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The differences between therapists and aba 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 $35,938 average annual salary of an aba therapist.
The top three skills for a therapist include social work, patients and group therapy sessions. The most important skills for an aba therapist are autism, applied behavior analysis, and BCBA.
| Therapist | ABA Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,943 | $35,938 |
| Hourly rate | $26.90 | $17.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 159,770 | 90,516 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
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.
Therapists and aba therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Therapist | ABA Therapist | |
| Average salary | $55,943 | $35,938 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $80,000 | Between $27,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Childhelp | Cook Children's Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a therapist and an aba therapist in terms of educational background:
| Therapist | ABA Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between therapists' and aba therapists' demographics:
| Therapist | ABA Therapist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% | Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 12% | 6% |