BCBA Job Description: 6 Free Templates (Clinic & More)
Free BCBA job description templates: clinic, school, in-home, telehealth, small practice, and clinical director, with credential and salary guidance.
BCBA Job Description Templates
6 templates for every ABA setting: clinic, school, in-home, telehealth, small practice and first clinical hire, and clinical director, with BCBA credential and salary guidance. Download as DOCX.
A BCBA is the clinical anchor of an ABA practice: the person who assesses clients, designs treatment, and supervises the technicians who deliver the hours. Hiring one well starts with a job description that matches how you actually deliver care, because a center-based BCBA, a school-based BCBA, and a BCBA who is your small practice's first clinical hire are meaningfully different jobs. Most templates online write only the generic version. This page writes six.
These templates cover the role across settings: center or clinic-based, school-based, home-based, telehealth, small practice and first clinical hire, and lead or clinical director. At FirstHR, we build for growing clinics and practices making clinical hires without a dedicated HR function, so the small-practice version is written for the reality that generic templates skip. Each has BCBA-specific fields built in, certification, licensure, RBT supervision, FBAs and BIPs, that generic job boards leave out. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
What Does a BCBA Do?
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst assesses behavior, designs individualized ABA treatment programs, and oversees the staff who deliver them. Day to day, a BCBA conducts functional behavior assessments, writes and revises behavior intervention plans, supervises registered behavior technicians, reviews session data to adjust programs, and trains caregivers. BCBAs most often serve children and adults with autism and other developmental needs, in clinics, schools, homes, and over telehealth.
The closest federal occupation the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks is behavioral and related counselors, a category projected to grow much faster than average, though it understates the specialized BCBA role. What the generic templates miss is how different the job looks by setting: a center-based BCBA supervises in person, a school-based BCBA supports IEP teams, an in-home BCBA travels and coaches caregivers, and a telehealth BCBA delivers remotely. The six templates split along exactly those lines.
BCBA Duties and Responsibilities
BCBA duties cluster into four areas: assessment, treatment design, supervision and training, and documentation and ethics. A strong job description picks the specific responsibilities from each area that match your setting and caseload rather than listing every possible task.
The emphasis shifts by setting: a clinic role centers on in-person caseload and supervision, while an in-home role leans on travel and caregiver training. For a structured way to scope the role to your practice, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by how you deliver care. The core clinical responsibilities, assessment, treatment design, and supervision, run through all six, but each frames the duties, travel, and supervision model for a specific kind of BCBA role. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
6 Free BCBA Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: clinic and job summary, key responsibilities, required and preferred qualifications, work environment, salary, and how to apply, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets, including your software, supervision scope, and salary range, and post.
Template 1: BCBA (Center / Clinic-Based)
The most common setup: caseload, FBAs and BIPs, and supervising RBTs in your center. Use this if clients come to you.
Template 2: BCBA (School-Based)
For BCBAs supporting students: FBAs, behavior plans, IEP-team support, and training teachers and paraprofessionals in the school setting.
Template 3: BCBA (Home-Based / In-Home)
For in-home delivery: in-home assessments, caregiver training, field supervision of RBTs, and travel across a service area.
Template 4: BCBA (Telehealth)
For remote delivery: assessments and caregiver training over secure video, remote RBT supervision, and a HIPAA-compliant telehealth model.
Template 5: BCBA (Small Practice / First Clinical Hire)
The version no one else writes: a builder BCBA who carries a caseload and helps set clinical standards as a small, owner-led practice grows.
Template 6: Lead / Clinical Director BCBA
For the senior role: leading a team of BCBAs and RBTs, owning clinical quality and standards, with a reduced direct caseload.
BCBA Qualifications and Credentials
The qualifications section is where a BCBA job description either reads as written by someone who knows the field or by someone who copied a generic template. These are the BCBA-specific fields to get right, the ones generic job boards leave out.
