Salary AI Book a Demo

Behavioral Therapist Salary in the United States

How much does a Behavioral Therapist make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Behavioral Therapist in the United States is $103,832 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $50.

However, a Behavioral Therapist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $119,733
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $95,020 to $112,155
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $86,997
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Behavioral Therapist Salaries

A Behavioral Therapist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Behavioral Therapist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Behavioral Therapist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $102,975
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $103,220
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $106,329
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $110,036
  • Expert (over 8 years): $110,301
Levels Salary
Entry Level Behavioral Therapist$102,975
Intermediate Level Behavioral Therapist$103,220
Senior Level Behavioral Therapist$106,329
Specialist Level Behavioral Therapist$110,036
Expert Level Behavioral Therapist$110,301
View as Graph

How Do Behavioral Therapist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Behavioral Therapists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $114,963.
  • California: $114,527.
  • Massachusetts: $113,000.

Top Paying Cities for Behavioral Therapists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $130,963
  • San Francisco: $129,529
  • Oakland: $126,800

What Skills Can Increase a Behavioral Therapist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Commitment (Mentioned in 9.81% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
  • Medical Records Audit (Mentioned in 2.93% Job Postings): a medical records audit is a chart review which is used to identify what is being done correctly and what is in need of improvement.
  • Clinical Supervision (Mentioned in 2.33% Job Postings): Supervision is used in counselling, psychotherapy, and other mental health disciplines as well as many other professions engaged in working with people. Supervision may be applied as well to practitioners in somatic disciplines for their preparatory work for patients as well as collateral with patients. Supervision is a replacement instead of formal retrospective inspection, delivering evidence about the skills of the supervised practitioners. It consists of the practitioner meeting regularly with another professional, not necessarily more senior, but normally with training in the skills of supervision, to discuss casework and other professional issues in a structured way. This is often known as clinical or counselling supervision (consultation differs in being optional advice from someone without a supervisor's formal authority). The purpose is to assist the practitioner to learn from his or her experience and progress in expertise, as well as to ensure good service to the client or patient. Learning shall be applied to planning work as well as to diagnostic work and therapeutic work.
Skills Demand Percentage
Commitment 9.81%
Medical Records Audit 2.93%
Clinical Supervision 2.33%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Behavioral Therapist's salary.

  • Medical Records Audit: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Organizational Skills: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Medical Records Audit $111,100
7%
Organizational Skills $107,985
4%
Commitment $105,909
2%
Get Latest Data

Behavioral Therapist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Behavioral Therapist roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely, Behavioral Therapist positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Behavioral Therapist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Behavioral Therapist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$124,598$60.020%

How Education impacts a Behavioral Therapist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Behavioral Therapists enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Behavioral Therapist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $96,426 and $101,848).

Behavioral Therapist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Behavioral Therapist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.1%
High School 0.6%
Associates 4.2%
Bachelors 25.5%
Masters 67.1%
Doctorate 2.5%
View as Graph

Behavioral Therapist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Behavioral Therapist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$95,020
Average $103,832/year
$112,155
$7,918
Average $8,653/month
$9,346
$1,827
Average $1,997/week
$2,157
$46
Average $50/hour
$54
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $112,155 $9,346 $2,157 $54
Average $103,832 $8,653 $1,997 $50
25th Percentile $95,020 $7,918 $1,827 $46

Most common benefits for Behavioral Therapist

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Behavioral Therapist

Here are companies hiring for Behavioral Therapist and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Behavioral Therapist Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Behavioral Therapist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Behavioral Therapist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Behavioral Therapist?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Behavioral Therapist roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst