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The differences between behavior technicians and therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a therapist has an average salary of $55,943, which is higher than the $38,026 average annual salary of a behavior technician.
The top three skills for a behavior technician include autism, applied behavior analysis and behavior analysis. The most important skills for a therapist are social work, patients, and group therapy sessions.
| Behavior Technician | Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,026 | $55,943 |
| Hourly rate | $18.28 | $26.90 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 47,541 | 159,770 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 34 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The job of a behavioral technician is to offer mental health services to patients who struggle with behavior-related problems. Behavior technicians uphold the highest standard of quality of care. They are the ones who enforce learning programs like self-help, communication, and play skills. It is their duty to incorporate medical care training for parents, so caregivers or family members can support and teach skills during family activities. One must be good in written and verbal communication, can work with team members, and develop good interpersonal relationship skills to be a good technician.
A therapist is responsible for improving the patients' health conditions by evaluating their needs and providing physical and mental support. Therapists are licensed, medical professionals who specialize in different areas to perform treatments and bring relief to patients. Some of their duties include diagnosing patient's problems, performing counseling services, monitoring medication progress, customizing therapy activities for pain management, and consulting other health professionals as needed. Therapists must have extensive knowledge with the medical industry to detect patients' conditions easily and provide effective medications.
Behavior technicians and therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavior Technician | Therapist | |
| Average salary | $38,026 | $55,943 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $49,000 | Between $39,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Ernst & Young | Childhelp |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a behavior technician and a therapist in terms of educational background:
| Behavior Technician | Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between behavior technicians' and therapists' demographics:
| Behavior Technician | Therapist | |
| Average age | 34 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.5% Female, 73.5% | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 12% |