The credential itself is issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and requires a master's degree, supervised fieldwork, and a passing exam, then ongoing continuing education to maintain. State licensure is separate and varies by state, so confirm the requirement where your BCBA will practice. Keep every requirement job-related and neutral, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
BCBA vs RBT vs BCaBA
The ABA workforce has three tiers, distinguished by education and scope, and knowing the difference is essential to hiring the right level. The BCBA is the clinical anchor; the RBTs deliver the bulk of direct hours under that oversight.
| Role | Education | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| RBT | High-school diploma plus training | Delivers direct services under supervision; does not design treatment |
| BCaBA | Bachelor's degree | Assists with assessment and programs under BCBA supervision |
| BCBA | Master's degree | Independent clinical responsibility; designs treatment and supervises the team |
Only a BCBA can independently own assessment and treatment design and supervise the team, which is why the BCBA is the role that anchors a practice. When you are building out staff, your RBTs and assistant analysts deliver the bulk of direct hours under the BCBA's oversight, so hire the BCBA first and let the credential structure the rest of the team.
Hiring a BCBA for a Small ABA Practice
Most ABA providers are small, owner-led practices, often founded by a BCBA, running one or two locations without a dedicated HR function. Hiring a BCBA at that size is different from hiring at a large organization: the person you hire will shape your clinical standards, not just slot into them, and the back-office work of credentialing and onboarding lands on the owner.
This is also a competitive hire. With demand for credentialed analysts outpacing supply, a clear, setting-specific job description and a fast, professional offer and onboarding process are genuine advantages for a small practice competing against larger organizations for the same candidates.
BCBA Salary
BCBA pay is strong for a master's-level clinical role and varies widely by state, setting, and experience, so publish a competitive range rather than a single number. Anchor to government data, then adjust for your market.
The spread between the broad BLS category and BCBA-specific averages reflects the specialized credential, which is exactly why an employer benchmark should be a range tied to your state and setting. Because the role is exempt and salaried under the exempt versus non-exempt tests, there is no overtime to budget, but a competitive, transparent range is what attracts strong candidates in a market where credentialed analysts are in short supply.
After You Hire: Onboarding and Credentials
Onboarding a BCBA is different from onboarding most roles, because this hire comes with credentials to verify and track and works in a HIPAA-adjacent setting. The job description is step one; once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and a credential-aware onboarding that generic templates never mention. This is the part that trips up a first-time clinical employer.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start.
Beyond the offer, every hire needs the standard new-hire paperwork, including the I-9, W-4, and any state forms. FirstHR connects the offer, e-signature, training assignment, and onboarding workflow in one place, and stores the signed documents and the BCBA certification and license numbers with their renewal dates in employee profiles, so a small practice can manage credentialing and onboarding from one system without a dedicated HR team. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform; it complements clinical, scheduling, and billing tools rather than replacing them, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a BCBA do?
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is a graduate-level clinician who assesses behavior, designs individualized treatment programs using applied behavior analysis, and oversees the staff who deliver them. Day to day, a BCBA conducts functional behavior assessments and skill assessments, writes and revises behavior intervention plans, supervises registered behavior technicians (RBTs) and assistant analysts, reviews session data to adjust programs, and trains parents and caregivers. BCBAs most often work with children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental or behavioral needs, in clinics, schools, homes, and over telehealth. The role combines direct clinical responsibility with supervision and documentation, and it requires sound, data-based decision making and adherence to the ethics standards of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). In a small practice, a BCBA often also helps build clinical workflows and standards; in a larger organization, a lead BCBA or clinical director focuses on team oversight and quality.
What are the main duties and responsibilities of a BCBA?
BCBA duties cluster into four areas. Assessment: conducting functional behavior assessments (FBAs), skill and preference assessments, and reviewing data to guide decisions. Treatment design: writing individualized treatment plans, developing and revising behavior intervention plans (BIPs), and adjusting programs based on progress data. Supervision and training: supervising RBTs and BCaBAs, providing ongoing staff coaching, and delivering parent and caregiver training. Documentation and ethics: maintaining timely, accurate session notes, ensuring BACB ethics and regulatory compliance, and coordinating with families and the care team. The emphasis shifts by setting. A center-based BCBA carries a caseload and supervises in person; a school-based BCBA supports IEP teams and trains educators; an in-home BCBA travels and leans heavily on caregiver training; a telehealth BCBA delivers and supervises remotely. A strong job description selects the responsibilities that match your setting rather than listing every possible task.
What qualifications does a BCBA need?
