Free ABA Therapist Job Description Templates
Free ABA therapist, RBT, behavior technician, and BCBA job description templates for small ABA clinics. Download as DOCX. Built for teams without HR.
ABA Therapist Job Description Templates
5 free templates across the ABA team. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
The ABA therapist job description gets written by the owner of a small ABA clinic, usually a BCBA who founded the practice, at a recurring moment: a technician has left, turnover in this field is relentless, and the caseload needs covering now. The templates from the big job boards give a single generic block and treat ABA therapist, RBT, and behavior technician as interchangeable, when they are different jobs with different credentials, and none of them speak to a one-BCBA clinic that runs its own hiring without an HR department.
At FirstHR, we build for small businesses that hire without an HR department, and small ABA clinics are a near-perfect example: a single BCBA supervising a handful of technicians, hiring constantly because RBT turnover runs extraordinarily high. The five templates below cover the real roles on an ABA team: ABA therapist, RBT, behavior technician, BCBA, and lead or senior therapist. Each carries the supervision structure, credential requirements, physical demands, and classification as structured fields. Fill in the brackets and post. For the general principles behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Is an ABA Therapist?
An ABA therapist delivers one-on-one applied behavior analysis therapy, most often to children with autism, under the supervision of a BCBA. They implement the treatment plan, collect data, and build communication, social, and daily-living skills session by session. ABA is an evidence-based approach, and the Autism Speaks overview of applied behavior analysis describes it as a therapy based on the science of learning and behavior. The role overlaps closely with the O*NET profile for mental health counselors in its client-facing, plan-driven work.
The defining thing for an employer is that ABA therapist is an umbrella title: in practice the person is usually a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) or a behavior technician working toward that certification. That is why the posting has to name the exact role and credential, not just say ABA therapist. Because the RBT and behavior technician roles have their own search demand and their own detailed requirements, this page covers them as part of the team, and the dedicated RBT job description templates and behavior technician job description templates carry the full standalone versions.
The ABA Team: BCBA, RBT, and Behavior Technician
The ABA team is a supervision hierarchy, and understanding it is the key to hiring the right role: the BCBA designs and supervises, the RBT and behavior technician deliver. Here is how the roles relate, from the senior credential down to the everyday title.
The practical takeaway is that one BCBA supervises several technicians, and the credential each role must hold differs sharply: a master's and BACB certification for the BCBA, an active RBT certification for the RBT, and a commitment to earn the RBT for the behavior technician. ABA therapist, the term most families and job seekers use, maps onto the RBT or behavior technician depending on certification status. Get the role and credential right in the posting, and everything downstream, pay, classification, supervision, gets easier.
ABA Therapist Duties and Responsibilities
ABA therapist duties and responsibilities center on therapy delivery, data and documentation, safety and ethics, and the supervision and communication that connect the technician to the BCBA. The role shifts by certification level, but the front-line work is consistent. These are the duties grouped the way the templates use them.
A strong posting picks 8 to 12 of these and grounds them in the specific role: full RBT certification and renewal language for an RBT, training-toward-certification language for a behavior technician, assessment and supervision duties for a BCBA. The supervision structure and the physical demands belong right alongside the duties, because both are defining features of ABA work that candidates need to understand before applying. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by role and certification level. The therapy core, deliver the BCBA's plan and collect data, runs through the technician roles, but the credential, supervision direction, and classification differ enough that the matched version always reads more credibly. Use this guide to choose.
5 Free ABA Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: clinic overview, job summary, key responsibilities, requirements, certifications, supervision structure, physical demands, compensation, and how to apply, as structured fields. Fill in the brackets and confirm the certification requirement before posting.
Template 1: ABA Therapist (General)
The umbrella version for any clinic: 1:1 therapy under BCBA supervision, data collection, and skill building, with a path to RBT certification.
Template 2: Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)
The certified version: active RBT credential, BACB supervision and ethics, and renewal tracking. The full RBT template page covers this role in depth.
Template 3: Behavior Technician (Pre-Certification)
The entry version: no certification to start, paid 40-hour training, and an RBT-within-90-days expectation. The full behavior technician page covers it in depth.
Template 4: BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst)
The clinical-leadership version: master's, active BCBA credential, assessments, treatment-plan design, RBT supervision, and CEU requirements.
Template 5: Lead / Senior ABA Therapist
The top-of-ladder version: expert therapy plus mentoring junior technicians, fidelity checks, and onboarding support under the BCBA.
