Applied Behavior Specialist Salary in the United States
How much does an Applied Behavior Specialist make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for an Applied Behavior Specialist in the United States is $43,825 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $21.
However, an Applied Behavior Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $52,516
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $39,144 to $48,374
Key Factors That Influence Applied Behavior Specialist Salaries
An Applied Behavior Specialist'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 Applied Behavior Specialist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Applied Behavior Specialist'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): $42,524
Early Career (1-2 years): $42,719
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $44,150
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $45,752
Expert (over 8 years): $45,971
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Applied Behavior Specialist
$42,524
Intermediate Level Applied Behavior Specialist
$42,719
Senior Level Applied Behavior Specialist
$44,150
Specialist Level Applied Behavior Specialist
$45,752
Expert Level Applied Behavior Specialist
$45,971
$42,5240 yr
$42,719< 2 yrs
$44,1502-4 yrs
$45,7525-8 yrs
$45,971> 8 yrs
View as Table
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What Am I Worth?
How Do Applied Behavior Specialist 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 Applied Behavior Specialists.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $48,522.
California: $48,338.
Massachusetts: $47,694.
District of Columbia$48,522
California$48,338
Massachusetts$47,694
Washington$47,519
New Jersey$47,501
Alaska$47,440
Connecticut$46,835
New York$46,590
Hawaii$45,805
Rhode Island$45,437
Maryland$45,187
Minnesota$44,846
Colorado$44,714
Illinois$44,670
Oregon$44,504
Delaware$44,381
New Hampshire$44,304
Virginia$44,131
Pennsylvania$43,627
Nevada$43,373
North Dakota$43,290
Michigan$43,158
Wisconsin$43,110
Vermont$43,014
Texas$42,746
Maine$42,729
Arizona$42,703
Ohio$42,672
Georgia$42,269
Indiana$42,067
Wyoming$42,028
Utah$41,966
Iowa$41,940
Kansas$41,730
Louisiana$41,668
North Carolina$41,646
Missouri$41,638
Florida$41,467
Montana$41,375
Nebraska$41,287
Kentucky$41,239
South Carolina$41,064
Tennessee$40,954
Idaho$40,910
New Mexico$40,590
Oklahoma$40,520
Alabama$40,262
South Dakota$39,828
Arkansas$39,591
West Virginia$39,464
Mississippi$39,083
Top Paying Cities for Applied Behavior Specialists
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: $55,276
San Francisco: $54,671
Oakland: $53,518
San Jose, CA$55,276
San Francisco, CA$54,671
Oakland, CA$53,518
New York, NY$50,459
Paramus, NJ$49,846
Queens Village, NY$49,843
Passaic, NJ$49,802
Bergenfield, NJ$49,798
Stamford, CT$49,701
Huntington, NY$49,683
Newark, NJ$49,360
Bridgeport, CT$49,267
Vallejo, CA$49,180
New Brunswick, NJ$49,162
Petaluma, CA$49,136
Middlesex, NJ$49,053
Somerset, NJ$49,022
Santa Cruz, CA$48,965
Boston, MA$48,698
Monterey, CA$48,544
Seattle, WA$48,444
Santa Rosa, CA$48,435
Los Angeles, CA$48,422
Juneau, AK$48,308
Washington, DC$48,260
Orange, CA$48,104
Santa Ana, CA$47,988
Long Beach, CA$47,944
Anaheim, CA$47,935
Anchorage, AK$47,913
Santa Maria, CA$47,782
Everett, WA$47,773
Danbury, CT$47,619
Bremerton, WA$47,558
Tacoma, WA$47,401
New Suffolk, NY$47,400
Sacramento, CA$47,387
Santa Barbara, CA$47,339
Trenton, NJ$47,291
San Diego, CA$47,291
Brockton, MA$47,243
Fairbanks, AK$47,135
Lompoc, CA$47,024
Lowell, MA$46,988
Ventura, CA$46,980
Nashua, NH$46,971
Stockton, CA$46,967
Modesto, CA$46,647
Poughkeepsie, NY$46,550
Olympia, WA$46,467
Kennewick, WA$46,467
New Haven, CT$46,450
Lawrence, MA$46,292
Hartford, CT$46,248
Riverside, CA$46,239
New Bedford, MA$46,195
Richland, WA$46,195
Bakersfield, CA$46,134
San Bernardino, CA$46,117
New Britain, CT$46,112
Atlantic City, NJ$46,112
New London, CT$46,095
Norwich, CT$46,081
Portsmouth, NH$46,073
Boulder, CO$45,980
Portland, OR$45,919
Worcester, MA$45,915
Minneapolis, MN$45,779
Philadelphia, PA$45,718
Honolulu, HI$45,573
Saint Paul, MN$45,552
Vineland, NJ$45,542
Providence, RI$45,415