A BCBA holds active certification from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), which requires a master's degree in applied behavior analysis, psychology, education, or a related field, completion of supervised fieldwork, and a passing score on the BCBA exam. Beyond certification, many states require a separate license to practice, and those requirements and titles vary by state, so an employer should confirm the rules where the BCBA will work. Practical qualifications include experience supervising RBTs and managing a caseload, fluency in FBAs and BIPs and data-based decision making, and familiarity with the documentation and session-note expectations of your setting. Certification is maintained through continuing education and recertification on the BACB's cycle, so an active credential should be verified, not assumed. When you write the job description, separate the hard requirements (active BCBA, master's, state licensure where required) from the preferred items (specific software, population experience, bilingual ability) so you do not unnecessarily narrow your candidate pool.
What is the difference between a BCBA, an RBT, and a BCaBA?
They are three tiers of the ABA workforce, distinguished by education and scope. An RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) is a paraprofessional with a high-school diploma and short training who delivers direct ABA services under supervision and does not design treatment. A BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst) holds a bachelor's degree and can contribute to assessment and program development, but must work under the supervision of a BCBA. A BCBA holds a master's degree, has independent clinical responsibility, designs and oversees treatment, and supervises both RBTs and BCaBAs. A BCBA-D is a BCBA who holds a doctoral degree, with the same core scope. For hiring, this hierarchy matters: only a BCBA can independently own assessment and treatment design and supervise the team, which is why the BCBA is the clinical anchor of an ABA practice and the RBTs deliver the bulk of direct hours under that oversight.
Does a BCBA need a state license?
Often, yes, but it depends on the state. BCBA certification from the BACB is the national credential, but it is separate from a state license to practice. Many states require behavior analysts to hold a state-issued license in addition to BACB certification, and some use a different title; a few states regulate the practice differently. Because the rules, titles, and scope vary by state, an employer should confirm the licensure requirement for the specific state where the BCBA will work before posting and before the person starts seeing clients. The job description templates on this page include a state licensure line with a note that requirements vary by state, so you can fill in your state's specific requirement. Verifying the active BACB certification and any required state license at the offer stage, and recording both, is part of responsible onboarding for a clinical hire. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a BCBA make?
BCBAs are well paid for a master's-level clinical role, with national figures varying by source, state, setting, and experience. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a standalone occupation for BCBAs; the closest category, substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, had a median annual wage of $59,190 in May 2024, with the top 10 percent earning more than $98,210, and BCBAs, given the graduate-level credential, typically sit toward the higher end of that range. Industry salary sources that track BCBA-titled roles specifically report national averages in the range of roughly $75,000 to $89,000, with higher pay in high-demand states, high-cost metros, private practice, and clinical leadership. Because the spread is wide, benchmark to your specific state and setting and publish a competitive range, especially given the documented shortage of credentialed analysts. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a BCBA exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A BCBA is almost always exempt and salaried. The role typically meets the professional exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act, because it requires advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized instruction, namely the master's degree and certification underpinning the credential, and involves the consistent exercise of clinical discretion and judgment. Because BCBAs are paid well above the federal salary threshold in practice, the classification is rarely a close call. That said, exempt status depends on the actual duties and salary rather than the job title, and some states set their own salary thresholds and tests that are stricter than the federal floor. RBTs, by contrast, are typically non-exempt and paid hourly. Confirm the classification against the real duties and your state's rules rather than assuming the title settles it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Why is demand for BCBAs so high?
Demand for BCBAs has grown steadily, driven by structural factors rather than a temporary spike. Autism diagnosis rates have risen, with the CDC's monitoring network identifying about 1 in 31 eight-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder in its 2022 data, up from 1 in 36 previously, which expands the population that ABA services serve. Every state mandates some insurance coverage for ABA, which sustains clinic formation and hiring. At the same time, the number of credentialed BCBAs has not kept pace with the number of open roles, producing a persistent hiring gap that the field has documented year over year. For employers, the practical consequence is a competitive market: strong candidates have options, so a clear, setting-specific job description and a fast, professional hiring and onboarding process are real advantages. The growth outlook for the broader behavioral-health category the BLS uses as a proxy is well above the average for all occupations.