Free Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Job Description Templates
Free behavior analyst (BCBA) job description templates: standard, senior, small clinic, in-home, and school. BACB and FLSA guidance. Download as DOCX.
Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Job Description Templates
6 free templates by setting and level. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
The behavior analyst job description is one most ABA practices copy from a generic job board template that lists "conduct assessments and supervise staff" and stops, missing the two things that actually matter for this hire: the role is built around the BCBA credential and BACB supervision rules, and the FLSA classification splits cleanly between an exempt BCBA and a non-exempt RBT. A small ABA clinic writing its first behavior analyst posting from a thin template often leaves out the certification and supervision requirements that payers and the BACB actually demand.
At FirstHR, we build templates for the small, owner-led practices that hire without an HR department, including the ABA clinics making their first BCBA hire. The six templates below cover the role by setting and level: standard, senior/lead, entry-level, small clinic, in-home, and school-based. Each names the BCBA certification, supervision duties, and state-license requirement as the load-bearing parts, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Does a Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Do?
A behavior analyst designs and oversees applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment, and in practice the title almost always means a BCBA: a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, a master's-level clinician certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. The BCBA conducts assessments, writes treatment plans, supervises the technicians who deliver direct therapy, and trains caregivers, most commonly serving children and families affected by autism.
For the employer writing the posting, the useful frame is that the clinical core stays constant while the setting shifts the emphasis: on-site work for a clinic BCBA, travel and caregiver coaching for an in-home BCBA, behavior intervention plans and IEP collaboration for a school-based BCBA, and added mentoring and oversight for a senior or lead BCBA. That is why the templates below differ by setting and level. If the role you actually need delivers direct one-on-one therapy under supervision rather than designing it, that is a technician role, and the RBT job description and ABA therapist templates cover that.
Behavior Analyst Duties and Responsibilities
Behavior analyst duties center on assessment and planning, supervision and training, clinical delivery, and the compliance and documentation work that ABA reimbursement and the BACB require. The setting shifts the weights, in-home caregiver coaching versus school IEP collaboration, but the categories hold. These are the duties grouped the way the templates use them.
A strong posting grounds these in the specifics: the client population, the setting, how many RBTs the BCBA will supervise, and the assessment tools your practice uses. BCBAs read postings for the concrete scope, the caseload size, the supervision load, and the clinical support, before applying. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
BCBA vs BCaBA vs RBT
The credential levels in applied behavior analysis are distinct and not interchangeable, and naming the right one keeps your posting accurate. Here is how the three relate.
| Credential | Education | Role |
|---|---|---|
| BCBA | Master's degree + BACB exam | Designs assessments and treatment, supervises staff |
| BCaBA | Bachelor's degree + BACB exam | Assists under the supervision of a BCBA |
| RBT | High school + 40-hour training | Delivers direct therapy under supervision |
| BCBA-D | Doctoral-level BCBA | Same scope as BCBA, doctoral designation |
A behavior analyst is the BCBA, who owns clinical design and supervision. A BCaBA assists under a BCBA, and an RBT provides direct care under supervision. Hire by credential, not by title alone, and post the technician roles separately, since their requirements and pay differ substantially from a BCBA's.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by setting and by the level you are hiring. The clinical core runs through all six, but the setting, the travel, the supervision load, and the seniority differ enough that the matched version always reads more credibly. Use this guide to choose.
6 Free Behavior Analyst Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: practice overview, role overview, key responsibilities, qualifications including the BCBA credential and supervision duties, compensation, and how to apply, with the FLSA status left as a field to confirm. Fill in the brackets and post.
Template 1: Standard Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
The base version: assessments, treatment plans, RBT supervision, and caregiver training. Start here if no specialized version fits your setting.
Template 2: Senior / Lead BCBA
For an experienced BCBA who carries a caseload and also mentors other clinicians, oversees supervision quality, and helps set clinical standards across the practice.
Template 3: Entry-Level / New BCBA
For a recent BCBA or a former RBT who just earned certification. Emphasizes structured mentorship, a manageable caseload, and strong clinical support.
Template 4: Small ABA Clinic / Private Practice
Written for an owner-led practice without an HR department. A hands-on BCBA who carries a caseload, supervises RBTs, and helps build clinical process as you grow.
Template 5: Home-Based / In-Home BCBA
For in-home ABA services across a service area: home assessments, caregiver coaching in the natural environment, RBT supervision, and travel to client homes.
Template 6: School-Based BCBA
For a school setting: functional behavior assessments, behavior intervention plans, teacher and aide support, and collaboration with the special education and IEP team.
BCBA Certification and Supervision Rules
A behavior analyst role is built around credentialing in a way most jobs are not, so the posting has to name the certification and supervision requirements explicitly. The standard credential is the BCBA, issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, and it requires a master's degree, supervised fieldwork, and a passing exam. Insurance and Medicaid payers generally require BCBA certification to reimburse ABA services, which makes the credential effectively mandatory even in the roughly ten states that do not separately license behavior analysts.
