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The differences between behavioral 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 $33,282 average annual salary of a behavioral technician.
The top three skills for a behavioral technician include autism, applied behavior analysis and behavior analysis. The most important skills for a therapist are social work, patients, and group therapy sessions.
| Behavioral Technician | Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $33,282 | $55,943 |
| Hourly rate | $16.00 | $26.90 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 45,287 | 159,770 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 34 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A behavioral technician is responsible for supporting patients to overcome their behavior problems and difficulties. Behavioral technicians evaluate the patient's condition through counseling and administer behavioral treatment plans according to the patients' needs. They also coordinate with other physicians and mental health professionals for medications and more serious medical support as needed. A behavioral technician assists the patients in their daily activities, observe their social and personal behaviors, write progress reports, and develop engaging activities that would help them bring back a healthy lifestyle and growth.
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.
Behavioral technicians and therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Behavioral Technician | Therapist | |
| Average salary | $33,282 | $55,943 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $44,000 | Between $39,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Somerville, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Missouri State University | Childhelp |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a behavioral technician and a therapist in terms of educational background:
| Behavioral Technician | Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Johns Hopkins University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between behavioral technicians' and therapists' demographics:
| Behavioral Technician | Therapist | |
| Average age | 34 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.7% Female, 67.3% | 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% |