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The differences between aba therapists and special education teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special education teacher has an average salary of $54,290, which is higher than the $35,938 average annual salary of an aba therapist.
The top three skills for an aba therapist include autism, applied behavior analysis and BCBA. The most important skills for a special education teacher are classroom management, autism, and behavior management.
| ABA Therapist | Special Education Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $35,938 | $54,290 |
| Hourly rate | $17.28 | $26.10 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 90,516 | 67,699 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 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 special education teacher is responsible for teaching students with disabilities. Special education teachers are trained professionals to provide distinct learning instructions for children with special cases for them to achieve their potentials and improve their self-confidence. A special education teacher must have excellent communication and organizational skills to assist the students with their learning areas. Special education teachers should be able to come up with engaging activities to support the students' behavioral and intellectual development.
Aba therapists and special education teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| ABA Therapist | Special Education Teacher | |
| Average salary | $35,938 | $54,290 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $39,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Cook Children's Medical Center | Baltimore City Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between an aba therapist and a special education teacher in terms of educational background:
| ABA Therapist | Special Education Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Special Education |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between aba therapists' and special education teachers' demographics:
| ABA Therapist | Special Education Teacher | |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6% | Male, 24.6% Female, 75.4% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 3.6% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |