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The differences between aba therapists and residential counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an aba therapist and a residential counselor. Additionally, an aba therapist has an average salary of $35,938, which is higher than the $34,117 average annual salary of a residential counselor.
The top three skills for an aba therapist include autism, applied behavior analysis and BCBA. The most important skills for a residential counselor are direct care, medication administration, and mental health.
| ABA Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $35,938 | $34,117 |
| Hourly rate | $17.28 | $16.40 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 90,516 | 81,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An ABA therapist is responsible for administering treatment plans to patients with behavioral disabilities and intellectual disorders, supporting them through systematic processes, and recording their developmental progress throughout therapy sessions. ABA therapists develop engaging activities for the children, observing their personal and social behaviors, and adjust approach as needed. They also coordinate with other behavior therapists and other medical health professionals for refined strategies that adhere to the child's progress. An ABA therapist must have excellent communication and organizational skills to assist patients with different behavioral problems and attend to their needs efficiently.
A residential counselor is responsible for guiding and providing the residents with their basic needs and other resources to support them in their daily living. Residential counselors' duties include maintaining the safety of the community by enforcing safety guidelines and procedures for the residents' compliance, organizing productive and engaging community activities, updating the residents of any changes and policies in the community, and resolving conflicts by counseling and understanding each resident's differences. A residential counselor must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to ensure the development of residents in a living facility.
Aba therapists and residential counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| ABA Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Average salary | $35,938 | $34,117 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Cook Children's Medical Center | The Evergreens |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between an aba therapist and a residential counselor in terms of educational background:
| ABA Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between aba therapists' and residential counselors' demographics:
| ABA Therapist | Residential Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6% | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 15% |