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Behavioral psychologist vs behavior analyst

The differences between behavioral psychologists and behavior analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a behavioral psychologist, becoming a behavior analyst takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a behavioral psychologist has an average salary of $79,767, which is higher than the $73,616 average annual salary of a behavior analyst.

The top three skills for a behavioral psychologist include behavioral health, crisis intervention and mental illness. The most important skills for a behavior analyst are autism, applied behavior analysis, and BCBA.

Behavioral psychologist vs behavior analyst overview

Behavioral PsychologistBehavior Analyst
Yearly salary$79,767$73,616
Hourly rate$38.35$35.39
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs15,95567,013
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age4339
Years of experience26

Behavioral psychologist vs behavior analyst salary

Behavioral psychologists and behavior analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

Behavioral PsychologistBehavior Analyst
Average salary$79,767$73,616
Salary rangeBetween $54,000 And $116,000Between $51,000 And $105,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Empower U
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between behavioral psychologist and behavior analyst education

There are a few differences between a behavioral psychologist and a behavior analyst in terms of educational background:

Behavioral PsychologistBehavior Analyst
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachNorthwestern University

Behavioral psychologist vs behavior analyst demographics

Here are the differences between behavioral psychologists' and behavior analysts' demographics:

Behavioral PsychologistBehavior Analyst
Average age4339
Gender ratioMale, 57.1% Female, 42.9%Male, 28.9% Female, 71.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%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 Percentage12%12%

Differences between behavioral psychologist and behavior analyst duties and responsibilities

Behavioral psychologist example responsibilities.

  • Provide psychological therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder, deficit/hyperactive disorder, specific learning disorder and others mental diagnosis.
  • Provide consultation regarding appropriate placement/treatment of juveniles in the DJJ system.

Behavior analyst example responsibilities.

  • Manage and target behaviors using the ESDM, ABA, PRT and SCERTS model.
  • Conduct apply behavior analysis with children diagnose with autism spectrum disorders; collect and analyze data relate to behavioral trials.
  • Obtain RBT, CPR, CPI certification.
  • Go to different cases with kids that have autism and work to alter behavior.
  • Coordinate the changes with fire protection and hazardous materials supervisors at various DoD installations.
  • Focus primarily on functional communication and language, appropriate play skills, social skills, self-help skills, and parent training.
  • Show more

Behavioral psychologist vs behavior analyst skills

Common behavioral psychologist skills
  • Behavioral Health, 37%
  • Crisis Intervention, 14%
  • Mental Illness, 14%
  • Psychological Services, 8%
  • Psychological Evaluations, 6%
  • Psychological Assessments, 5%
Common behavior analyst skills
  • Autism, 19%
  • Applied Behavior Analysis, 16%
  • BCBA, 12%
  • ABA, 11%
  • Behavior Analysis, 10%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 3%

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