Certifications and BACB Credentialing
Certifications are central to ABA hiring, and the requirements differ by role. Naming them precisely in the posting is what separates a credible ABA job description from a generic one, and tracking them after hire is what keeps a clinic billable. Here is what each role requires.
| Role | Credential | Ongoing requirement | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCBA | Master's + BACB certification | 32 CEUs every 2 years (ethics + supervision) | Exempt, salaried |
| RBT | 40-hour training + competency assessment | Annual renewal; ongoing BCBA supervision | Non-exempt, hourly |
| Behavior technician | None to start; RBT within ~90 days | Complete training and competency assessment | Non-exempt, hourly |
| All client-facing | CPR + background check | Keep current per clinic policy | Per role |
The credentials are set by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board: the BACB RBT requirements cover the 40-hour training, competency assessment, and annual renewal, and the BACB BCBA requirements cover the master's, fieldwork, and continuing education. List the exact requirement in each posting, and keep every line job-related and neutral, because the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that express a preference based on protected characteristics. The SHRM job description tools describe a good job description as a plain-language summary of a position's tasks, duties, and responsibilities, which for an ABA role means naming the credential, the supervision structure, and the physical demands precisely.
How to Write an ABA Therapist Job Description
A strong ABA posting takes about fifteen minutes once you settle the exact role and the certification requirement. Here is the process the templates are built around. If you also hire across other clinical roles, the small business hiring guide covers the steps around the posting.
ABA Therapist Salary
ABA pay is hourly for technicians and salaried for BCBAs, and it varies by role, certification, region, and setting. Because the federal data does not track ABA roles separately, the closest proxy gives a useful anchor for the broader field.
In practice, behavior technicians and RBTs are paid hourly and typically below that broad median, with RBTs earning more than uncertified technicians, while BCBAs are salaried and earn well above it as the senior credentialed role. The recruiting reality for a clinic is that pay competes against constant turnover, so the non-pay levers matter as much as the rate: paid RBT training, a CEU stipend, supervision hours toward a BCBA, a manageable caseload, and a sign-on bonus are what attract and keep technicians. For a clinic setting rates, anchor on local market pay for each specific role and certification level, state an hourly range in the posting, since several states require pay ranges and hourly candidates compare directly, and make the growth path explicit, because the chance to advance from behavior technician to RBT to BCBA is one of the strongest retention tools in the field.
Hiring and Onboarding in a High-Turnover Field
A large ABA network hires technicians with recruiters, standardized training, and HR teams to handle credentialing and classification. A small clinic, one BCBA and a handful of technicians, makes the same hires constantly with none of that, while carrying the same BACB documentation obligations. Here is how to write the posting, and build the process, for that reality.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one, and because ABA turnover is high and you will run this process often, a documented, repeatable onboarding is the most valuable thing a small clinic can build. Start with the paperwork spine every time: the signed offer letter with the rate and schedule, the I-9 with documents verified, the W-4 and state tax forms, and state new hire reporting, collected per the new hire paperwork guide. Then the ABA-specific layer: record the RBT certification or set the deadline to earn it, collect the CPR certification and background check, capture a signed acknowledgment of the BACB ethics code and your HIPAA policy, and establish the BCBA supervision relationship from day one. For a pre-certification behavior technician, schedule the 40-hour training immediately, and the broader principles in the healthcare onboarding guide apply. Because turnover is the defining challenge, the guide to reducing turnover is worth reading alongside the hiring work.
The documents around the hire follow the usual sequence: the offer letter template for the rate and schedule, an employee handbook template for clinic policies and the ethics and HIPAA acknowledgments, and a structured onboarding template to turn the first week into a repeatable checklist. Then store every credential with its renewal date so nothing lapses and costs you billing. FirstHR connects all of it: e-signature for the offer and the ethics and HIPAA acknowledgments, document storage for RBT and BCBA certifications, CPR, and background checks with expiration reminders, training modules to deliver and document the required training, and a repeatable onboarding workflow, in one place built for clinics without an HR department.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an ABA therapist do?
An ABA therapist delivers one-on-one applied behavior analysis therapy to clients, most often children with autism, under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The core work is implementing the individualized treatment plan the BCBA designs: running skill-acquisition and behavior-reduction programs, using positive reinforcement and prompting strategies, collecting accurate session data, managing challenging behaviors safely, and communicating progress to the supervising BCBA. ABA therapist is an umbrella term, and in practice the person doing this work is usually a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) or a behavior technician working toward that certification. The role is hands-on and hourly, requires physical activity including floor work and quick movement, and sits at the front line of care: the BCBA designs the plan, and the ABA therapist delivers it session by session. It is also an entry point into a growing field, with a clear path from behavior technician to RBT and beyond.
What is the difference between an ABA therapist and an RBT?
ABA therapist is the everyday umbrella title, and RBT, Registered Behavior Technician, is a specific BACB certification. In most clinics the ABA therapist either is an RBT or is a behavior technician working toward the RBT. The RBT credential is earned through a 40-hour training program and a competency assessment, and it must be renewed annually, with the certificant maintaining an ongoing supervision relationship with a BCBA. So the practical distinction for hiring is certification status: an RBT job posting requires an active certification, while an ABA therapist or behavior technician posting may welcome candidates who will earn the RBT after hire, often within ninety days, with the clinic providing the training. The duties on the floor are essentially the same. When you write the posting, decide whether you require the certification at hire or will train toward it, because that single choice changes the candidate pool, the pay, and how fast you can fill the role.
What is the difference between an RBT and a BCBA?