Chicago, IL$45,288
Bellingham, WA$45,236
Springfield, MA$45,201
Baltimore, MD$45,187
Chico, CA$45,078
Pittsfield, MA$44,960
Manchester, NH$44,876
Spokane, WA$44,683
Denver, CO$44,679
Albany, NY$44,473
Troy, NY$44,456
Nassau, NY$44,409
Schenectady, NY$44,364
Wilmington, DE$44,328
Burlington, VT$44,267
Salem, OR$44,250
Portland, ME$44,114
Yakima, WA$44,070
Rochester, MN$43,934
Reno, NV$43,912
Fresno, CA$43,912
Milwaukee, WI$43,873
Detroit, MI$43,829
Ann Arbor, MI$43,821
Allentown, PA$43,816
Colorado Springs, CO$43,741
Syracuse, NY$43,719
Carson City, NV$43,719
Houston, TX$43,658
Eugene, OR$43,636
Gary, IN$43,583
Springfield, OR$43,548
Bismarck, ND$43,540
Galveston, TX$43,509
Medford, OR$43,443
Fort Collins, CO$43,426
Concord, NH$43,404
Austin, TX$43,391
Mesa, AZ$43,299
Reading, PA$43,294
Phoenix, AZ$43,290
Dallas, TX$43,277
Saint Cloud, MN$43,235
Madison, WI$43,176
Utica, NY$43,058
Rochester, NY$42,987
Des Moines, IA$42,983
Raleigh, NC$42,979
Atlanta, GA$42,913
Battle Creek, MI$42,900
Salt Lake City, UT$42,887
Lancaster, PA$42,821
Harrisburg, PA$42,760
Kansas City, MO$42,716
Champaign, IL$42,707
Kansas City, KS$42,707
Fort Worth, TX$42,703
Columbus, OH$42,695
Boca Raton, FL$42,685
Pittsburgh, PA$42,668
Richmond, VA$42,650
Indianapolis, IN$42,641
Cleveland, OH$42,637
Las Vegas, NV$42,584
Cincinnati, OH$42,584
Petersburg, VA$42,519
Huntsville, AL$42,453
Lansing, MI$42,423
Lebanon, PA$42,418
Pueblo, CO$42,413
Appleton, WI$42,400
Buffalo, NY$42,383
Dayton, OH$42,370
Racine, WI$42,361
Charlotte, NC$42,356
Saint Louis, MO$42,343
York, PA$42,317
Elkhart, IN$42,317
Gastonia, NC$42,309
Billings, MT$42,298
Beaumont, TX$42,286
Lorain, OH$42,277
Benton Harbor, MI$42,269
Toledo, OH$42,260
Binghamton, NY$42,238
Rock Hill, SC$42,234
Rockford, IL$42,212
Springfield, IL$42,194
Elyria, OH$42,190
Fargo, ND$42,190
Flagstaff, AZ$42,159
Fort Lauderdale, FL$42,133
Duluth, MN$42,107
Miami, FL$42,107
Cheyenne, WY$42,076
Grand Forks, ND$42,076
Bangor, ME$41,979
Cedar Rapids, IA$41,931
Durham, NC$41,913
Louisville, KY$41,909
Grand Rapids, MI$41,901
Hialeah, FL$41,896
Casper, WY$41,835
Scranton, PA$41,782
New Orleans, LA$41,769
Virginia Beach, VA$41,765
Akron, OH$41,743
Peoria, IL$41,686
Sarasota, FL$41,677
Nashville, TN$41,646
Omaha, NE$41,646
Green Bay, WI$41,646
Baton Rouge, LA$41,625
Charleston, SC$41,616
Jamestown, NY$41,594
Davenport, IA$41,594
Tucson, AZ$41,572
Saint Petersburg, FL$41,546
Tampa, FL$41,537
Evansville, IN$41,511
Port Arthur, TX$41,511
Bradenton, FL$41,493
Santa Fe, NM$41,414
Orlando, FL$41,335
Clearwater, FL$41,322
Canton, OH$41,230
La Crosse, WI$41,230
Albuquerque, NM$41,204
Newport News, VA$41,199
High Point, NC$41,186
Ogden, UT$41,169
Corpus Christi, TX$41,134
Norfolk, VA$41,107
Laramie, WY$41,107
Rock Island, IL$41,081
Saginaw, MI$41,072
Jacksonville, FL$41,068
Salisbury, NC$41,059
Boise, ID$41,050
Moline, IL$41,028
Fort Myers, FL$41,015
Memphis, TN$41,007
Tulsa, OK$40,985
Waterloo, IA$40,958
Spartanburg, SC$40,915
Lincoln, NE$40,893
Fort Wayne, IN$40,884
Provo, UT$40,879
Cedar Falls, IA$40,827
San Antonio, TX$40,809
Greensboro, NC$40,792
South Bend, IN$40,787
Savannah, GA$40,739
Muskegon, MI$40,722
Birmingham, AL$40,717
Winston Salem, NC$40,696
Lake Charles, LA$40,590
Anderson, IN$40,581
Lexington, KY$40,568
Augusta, GA$40,555
Greenville, SC$40,555
Lima, OH$40,520
Wichita, KS$40,516
Tuscaloosa, AL$40,516
Columbia, SC$40,476
Springfield, OH$40,468
Asheville, NC$40,397
Bloomington, IN$40,367
Knoxville, TN$40,209
Shreveport, LA$40,205
Wilmington, NC$40,148
Roanoke, VA$40,148
Topeka, KS$40,069
Frankfort, KY$40,064
Oklahoma City, OK$40,034
Chillicothe, OH$40,016
Longview, TX$40,012
Melbourne, FL$40,007
Sioux Falls, SD$39,937
Mobile, AL$39,933
Terre Haute, IN$39,915
Altoona, PA$39,889
Amarillo, TX$39,858
Killeen, TX$39,845
Fayetteville, AR$39,810
Chattanooga, TN$39,797
Sioux City, IA$39,758
Idaho Falls, ID$39,749
Lynchburg, VA$39,714
Gainesville, FL$39,657
Portsmouth, OH$39,635
Little Rock, AR$39,626
Lafayette, LA$39,609
Youngstown, OH$39,609
Daytona Beach, FL$39,582
Clarksville, TN$39,578
Pensacola, FL$39,574
Temple, TX$39,570
Hopkinsville, KY$39,442
Erie, PA$39,433
Florence, SC$39,416
Charleston, WV$39,346
