What BCBAs Are Looking for in a Job: Survey Results

With fierce competition for BCBAs, ABA practices are finding themselves stuck searching for months to fill open roles. In a recent LinkedIn poll, 36% of employers shared it takes five or more months to fill open BCBA positions.

These days, organizational leaders, hiring managers, and recruiters must think beyond traditional job descriptions and dig deeper into what clinicians truly want from an employer. Understanding what BCBAs are looking for in their job search can help organizations grab the attention of job seekers, improve retention, and ultimately deliver better care.

To gain a clearer picture of what BCBAs look for when searching for a position, we surveyed 100 BCBAs. We won't bury the lead. BCBAs overwhelmingly seek transparency in job postings. Let's dive deeper into these results.

Percentage of BCBAs Searching for a New Job

50% of BCBAs surveyed were actively exploring new opportunities or considering doing so in the next 60 days. 25% reported they were not exploring opportunities, and 25% said they were unsure. This data may suggest a workforce that is either ready for change or feeling uncertain in their current roles. Either way, it highlights the importance of offering competitive roles that address what BCBAs value.

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Preferred Work Setting(s)

We asked BCBAs which setting(s) they would consider when applying for a new role. The results were a mixed bag. However, the majority of BCBAs reported an interest in either remote or hybrid work options. While telehealth delivery of ABA services isn't always appropriate for every client, staff, or situation, this preference highlights a growing demand for flexibility. Organizations may benefit from evaluating whether they could offer hybrid roles to strike a balance between client needs and clinician work-life balance.

Percentage of BCBAs who would consider a role in the following settings:

• Remote/Telehealth: 60%

• Hybrid: 58%

• Center/Clinic: 53%

• In-home: 32%

• School: 27%

Two respondents selected "other," sharing they're seeking opportunities in research settings and residential/adult day programs.

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Ideal Billable Expectation

BCBAs who work within insurance-funded services typically have a billable hour requirement. On top of their billable expectations, they generally work several hours doing non-billable/admin work, including meetings, programming, creating stimuli, fieldwork supervision, emails, phone calls, and the list goes on.

The caseload size/billable requirement was ranked as the 2nd most important factor when considering a BCBA position. To add clarity to this, we asked BCBAs what number of billable hours they look for when considering positions. The majority (46%) responded with 23-25 hours/week.

In ranked order, BCBAs reported the following preferred billable expectations:

1. 23-25 Hours/week: 46%

2. 26-28 Hours/week: 20%

3. 20-22 Hours/week: 20%

4. Less than 20 Hours: 9%

5. 29-31 Hours/week: 2%

6. 32-34 Hours/week: 1%

7. 35+ Hours/week: 1%

   
   

The majority of BCBAs expect 23-25 billable hours/week

Note: 2 respondents did not answer this question

Most Important Factors BCBAs Consider

When asked to select the top three most important factors they consider when reviewing open positions, salary/hourly wage stood out overwhelmingly, with 78% of respondents including it in their top choices.

In ranked order, the most important factors BCBAs consider when choosing a new position include:

1. Salary/hourly wage: 78%

2. Caseload size/billable requirements: 49%

3. Job flexibility: 44%

4. Benefits: 36%

5. Working hours: 32%

6. Autonomy in their role: 24%

7. Alignment in values: 22%

8. Opportunities for career growth: 17%

9. Setting/location: 15%

10. Company Culture: 15%

11. Mentorship/supervision: 7%

12. Technology/resources: 1%

    
    

Key takeaways

Unsurprisingly, compensation remains a top concern. BCBAs are looking for companies that can offer not only a competitive salary or hourly rate but also a benefits package that reflects the value of their work.

That said, non-financial factors also play a significant role in their decision-making. Sustainable caseloads and realistic billable expectations ranked second, indicating that BCBAs are paying close attention to workload and trying to reduce burnout risk.

Behavior analysts also seek flexibility, such as remote or hybrid work options or flexible scheduling. For many, this comes down to work-life balance. The work BCBAs do is critical and incredibly valuable. However, they're more than a BCBA. Many are parents. They may hold other jobs, have hobbies, social lives, and countless other responsibilities. Societally, it's becoming increasingly important to nurture the other aspects of one's life beyond their career—and job seekers are looking for practice owners who understand that.

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What Draws BCBAs to a Particular Position?

In our final survey question, we asked BCBAs what catches their attention when scrolling through job postings. Given the continued high demand for qualified clinicians, organizations must be intentional when crafting job ads to ensure they stand out and draw clinicians in to learn more.

This was an open-ended question. While responses varied, one of the main takeaways was that transparency in job postings matters. Let's dive deeper into what respondents shared.

