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The differences between behavior support specialists and behavioral specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a behavior support specialist, becoming a behavioral specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a behavioral specialist has an average salary of $42,029, which is higher than the $36,769 average annual salary of a behavior support specialist.
The top three skills for a behavior support specialist include social work, crisis intervention and applied behavior analysis. The most important skills for a behavioral specialist are mental health, autism, and applied behavior analysis.
| Behavior Support Specialist | Behavioral Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $36,769 | $42,029 |
| Hourly rate | $17.68 | $20.21 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 140,749 | 74,968 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
Behavior support specialists are social work professionals who provide support to other therapists in treating individuals with behavioral issues. These specialists must provide behavior analysis and health consultations to individuals who are diagnosed with development delay issues, disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders. They must develop and monitor crisis intervention plans for patients with mental health and behavioral needs. Behavior support specialists must also work with special education and regular teachers to implement behavior intervention strategies for students with special education needs.
A behavioral specialist is a psychological expert providing guidance and counseling to people who have behavioral issues affecting their abilities to learn and socialize with other people. Behavioral specialists assess the level of patients' behavior and make treatment plans to help them cope. They monitor the patient's progress and keep treatment reports, improving or adjusting treatment plans as needed. They also communicate with the patients' family and friends for treatment support, as well as coordinate with other health professionals for additional assistance.
Behavior support specialists and behavioral specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavior Support Specialist | Behavioral Specialist | |
| Average salary | $36,769 | $42,029 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $46,000 | Between $28,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Texas | Barbarian |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a behavior support specialist and a behavioral specialist in terms of educational background:
| Behavior Support Specialist | Behavioral Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | 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 behavior support specialists' and behavioral specialists' demographics:
| Behavior Support Specialist | Behavioral Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |