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Behavior support specialist salary
Average behavior support specialist salary
$36,769
Average Behavior Support Specialist Salary
The average salary for a Behavior Support Specialist in the United States is approximately $36,769 per year, or about $18 per hour. This figure can vary widely based on factors like location, years of experience, and the specific sector within which one works.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically start around $30,000, while experienced professionals can earn upwards of $45,000 annually. Higher salaries are often found in urban areas where demand for specialized support is greater.
Geographic Salary Variations
States such as California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for Behavior Support Specialists. For example, California averages around $41,000 per year, reflecting a strong job market in behavioral health services.
Career Opportunities
With a focus on improving the lives of individuals with behavioral challenges, this role is not only fulfilling but also presents various career paths. Positions in schools, clinics, and private practice settings offer diverse opportunities for growth and advancement.
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Where can a Behavior Support Specialist earn more?
Behavior support specialist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level behavior support specialist | $25,500 | $12.27 |
| Mid-level behavior support specialist | $36,200 | $17.41 |
| Senior-level behavior support specialist | $41,600 | $19.99 |
Behavior support specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average behavior support specialist salary by state
The average behavior support specialist salary in North Dakota, Washington, and New Mexico are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average behavior support specialist salary states are Oklahoma, Louisiana, and West Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for behavior support specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $44,862 | $21.57 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $44,450 | $21.37 |
| 3 | Iowa | $43,585 | $20.95 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $45,172 | $21.72 |
| 5 | Alaska | $42,430 | $20.40 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $42,163 | $20.27 |
| 7 | Nevada | $39,632 | $19.05 |
| 8 | Colorado | $42,209 | $20.29 |
| 9 | Idaho | $40,092 | $19.27 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $40,888 | $19.66 |
| 11 | Arkansas | $37,233 | $17.90 |
| 12 | California | $41,693 | $20.04 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $42,446 | $20.41 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $42,258 | $20.32 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $43,467 | $20.90 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $41,528 | $19.97 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $38,666 | $18.59 |
| 18 | Maine | $37,237 | $17.90 |
| 19 | Texas | $41,508 | $19.96 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $40,173 | $19.31 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $37,051 | $17.81 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $42,202 | $20.29 |
| 23 | Kansas | $39,049 | $18.77 |
| 24 | Oregon | $39,529 | $19.00 |
| 25 | Illinois | $37,600 | $18.08 |
| 26 | Arizona | $36,315 | $17.46 |
| 27 | New York | $38,064 | $18.30 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $37,411 | $17.99 |
| 29 | Montana | $35,346 | $16.99 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $34,858 | $16.76 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $35,892 | $17.26 |
| 32 | Delaware | $36,985 | $17.78 |
| 33 | Indiana | $35,711 | $17.17 |
| 34 | Michigan | $33,008 | $15.87 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $35,680 | $17.15 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $32,772 | $15.76 |
| 37 | Florida | $34,936 | $16.80 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $33,775 | $16.24 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $31,929 | $15.35 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $31,889 | $15.33 |
| 41 | Ohio | $34,484 | $16.58 |
| 42 | Maryland | $31,999 | $15.38 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $34,020 | $16.36 |
| 44 | Georgia | $33,463 | $16.09 |
| 45 | Alabama | $32,155 | $15.46 |
| 46 | Vermont | $33,104 | $15.92 |
| 47 | Missouri | $32,981 | $15.86 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $31,675 | $15.23 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | $30,867 | $14.84 |
| 50 | Utah | $30,228 | $14.53 |
| 51 | Virginia | $29,823 | $14.34 |
Highest paying cities for behavior support specialists
The highest-paying cities for behavior support specialists are Seattle, WA, Sacramento, CA, and Denver, CO.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $45,050 | $21.66 |
| 2 | Sacramento, CA | $42,285 | $20.33 |
| 3 | Denver, CO | $42,258 | $20.32 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $41,487 | $19.95 |
| 5 | Neenah, WI | $41,273 | $19.84 |
| 6 | Wichita, KS | $38,923 | $18.71 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $38,093 | $18.31 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $37,678 | $18.11 |
| 9 | Wilmington, DE | $37,021 | $17.80 |
| 10 | Phoenix, AZ | $36,363 | $17.48 |
| 11 | Lancaster, PA | $35,939 | $17.28 |
| 12 | Clarksville, TN | $35,815 | $17.22 |
| 13 | Grand Rapids, MI | $33,082 | $15.90 |
| 14 | Saint Charles, MO | $32,960 | $15.85 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $32,032 | $15.40 |
Behavior support specialist salary details
A behavior support specialist's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $46,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a behavior support specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| 75th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| Average | $36,769 | $3,064 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
Highest paying behavior support specialist jobs
The highest paying types of behavior support specialists are behavior analyst, child life specialist, and intervention specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Therapeutic Support Staff | $34,086 | $2,841 | $16.39 | 192,172 |
| Behavior Analyst | $73,616 | $6,135 | $35.39 | 67,013 |
Top companies hiring behavior support specialists now:
Which companies pay behavior support specialists the most?
