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Family therapist vs aba therapist

The differences between family therapists and aba therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a family therapist and an aba therapist. Additionally, a family therapist has an average salary of $50,774, which is higher than the $35,938 average annual salary of an aba therapist.

The top three skills for a family therapist include social work, patients and rehabilitation. The most important skills for an aba therapist are autism, applied behavior analysis, and BCBA.

Family therapist vs aba therapist overview

Family TherapistABA Therapist
Yearly salary$50,774$35,938
Hourly rate$24.41$17.28
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs106,98290,516
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4141
Years of experience44

What does a family therapist do?

A Family Therapist works with couples and families to help ameliorate marital and family issues. They can work in hospitals, treatment programs, government agencies, health organizations, and private practices.

What does an aba therapist do?

An ABA therapist is responsible for administering treatment plans to patients with behavioral disabilities and intellectual disorders, supporting them through systematic processes, and recording their developmental progress throughout therapy sessions. ABA therapists develop engaging activities for the children, observing their personal and social behaviors, and adjust approach as needed. They also coordinate with other behavior therapists and other medical health professionals for refined strategies that adhere to the child's progress. An ABA therapist must have excellent communication and organizational skills to assist patients with different behavioral problems and attend to their needs efficiently.

Family therapist vs aba therapist salary

Family therapists and aba therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Family TherapistABA Therapist
Average salary$50,774$35,938
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $67,000Between $27,000 And $47,000
Highest paying CityRochester, NYJersey City, NJ
Highest paying stateOregonNew Jersey
Best paying companyDignity HealthCook Children's Medical Center
Best paying industryHealth CareEducation

Differences between family therapist and aba therapist education

There are a few differences between a family therapist and an aba therapist in terms of educational background:

Family TherapistABA Therapist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Family therapist vs aba therapist demographics

Here are the differences between family therapists' and aba therapists' demographics:

Family TherapistABA Therapist
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 25.8% Female, 74.2%Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between family therapist and aba therapist duties and responsibilities

Family therapist example responsibilities.

  • Complete documentation to medicaid standards.
  • Create maximum billable Medicaid hours and submitting necessary paperwork for Medicaid billing.
  • Apply behavioral analysis instruction for a student with autism concentrating on communication, socialization, self-help skills and community skills.
  • Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.

Aba therapist example responsibilities.

  • Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
  • Interact closely with the on-site speech-language pathologist and occupational therapist to implement patients' therapy programs.
  • Provide specialized ABA therapy for children with autism including developing behavior plans and teaching in a natural environment.
  • Obtain RBT credentials and maintain supervision hours.
  • Travele to different families houses and occasionally help with kids eating habits.
  • Maintain accurate data and graphing on designate programs.
  • Show more

Family therapist vs aba therapist skills

Common family therapist skills
  • Social Work, 27%
  • Patients, 6%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%
  • Community Resources, 4%
  • Mental Health Issues, 4%
  • Group Therapy, 3%
Common aba therapist skills
  • Autism, 19%
  • Applied Behavior Analysis, 13%
  • BCBA, 10%
  • Behavior Analysis, 9%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 5%

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