How to hire a behavioral analyst

How to hire a behavioral analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step behavioral analyst hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a behavioral analyst job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new behavioral analyst
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a behavioral analyst do?

Post a behavioral analyst job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your behavioral analyst job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a behavioral analyst for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a behavioral analyst to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a behavioral analyst that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of behavioral analysts.

   Type of Behavioral Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Behavioral Analyst	Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors advise people who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders, or other behavioral problems. They provide treatment and support to help the client recover from addiction or modify problem behaviors.	$20-53
   Substance Abuse Counselor	Substance abuse counselors act as a support system for people with drug and alcohol problems and other behavioral issues. They help the patients control their behavior until they achieve a full recovery... Show more	$12-32
   Program Counselor	A Program Counselor is an essential part of a school's faculty. It's the counselor's responsibility to ensure that students are benefiting from the school's educational curriculum... Show more	$15-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Autism
   • BCBA
   • Applied Behavior Analysis
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Behavioral Therapy
   • ABA
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Data Collection
   • Behavior Intervention
   • Data Analysis
   • Mental Health
   • Family Therapy
   • Intervention Plan
   • Progress Monitoring

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Observe patients and strategically prepare and manage clinical analysis of individuals and their progress in conjunction with formulate behavior goals.
   • Collaborate with treatment team including client, parents and caregivers, outside professionals, ABA's, and co-workers.
   • Assist high functioning autism children develop academic and social skills need to be successful by: helping with homework and playing games
   • Prepare young children with autism to succeed in mainstream educational environments.
   • Facilitate positive consumer and personal relationships base on positive consumer and personal relationships base on courtesy, compassion, and respect.
   • Provide model activities and conduct treatment interventions establish by the IIC define in individual treatment plans.

   More behavioral analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your behavioral analyst job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A behavioral analyst salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, behavioral analysts' average salary in nebraska is 39% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level behavioral analysts earn 63% less than senior-level behavioral analysts.
   • Certifications. A behavioral analyst with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a behavioral analyst's salary.

   Average behavioral analyst salary

   $69,468yearly

   $33.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level behavioral analyst salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average behavioral analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Oregon	$90,808	$44
   2	Pennsylvania	$90,683	$44
   3	California	$87,197	$42
   4	Kentucky	$84,041	$40
   5	Nevada	$82,936	$40
   6	New Jersey	$81,493	$39
   7	Massachusetts	$80,714	$39
   8	Indiana	$80,475	$39
   9	Wisconsin	$78,946	$38
   10	Washington	$78,065	$38
   11	North Carolina	$77,484	$37
   12	Ohio	$71,619	$34
   13	Virginia	$70,148	$34
   14	North Dakota	$69,805	$34
   15	Missouri	$68,509	$33
   16	Colorado	$67,970	$33
   17	Florida	$67,901	$33
   18	Texas	$67,331	$32
   19	Michigan	$66,473	$32
   20	Montana	$65,024	$31

   Average behavioral analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Therapy Source	$96,317	$46.31	11
   2	Maxim Healthcare Group	$91,818	$44.14	59
   3	Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.	$86,740	$41.70
   4	LetsTalk.com	$80,314	$38.61
   5	Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company	$80,221	$38.57
   6	Dean Health Plan	$79,661	$38.30
   7	Cole Health	$78,504	$37.74
   8	GradyHealth	$77,747	$37.38	2
   9	GPAC	$77,614	$37.31
   10	Clg	$74,923	$36.02
   11	Comp. Therapy	$74,457	$35.80
   12	HealthPRO	$73,831	$35.50	29
   13	Colorado State Express	$73,820	$35.49
   14	Children's Health Corporation	$73,820	$35.49
   15	Res-Care Premier	$70,099	$33.70	75
   16	Metrocare Services	$70,060	$33.68	12
   17	National Mentor Holdings Inc.	$69,085	$33.21
   18	Legacy Health	$68,006	$32.70	7
   19	Acadia Healthcare	$67,150	$32.28	286
   20	Mercy Health	$65,101	$31.30	9

4. Writing a behavioral analyst job description

   A good behavioral analyst job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a behavioral analyst job description:

   Behavioral analyst job description example

   Are you looking for an opportunity to advance your career while working with an extraordinary team? At Merakey, we put heart and soul into everything we do. We are seeking Board Certified Behavior Analyst to join our team at our program in Altoona and East Freedom, PA.
   
   Our Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) conducts supervisory functions of training, scheduling, monitoring and evaluating performance of all assigned staff; such as but not limited to registered behavior technicians, behavior technicians. Develops and oversees all behavioral treatment programs to meet the varied needs of clients. Identifies individual needs for treatment using skill acquisition, assessments and functional behavior assessments then develops comprehensive, individual behavior treatment plans for individuals with autism and related disorders. Directs intervention with the child, as needed, when therapist is unable to manage client's behaviors, and/or little treatment progress is documented, and to model more effective intervention strategies. Oversees all data driven processes related to progress documentation and advises changes to treatment planning when progress is lacking.
   BENEFITS
   
   Merakey offers Medical, Dental, Vision insurance plans, competitive compensation plans, Work/Life balance, flexible schedules, cell phone discount plan, employee referral bonuses, tuition reimbursement and much more!
   
   To be the difference in a child's life, apply today at: www.Merakey.org/careers
   
   
   ABOUT MERAKEY
   
   Merakey is a leading developmental, behavioral health, and education non-profit provider with a fifty-year history. We offer a breadth of integrated services to individuals and communities across the country. Our belief that every individual has the right to achieve growth, dignity, and fulfillment guides all of our decisions. At Merakey, we care about each other and are committed to providing the very best care to those we serve. Merakey strictly follows a zero-tolerance policy for abuse.
   
   Merakey is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer! We deeply value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ethnic background, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or disability status. Moreover, we are committed to creating teams that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.
   
   The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:
   
   * Master's Degree
   * Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find behavioral analysts for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your behavioral analyst job on Zippia to find and recruit behavioral analyst candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit behavioral analysts, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new behavioral analyst

   Once you have selected a candidate for the behavioral analyst position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new behavioral analyst. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a behavioral analyst?