Related Article: Best Practices for BCBA Job Postings: A Guide for ABA Hiring Managers

Transparency in Pay & Benefits

Job seekers want to know what the position will pay. This is a standard expectation across industries. Many behavior analysts will skip over a job post that does not include a salary expectation, as they don't want to waste their (or the company's) time.

Many respondents added comments related to transparency in pay. Here are a few comments that stood out:

• "Clearly stated benefits. Example: instead of “competitive salary”, list the salary range. Instead of “family friendly”, list specifically stated benefits regarding parental leave."
  

• "When scrolling through open BCBA positions, I’m most drawn to roles that clearly outline compensation, caseload expectations, and opportunities for clinical support."
  

• "TRANSPARENCY"
  

• "Flexibility and growth, plus a salary range included. Basically, transparency."

BCBAs also want to know about non-billable pay for hourly roles. A job post that advertises $80-$100/hour might sound appealing, but if non-billable time is either unpaid or reimbursed at a significantly lower wage, that rate becomes misleading. Clinicians want to know the full picture before applying.

Manageable Caseload With Full Transparency

Just as with pay, behavior analysts want to see upfront details on the caseload they can expect—before they apply. Several respondents commented that this is a missing component in many job ads—or, when companies do include a snippet of information about the caseload size or billable expectation, it's vague and misleading.

Here are a few examples of comments respondents made regarding how transparency in billable expectations and caseload size influence their interest in a job post.

• "Clear expectations of billable hours."

• "Job listing clearly includes billable hour requirement, how much flexibility there is for the role (not just "flexible schedule"), caseload size, and type of environment."

• "I see “low caseloads” and I ignore these because it’s usually followed up by “8-10 families” which is NOT low.

• "When scrolling through open BCBA positions, I’m most drawn to roles that clearly outline compensation, caseload expectations, and opportunities for clinical support."

• "Nonbillable pay, low billable hour requirements, companies who WANT you to bill 20% instead of pushing 12 kids at 5% on you."

Flexibility & Work-Life Balance

As previously highlighted, work-life balance is essential for BCBAs. They're often balancing high-stress roles with personal responsibilities. For some, flexibility was just as important as compensation.

Here are a few comments respondents shared related to flexibility and work-life balance:

• “Flexibility is important as a new mom. A high salary will grab my attention but trust and flexibility goes a long way.”
  

• “Remote, autonomy, no evenings.”
  

• "Good pay first and foremost, but flexible scheduling and autonomy are key for me!"

  
  

• "How much flexibility there is for the role (not just "flexible schedule")
  

• “Flex scheduling, available assessments, and resources."
  

• “Offering true PTO… not having to frontload or make up hours for going on vacation, sick days, etc.”

  
  

• “WFH days, smaller caseloads”

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Company Culture, Ethics, Values, and Clinical Quality

It can be difficult to get a full picture of the company's culture, ethics, and quality of care they provide based on a short job description. However, there are ways these things shine through in job posts. One respondent added that they click on the company's page to learn whether they're well-aligned with the organization's culture and values. They shared one thing they look for is how long current employees have been with the company, as retention is important to them.

Here are a few additional comments regarding how the company's culture, ethics, and values shared on a job post draw job seekers in:

• "Those that focus on quality assurance and mentorship"
  

• "What makes the company unique and where they stand on clinical quality"
  

• "Mission statements"
  

• "Focus on ethics"
  

• "Clinician Owned and Operated"
  

• "I also value flexibility, transparency, and a collaborative work environment that prioritizes ethical practice and family-centered care. Positions that offer growth in areas such as supervision, OBM, or training are especially appealing to me."
  

• "A company culture that focuses not only on the client but the family. I also want to know that the company will have my back when it comes to dealing with parents as they are the hardest part of the job."
  

• "Companies who WANT you to bill 20% instead of pushing 12 kids at 5% on you."

  
  

• "Company culture being obvious, are the RBT's all taken care of, given hours, being able to pay their bills"

Limitations and Considerations

The survey shared by ABA Resource Center was not a scientific study and shouldn't be interpreted as such. It was a brief survey shared via our social media platforms and included 100 respondents. While the responses offer valuable insight into what many behavior analysts are looking for in a role, the sample size and distribution method limit the generalizability of the findings. These results should be viewed as a snapshot of current trends, not a comprehensive representation of the ABA field.

Turn Insight Into Action

With an undersupply of BCBAs, ABA employers must evaluate how they're positioning themselves to attract and retain qualified clinicians.

The results of this survey offer a clear message: when job hunting, behavior analysts seek transparency, flexibility, and competitive pay and benefits for their time and expertise. If you're hiring, now is the time to rethink how you're showing up in job postings as well as how your practice supports clinicians behind the scenes. From clearly outlining compensation and caseload expectations to sharing how you offer flexibility and prioritize ethical care, every detail matters.

Seeking BCBAs to join your practice? Post your open positions on the ABA Job Board & start reaching candidates today!