the average salary is $106,812 per year.
How much do RBTs make?
The average salary of an RBT is around $54,000 per year in the U.S. Entry-level positions begin at salaries of around $47,000 per year.