Supervision is the other compliance layer. A BCBA who oversees RBTs must meet BACB supervision requirements, and those rules are specific: an RBT must receive supervision for at least 5 percent of the hours they provide behavior-analytic services each month, with a minimum number of contacts, and the supervising BCBA must have completed the BACB 8-hour supervision training and hold a credential in good standing. State licensure exists in most jurisdictions and varies, so list an active BCBA certification and any required state license as mandatory qualifications, and verify both before the candidate starts. The role also handles protected health information, so HIPAA training belongs in onboarding. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm current BACB and state requirements for your jurisdiction.
FLSA: Is a BCBA Exempt or Non-Exempt?
A master's-level BCBA usually qualifies as exempt under the learned professional exemption, while RBTs are almost always non-exempt and paid hourly, so the classification splits cleanly by credential. The learned professional exemption applies when the employee's primary duty requires advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning, customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction, and the employee is paid on a salary or fee basis of at least $684 per week, the level currently in effect after a federal court vacated a later rule that would have raised it.
A BCBA's master's degree and the clinical judgment the role requires generally fit that test, so most full-time BCBAs are treated as exempt. An RBT, as a paraprofessional doing direct-care work under supervision, does not meet the learned professional test and is non-exempt, which means RBTs earn overtime. The duties and salary of the specific position control the classification, not the title, so confirm it before you post, and keep the posting job-related and neutral, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with an employment attorney.
Behavior Analyst Salary
Behavior analysts are well paid, though federal wage data does not isolate them cleanly, so use the government figure as an upper reference and benchmark against your region and setting.
Because the federal category is broad, the most useful number for a posting is a benchmark for your specific state, metro area, and setting, with new BCBAs and experienced clinicians at different points in the range. Post the structure clearly and disclose a pay range where your state requires it. Demand for certified analysts currently outpaces supply, so competitive, transparent pay is part of how a small practice attracts BCBAs. The templates leave compensation as a field so you can set it honestly for your market.
Behavior Analyst Qualifications to Include
Behavior analyst qualifications lead with the credential and then the clinical experience, which makes naming both clearly the difference between a posting that screens well and one that wastes everyone's time.
| Weak requirement | Strong requirement |
|---|---|
| Certified preferred | Active BCBA certification from the BACB (required) |
| Experience with ABA | Experience conducting assessments and writing treatment plans |
| Can supervise staff | Experience supervising RBTs and meeting BACB supervision rules |
| Licensed if needed | State license or registration where required (confirm your state) |
| Good with families | Proven caregiver-training and clinical-communication skills |
An active BCBA certification and a master's degree are the non-negotiable baseline, with the state license required in most jurisdictions, and the strongest postings name the supervision experience and assessment tools the role actually needs. Keep every line job-related, and for the standard sections of a posting, the SHRM job description tools describe a good job description as a plain-language summary of a position's tasks, duties, and responsibilities.
How to Write a Behavior Analyst Job Description
A strong behavior analyst posting takes about 25 minutes and does two jobs: it gives a BCBA the caseload, setting, and supervision load they screen on, and it gets the certification and classification requirements right so you do not waste applicants or create liability. Here is the process the templates are built around. If this is among your first hires, the small business hiring guide covers the steps around the posting itself.
Hiring a BCBA for a Small ABA Clinic or Private Practice
Large healthcare systems and school districts hire BCBAs through dedicated recruiting teams and established compensation frameworks. A small ABA clinic or private practice does not. The owner is often a BCBA, there is no HR department, and the new BCBA has to fit a hands-on, build-as-you-go reality. Here is how to write the posting and the hire for that.
After You Hire: Credentialing and Onboarding
The job description is step one, and a BCBA hire is different from most because of the credentialing layer. Verify the active BCBA certification with the BACB and confirm any required state license, then send the offer, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days along with the rest of the new hire paperwork, gather tax forms, and add the documents the role needs: a supervision agreement, payer credentialing or enrollment, HIPAA training, and acknowledgment of the BACB Ethics Code.
Then onboard clinically, since a new BCBA needs to learn your assessment and treatment-plan processes, take on an initial caseload, and set up the supervision structure for your RBTs, the kind of structured start the employee onboarding guide lays out and a 30-60-90 day plan template can anchor with clear milestones.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the core terms and the formal agreement. FirstHR connects the offer with e-signature, stores the certification, license, and HIPAA and ethics records through document management, runs training modules, and maps the BCBA-to-BCaBA-to-RBT supervision hierarchy in the org chart builder, built for practices without an HR department. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a behavior analyst (BCBA) do?
A behavior analyst designs and oversees applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment, most often for children and families affected by autism. In practice, the standard title is BCBA, or Board Certified Behavior Analyst, a master's-level clinician certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Day to day, a BCBA conducts functional behavior and skills assessments, writes and revises individualized treatment plans, supervises the RBTs and behavior technicians who deliver direct therapy, trains caregivers, analyzes data to guide clinical decisions, and maintains documentation for payers and BACB compliance. The setting shifts the emphasis: a clinic BCBA works on-site, an in-home BCBA travels to client homes and coaches caregivers in the natural environment, and a school-based BCBA designs behavior intervention plans and supports teachers. The clinical core stays the same across settings, which is why this page offers a template for each.
