Behavior therapist demographics and statistics in the US
Behavior therapist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates behavior therapist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our behavior therapist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about behavior therapists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 36,773 behavior therapists currently employed in the United States.
- 80.5% of all behavior therapists are women, while 19.5% are men.
- The average behavior therapist age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of behavior therapists is White (68.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.9%), Black or African American (7.0%) and Unknown (5.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 98% of what men earned.
- 6% of all behavior therapists are LGBT.
- Behavior therapists are 73% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Behavior therapist demographics by:
Behavior therapist gender statistics
80.5% of behavior therapists are women and 19.5% of behavior therapists are men.
- Female, 80.5%
- Male, 19.5%
Behavior therapist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 80.5% |
| Male | 19.5% |
Behavior therapist gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$36,371
Female income
$35,777
Behavior therapist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in behavior therapist positions over time. Currently, 80.5% of behavior therapists are female.
Behavior therapist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 27.80% | 72.20% |
| 2011 | 26.35% | 73.65% |
| 2012 | 26.16% | 73.84% |
| 2013 | 25.95% | 74.05% |
| 2014 | 25.07% | 74.93% |
| 2015 | 25.13% | 74.87% |
| 2016 | 24.14% | 75.86% |
| 2017 | 23.50% | 76.50% |
| 2018 | 24.46% | 75.54% |
| 2019 | 16.13% | 83.87% |
| 2020 | 22.06% | 77.94% |
| 2021 | 19.47% | 80.53% |
Behavior therapist related jobs gender ratio
We compared behavior therapists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public health worker and rehabilitation engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding Educator | 2% | 98% |
| Certified Lactation Counselor | 3% | 97% |
| Lactation Specialist | 5% | 95% |
| Behavior Therapist | 19% | 81% |
| Donation Worker | 70% | 30% |
| Rehabilitation Engineer | 70% | 30% |
| Public Health Worker | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Behavior therapist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among behavior therapists is White, which makes up 68.5% of all behavior therapists. Comparatively, 13.9% of behavior therapists are Hispanic or Latino and 7.0% of behavior therapists are Black or African American.
- White, 68.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 13.9%
- Black or African American, 7.0%
- Unknown, 5.5%
- Asian, 4.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Behavior therapist race
| Behavior therapist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 68.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13.9% |
| Black or African American | 7.0% |
| Unknown | 5.5% |
| Asian | 4.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Behavior therapist race and ethnicity over time
See how behavior therapist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Behavior therapist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.45% | 15.69% | 2.72% | 8.31% |
| 2011 | 69.57% | 15.56% | 2.82% | 8.79% |
| 2012 | 68.76% | 15.46% | 2.62% | 9.65% |
| 2013 | 69.18% | 15.73% | 2.66% | 9.33% |
| 2014 | 68.78% | 15.39% | 2.79% | 9.76% |
| 2015 | 69.46% | 14.13% | 3.09% | 10.11% |
| 2016 | 68.87% | 14.04% | 2.98% | 10.56% |
| 2017 | 69.66% | 14.06% | 2.85% | 10.41% |
| 2018 | 76.40% | 10.25% | 3.11% | 8.39% |
| 2019 | 76.56% | 7.66% | 2.39% | 10.77% |
| 2020 | 71.95% | 7.01% | 3.66% | 13.72% |
| 2021 | 68.51% | 6.97% | 4.57% | 13.94% |
Behavior therapist wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino behavior therapists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american behavior therapists have the lowest average salary at $34,884.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $36,545 |
| White | $36,862 |
| Black or African American | $34,884 |
| Asian | $36,373 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $37,239 |
Average behavior therapist age
See how the average age of behavior therapists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Behavior therapist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 39.5 | |
| White | 38 | 39 |
| Black or African American | 39.5 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36.5 |
Behavior therapist age breakdown
The average age of behavior therapists is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the behavior therapist population.
Behavior therapist age breakdown
| Behavior Therapist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 39% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Behavior therapist educational attainment
The most common degree for behavior therapists is bachelor's degree, with 71% of behavior therapists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Behavior therapists by degree level
| Behavior therapist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 71% |
| Master's | 17% |
| Associate | 8% |
| High School Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Behavior therapist jobs you might like
Behavior therapist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $37,495 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,491 |
Behavior therapist employment statistics
Most behavior therapists work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where behavior therapists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where behavior therapists work.
Behavior therapist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 24% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 41% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 15% |
| > 10,000 employees | 3% |
Behavior therapist jobs by company type
Employees with the behavior therapist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most behavior therapists prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Behavior therapist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 23% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 73% |
| Government | 2% |
Behavior therapist jobs by industry
The most common industries for behavior therapists are health care, professional and education.
Behavior therapist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 36% |
| Professional | 19% |
| Education | 18% |
| Non Profits | 8% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Media | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
Behavior therapist turnover and employment statistics
Behavior therapist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for behavior therapists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Behavior therapist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Behavior therapist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.18% |
| 2011 | 5.42% |
| 2012 | 4.84% |
| 2013 | 4.91% |
| 2014 | 3.67% |
| 2015 | 3.13% |
| 2016 | 3.01% |
| 2017 | 2.42% |
| 2018 | 2.97% |
| 2019 | 1.10% |
| 2020 | 2.38% |
| 2021 | 1.88% |
Average behavior therapist tenure
The average behavior therapist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,533 behavior therapists resumes in Zippia's database.
Behavior therapist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 29% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 19% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Behavior therapist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of behavior therapists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior Therapist | 6.02% | - |
| Sexual Assault Counselor | 8.96% | 75,374 |
| Parole Agent | 9.50% | 24,991 |
| Criminal Justice Social Worker | 11.25% | 85,917 |
| Social Worker Aide | 11.48% | 144,978 |
| Group Home Counselor | 15.06% | 79,344 |
| Substance Abuse Services Director | 15.06% | 57,827 |
Similar behavior therapist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Assault Counselor | 8.96% | 75,374 |
| Parole Agent | 9.50% | 24,991 |
| Criminal Justice Social Worker | 11.25% | 85,917 |
| Social Worker Aide | 11.48% | 144,978 |
| Group Home Counselor | 15.06% | 79,344 |
| Substance Abuse Services Director | 15.06% | 57,827 |
Foreign languages spoken by behavior therapists
The most common foreign language among behavior therapists is Spanish at 66.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 5.9% and Mandarin is the third-most popular at 2.8%.
- Spanish, 66.9%
- French, 5.9%
- Mandarin, 2.8%
- Korean, 2.8%
- Vietnamese, 2.6%
- Other, 19.0%
Behavior therapist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 66.9% |
| French | 5.9% |
| Mandarin | 2.8% |
| Korean | 2.8% |
| Vietnamese | 2.6% |
| Other | 19.0% |