Great Falls, MT$39,324
Macon, GA$39,262
Tallahassee, FL$39,258
Fayetteville, NC$39,249
Waco, TX$39,240
Helena, MT$39,210
Pine Bluff, AR$39,193
Vincennes, IN$39,140
Lubbock, TX$39,122
Alamogordo, NM$39,096
Twin Falls, ID$39,056
Rapid City, SD$39,043
Jackson, MS$38,964
Huntington, WV$38,961
Greenville, MS$38,960
Parkersburg, WV$38,915
Montgomery, AL$38,907
Wichita Falls, TX$38,864
Springfield, MO$38,864
Biloxi, MS$38,842
Monroe, LA$38,798
Johnstown, PA$38,767
Sumter, SC$38,750
Columbus, GA$38,745
Pascagoula, MS$38,662
Abilene, TX$38,662
Kingsport, TN$38,548
Albany, GA$38,548
Gulfport, MS$38,535
Alexandria, LA$38,390
Fort Smith, AR$38,281
El Paso, TX$38,162
Las Cruces, NM$37,965
Harlingen, TX$37,854
Pocatello, ID$37,847
Florence, AL$37,790
Brownsville, TX$37,781
Mcallen, TX$37,689
Dothan, AL$37,628
Columbus, MS$37,367
Altus, OK$37,163
Lawton, OK$37,080
Pierre, SD$36,922
What Skills Can Increase an Applied Behavior Specialist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Leadership (Mentioned in 8.14% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Catering (Mentioned in 1.95% Job Postings): Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, hospital, pub, aircraft, cruise ship, park, festival, filming location or film studio.
Cost Control (Mentioned in 1.16% Job Postings): Managing and analyzing financial data in determining and reducing business expenses to increase revenue and profitability.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Leadership
8.14%
Catering
1.95%
Cost Control
1.16%
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 an Applied Behavior Specialist's salary.
Quality Assurance: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Safety Training: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Microsoft Office: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Quality Assurance
$47,769
9%
Safety Training
$47,330
8%
Microsoft Office
$47,330
8%
Team Management
$47,330
8%
Commitment
$47,330
8%
Motivating
$46,892
7%
Get Latest Data
Applied Behavior Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Applied Behavior Specialist roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 25% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Hospitality & Leisure,
offers compensation 10% above the average. Conversely,
Applied Behavior Specialist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Applied Behavior Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Applied Behavior Specialist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Hospitality & Leisure
$48,207
$23.0
10%
Healthcare
$46,016
$22.0
5%
How Education impacts an Applied Behavior Specialist's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Applied Behavior Specialists enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for an Applied Behavior Specialist with a No Diploma is between
$39,144
and $41,185).
Applied Behavior Specialist Salaries by Degree Level
Understanding how an Applied Behavior Specialist'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$39,144
Average$43,825/year
$48,374
$3,262
Average$3,652/month
$4,031
$753
Average$843/week
$930
$19
Average$21/hour
$23
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$48,374
$4,031
$930
$23
Average
$43,825
$3,652
$843
$21
25th Percentile
$39,144
$3,262
$753
$19
Salaries of jobs related to Applied Behavior Specialist
Salaries for an Applied Behavior Specialist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $42,650 in 2023
to around $42,423 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Applied Behavior Specialist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Applied Behavior Specialist Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$42,650
2024
$42,644
2025
$42,423
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$42,650
2024
$42,644
2025
$42,423
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Applied Behavior Specialist
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Common company salaries for Applied Behavior Specialist
Here are companies hiring for Applied Behavior Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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