Behavior support specialist salaries at Texas and Chicago Public Schools are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average behavior support specialist salary at companies like Arrow Child And Family Ministries and Upbring are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $43,514 | $20.92 |
| 2 | Chicago Public Schools | $39,930 | $19.20 |
| 3 | Arrow Child And Family Ministries | $39,783 | $19.13 |
| 4 | Upbring | $39,750 | $19.11 |
| 5 | Mental Health & Mental Retardation Treatment Ctr | $39,136 | $18.82 |
| 6 | Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES | $38,612 | $18.56 |
| 7 | Elk Grove Unified School District | $38,518 | $18.52 |
| 8 | Rochester City School District | $37,841 | $18.19 |
| 9 | Simi Valley Unified School District | $37,672 | $18.11 |
| 10 | Milton Hershey School | $37,576 | $18.07 |
| 11 | Lutheran Social Services of Michigan | $36,568 | $17.58 |
| 12 | D.A. Blodgett - St. John's | $36,288 | $17.45 |
| 13 | Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin | $36,104 | $17.36 |
| 14 | Grandville Public Schools | $36,062 | $17.34 |
| 15 | Keystone Human Services | $35,672 | $17.15 |
| 16 | Melmark New England | $35,632 | $17.13 |
| 17 | West Virginia University | $35,295 | $16.97 |
| 18 | Developmental Disabilities Institute, Inc. | $35,133 | $16.89 |
| 19 | Newhall School District | $35,040 | $16.85 |
| 20 | Acld | $34,856 | $16.76 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Behavior Support Specialist salary by industry
The average behavior support specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average behavior support specialist salary in the health care industry is $36,032, the highest of any industry.
- The average behavior support specialist salary in the finance industry is $35,616.
- Behavior support specialists in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $32,083, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for behavior support specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $36,032 | $17.32 |
| 2 | Education | $35,616 | $17.12 |
| 3 | Professional | $35,602 | $17.12 |
| 4 | Government | $34,551 | $16.61 |
| 5 | Non Profits | $32,083 | $15.42 |
High paying behavior support specialist jobs
Behavior support specialist salary trends
The average behavior support specialist salary has risen by $7,382 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average behavior support specialist earned $29,387 annually, but today, they earn $36,769 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for behavior support specialists over the last decade.
Compare behavior support specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average behavior support specialist salary over time
Compare behavior support specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Behavior support specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $36,800 | $17.68 | +2.5% |
| 2025 | $35,800 | $17.23 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $34,500 | $16.59 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $33,900 | $16.28 | +4.0% |
| 2022 | $32,500 | $15.64 | +3.1% |
Recently added behavior support specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn School District | Targeted Academic and Behavior Support Specialist | Auburn, WA | 06/27/2025 | $62,902 |
| Viaquest | Behavior Support Specialist | Columbus, OH | 06/27/2025 | $43,827 |
| Fullbloom | Behavior Support Specialist | Brunswick, GA | 06/27/2025 | $38,000 |
| Fullbloom | Behavior Support Specialist | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/27/2025 | $54,000 |
| Elwyn | Behavior Support Specialist, Preschool | Philadelphia, PA | 06/26/2025 | $48,001 |
| Wayzata Public Schools ISD 284 | Behavior Support Paraprofessional | Nore, MN | 06/25/2025 | $50,798 |
| Fullbloom | Behavior Support Specialist | Chicago, IL | 06/25/2025 | $35,000 |
| Toppenish School District | SY-Behavioral Support Paraprofessional | Toppenish, WA | 06/25/2025 | $38,276 |
| New Story Schools | Behavior Support Specialist | Reading, PA | 06/24/2025 | $55,000 |
| Minnesota Service Cooperatives | Behavior Support Paraprofessional | Nore, MN | 06/24/2025 | $50,798 |
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