They are different levels of the ABA team with very different requirements and roles. A BCBA, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, holds a master's degree, has completed supervised fieldwork, and passed the BACB exam; the BCBA conducts assessments, designs and updates treatment plans, supervises the technicians, and owns clinical quality. An RBT, Registered Behavior Technician, holds a certification earned through 40 hours of training and a competency assessment; the RBT delivers the therapy the BCBA designed and works under the BCBA's supervision. In short, the BCBA designs and supervises, the RBT implements. A typical small clinic has one BCBA supervising several RBTs and behavior technicians. The roles also differ in classification and pay: a BCBA is a salaried exempt clinical-leadership role, while RBTs and behavior technicians are hourly non-exempt. When building a team, the BCBA is the credential that lets the clinic design care and bill, and the RBTs are the capacity that delivers it.
Does a behavior technician need to be certified to start?
Not always, and this is a key hiring decision. Many clinics hire behavior technicians without certification and train them, providing the required 40-hour RBT training and supporting them through the competency assessment, with an expectation that they obtain the RBT certification within a set window, commonly ninety days. This lowers the barrier to entry, widens the candidate pool, and suits a field with constant hiring needs. Other clinics require an active RBT certification at hire, which narrows the pool to certified candidates who can bill immediately and need less ramp-up. Neither is wrong; the right choice depends on your capacity to train, your billing requirements, and how quickly you need the person productive. The practical move is to decide before posting and state it clearly: either active RBT required, or RBT obtained within ninety days with paid training provided. Stating it plainly attracts the right candidates and sets the expectation about certification from the first conversation.
What BACB credentials and documentation do I need to track for my team?
For each role, the credentialing load is real and ongoing, and lapses can cost billing. For RBTs, track the active certification and its annual renewal, the competency assessment that must be completed before expiration, the ongoing supervision relationship with a BCBA covering the required share of service hours each month, plus CPR certification and background check status. For BCBAs, track the certification and the continuing education requirement of 32 units every two years, including specified ethics and supervision content. For behavior technicians working toward the RBT, track progress against the certification deadline you set. Because a lapsed RBT or BCBA certification can mean the clinic loses the ability to bill for that person's services, this is not paperwork that can slip. A documented system that stores each credential with its expiration date and flags renewals in advance keeps a small clinic compliant without the owner carrying every date in their head, which matters most when the team is turning over and new technicians are constantly being added.
How much does an ABA therapist make?
ABA therapist pay is hourly and varies by role, certification, region, and setting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track ABA roles under a single code, so the closest official proxy is substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, who earned a median annual wage of about $59,190 as of May 2024, with the lowest tenth under about $39,090 and the highest tenth over about $98,210, and that broad field is projected to grow 17 percent through 2034, much faster than average. In practice, behavior technicians and RBTs are paid hourly and typically earn less than that broad median, with RBTs earning more than uncertified behavior technicians, while BCBAs, who hold a master's and the senior credential, are salaried and earn well above it. For a clinic setting rates, the practical approach is to anchor on local market pay for each specific role and certification level, state an hourly range in the posting, since several states require pay ranges and hourly candidates compare directly, and use non-pay levers that matter in ABA: paid RBT training, a CEU stipend, supervision toward BCBA, and a sign-on bonus.
Are ABA therapists exempt or non-exempt from overtime?
RBTs and behavior technicians are non-exempt, while BCBAs are generally exempt. An RBT or behavior technician delivers therapy hourly under supervision and does not meet any of the federal overtime exemptions, so the role is non-exempt and overtime must be paid for hours worked past forty in a week. A BCBA, who holds a master's degree and performs professional clinical work, designing treatment plans, exercising independent professional judgment, and supervising staff, generally qualifies as exempt under the professional exemption, and is typically salaried. A lead or senior ABA therapist is usually still non-exempt if their primary duty remains hands-on therapy even with some mentoring responsibilities; classification follows the actual duties and salary tests, not the lead title. The clean approach is to classify technicians as hourly non-exempt, track all their hours, and pay overtime, while classifying BCBAs as salaried exempt, and to confirm any borderline lead role against the duties test rather than assuming the title settles it.
What happens after I hire an ABA therapist or RBT?
Because ABA turnover is high and you will run this process often, a documented, repeatable onboarding is the single most valuable thing a small clinic can build. Start with the paperwork spine every time: the signed offer letter with the rate and schedule, the I-9 with documents verified, the W-4 and state tax forms, and state new hire reporting. Then the ABA-specific layer: collect and record the RBT certification or set the deadline to obtain it, the CPR certification and background check, and a signed acknowledgment of the BACB ethics code and your HIPAA policy, and establish the supervision relationship with the BCBA from day one since the BACB requires it. For a behavior technician hired pre-certification, schedule the 40-hour training immediately. Then store every credential with its renewal date so nothing lapses. FirstHR is built for exactly this: e-signature for the offer and ethics and HIPAA acknowledgments, document storage for certifications, CPR, and background checks with expiration reminders, training modules to deliver and document the required training, and a repeatable onboarding workflow, all for clinics without an HR department.