According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average behavior technician salary is $59,190. This average spans interventionist roles in treatment of substance abuse, behavior disorders, and mental health counseling, treating patients across all age levels.
Work hours: You can work full-time or part-time. Some prefer to work in various settings, working two or more part-time jobs.
Location: Areas with a higher cost of living or states with more licensing requirements tend to offer higher pay to behavioral interventionists.
Work setting: Where you work may influence your pay. Many behavior technicians work with placement agencies to relieve the stress of finding jobs in their preferred work setting—like schools, hospitals, private practice, or community health centers.
Education: Working in the behavioral health field, you’ll typically get paid more with advanced degrees. You may find your salary increases as you continue your education over the course of your career.
Here, we'll explore more about working as a behavior technician or behavior interventionist. We’ll look at factors that can influence a behavior technician salary, the career outlook for those working as a behavior interventionist, the benefits of work beyond pay, and how you can get started working in schools.
The career outlook for the behavioral health field is promising. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the need for behavioral health professionals will grow by 19% from 2023 to 2033. It's estimated that there will be nearly 49,000 job openings for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in the coming decade. This rate of growth is much faster than the average for all occupations.
More and more, schools are prioritizing student mental health. As schools work to provide students with the behavioral health services they need to thrive, many districts experience an increased need for behavioral therapists. This initiative, in tandem with students and parents becoming more willing to speak up about student mental health issues, is contributing to the increased need for behavioral interventions in schools.
There are many reasons why you may enjoy working as a school-based behavior interventionist, including:
The chance to make a difference every day. Whether you spend your day providing students with one-on-one support, supporting classroom teams, or contributing to individualized education plan (IEP) teams, you help children live a healthier, more productive life, day in and day out.
See progress happen in real time. Being with the students daily, you can see student progress from day to day. This allows you to celebrate success and notice opportunities for growth, allowing you to use in-the-moment troubleshooting to benefit your students.
Help others make a difference. When you work in a school, you aren't just supporting students. By sharing your expertise with teachers, administrators, and support staff, you help others learn how to change the lives of students for the better.
Enjoy a school schedule. You finish your workday while businesses are still open, making it easier for you to run errands and take care of home responsibilities. You also get to enjoy time off in the summer and district-scheduled breaks.
At Pediatric Therapeutic Services, a Kelly Company, we're here to help you move your career forward. We hire behavior technicians, registered behavior technicians, behavior specialist consultants, BCBAs, school social workers, and LSW or LCSW for behavioral & mental health therapy.
If you’re interested in working with students in the behavioral health field within a school-based environment, we invite you to learn more about joining our team.