What is the difference between a BCBA, a BCaBA, and an RBT?
They are three credential levels in applied behavior analysis, and they are not interchangeable. A BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) holds a master's degree, completed supervised fieldwork, and passed the BACB exam; the BCBA designs assessments and treatment plans and supervises others. A BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst) holds a bachelor's degree and works under the supervision of a BCBA. An RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) is a paraprofessional who completes a 40-hour training and a competency assessment and delivers direct therapy under supervision. When you hire, the credential determines the role: a BCBA owns clinical design and supervision, a BCaBA assists under a BCBA, and an RBT provides direct care. Hiring an RBT or behavior technician is a separate posting, since the requirements and pay differ substantially.
Is a BCBA certification required to hire a behavior analyst?
In practice, almost always yes. Insurance and Medicaid payers generally require BCBA certification to reimburse ABA services, which makes the credential effectively mandatory even in the roughly ten states that do not separately license behavior analysts. Most states also license or register behavior analysts, and the specific requirements vary by state. So a behavior analyst job description should list an active BCBA certification from the BACB and any required state license as mandatory qualifications, not preferred ones. You should verify the certification directly with the BACB and confirm the state license before the candidate starts. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm current BACB and state-specific requirements for your jurisdiction.
Is a behavior analyst exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A master's-level BCBA usually qualifies as exempt under the learned professional exemption, while RBTs are almost always non-exempt and paid hourly. The learned professional exemption (DOL Fact Sheet 17D) applies when the employee's primary duty requires advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning, customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction, and the employee is paid on a salary or fee basis of at least the federal threshold of $684 per week. A BCBA's master's degree and clinical judgment generally fit that test, so most full-time BCBAs are treated as exempt. RBTs, as paraprofessionals doing direct-care work under supervision, do not meet the learned professional test and are non-exempt, meaning they earn overtime. As always, the duties and salary of the specific position control the classification, not the title. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with the Department of Labor or an employment attorney.
How much does a behavior analyst make?
Behavior analysts are well paid, though federal data does not isolate them cleanly. The BLS has no separate code for behavior analysts; they fall under Psychologists, All Other (SOC 19-3039), which reported a median annual wage of $117,580 in May 2024. That figure overstates typical BCBA pay because the category also includes higher-earning specialties, so treat it as an upper reference rather than a target. Market data shows new BCBAs more commonly start in a range well below that, with experienced BCBAs reaching six figures, and pay varies widely by region, setting, and caseload. For setting a range, benchmark against your specific state and metro area, post the structure clearly, and disclose a pay range where your state requires it. Because demand for certified analysts currently outpaces supply, competitive and transparent pay is part of how a small practice attracts BCBAs.
Does a small ABA clinic or private practice need a BCBA?
Yes. A BCBA is the clinician who can legally and ethically design ABA treatment, supervise RBTs, and bill payers, so an ABA practice cannot operate without one. Many small practices are founded and owned by a BCBA who initially does all of this themselves, then hires additional BCBAs as the caseload grows, since profitability typically arrives at roughly eight to ten clients per BCBA. At a small clinic, the BCBA you hire often becomes the clinical engine of the business: carrying a caseload, supervising the RBTs, training caregivers, and helping build clinical processes. The main considerations for a small employer are getting the certification and state-license requirements right, structuring supervision correctly under BACB rules, and running a real credentialing-and-onboarding process. The small-clinic template on this page is written for exactly this owner-led, no-HR situation.
Is a behavior analyst the same as an ABA therapist?
Not exactly, and the distinction matters when you write the posting. Behavior analyst almost always means a BCBA: the master's-level clinician who designs and oversees treatment. ABA therapist is a looser term that often refers to the person delivering direct therapy, which in most practices is an RBT or behavior technician working under a BCBA's supervision, not the BCBA. So if you need someone to design assessments, write treatment plans, and supervise staff, you are hiring a behavior analyst (BCBA). If you need someone to deliver direct one-on-one therapy under supervision, you are hiring an RBT or behavior technician, which is a different role with different requirements and pay. Use the title that matches the actual scope so candidates self-qualify; the templates here cover the BCBA role, and a separate posting covers the technician role.
What happens after I hire a behavior analyst?
Start with credential verification and paperwork, then run a clinical onboarding, because a BCBA hire carries a credentialing layer most roles do not. Verify the active BCBA certification with the BACB and confirm any required state license, then send the offer, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days, gather tax forms, and add the documents the role needs: a supervision agreement, payer credentialing or enrollment with your insurers, HIPAA training, and acknowledgment of the BACB Ethics Code. Then onboard clinically: review your assessment and treatment-plan processes, assign an initial caseload, set up the supervision structure for your RBTs, and establish data and documentation systems. Because certified analysts are in short supply, an organized onboarding helps a small practice retain the hire. FirstHR handles the offer with e-signature, stores the certification, license, and HIPAA and ethics records through document management, runs training modules, and maps the BCBA-to-BCaBA-to-RBT supervision hierarchy in the org chart builder, built for practices without an HR department. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.