Why 2024 was the year of the Behavior Analyst
This year was many things: the year of dragon, the presidential election, the beginning of a new chapter for Syria, and the end of an eras tour for Taylor Swift. According to data from job search platform Indeed, it was also the year of the behavior analyst. From December 2023 to December 2024, the number of job postings for behavior analysts rose 383% on Indeed—far more than any other job. What is a Behavior Analyst? Behavior analysts are trained in the science of human behavior. They observe people’s behavior and then look for ways to change it by modifying the environment. “We ask, what are the influences on our behavior going on around us?” says Bridget Blakely, an associate clinical professor at Drexel University, trained in behavior analysis. “We observe and analyze people to understand what is impacting their ability to interact with the environment and find strategies to teach new behaviors.” Behavior analysts are most commonly known for treating autism, but they can work in multiple settings including therapists’ offices or with patients in their homes. They can be found in schools helping children get up to speed with reading or math, or in hospitals helping older people struggling with dementia or teaching babies born prematurely how to chew. They can also be found in sports where they may work with athletes to improve their performance or corporate settings where they might be called upon to work on improving workplace efficiency. How do you become a behavior analyst? Becoming a behavior analyst requires getting a master’s degree, completing 2,000 hours of field work, and passing a certification exam. Blakely estimates it typically takes one to two years for students to complete the process, depending on how many hours of field work they are willing to do a month, and the length of their university course. Indeed lists the median salary of a behavior analyst as $79,846. According to Adel Najdowski, professor and the director of the master of science in applied behavior analysis program at Pepperdine University, entry-level positions start at $15-$25 an hour. Board certified behavior analysts typically earn $65,000-$85,000 a year, while the next level up, clinical directors, earn around $120,000 and can be promoted to regional clinical directors who earn upwards of $150,000 a year depending on location. “It’s incredibly rewarding work,” says Najdowski. As a 19-year-old, she decided to become a behavior analyst after watching one train a 4-year-old who couldn’t speak. The analyst broke down speech into tiny steps, reinforcing each one, until the child was finally able to start naming objects. “I could see how fast he was learning and how happy and proud he was,” Najdowski says. “Caregivers will be in tears because they are so happy.” What’s behind the demand? Blakely and Najdowski agree that being a behavior analyst can be tough. Your clients might be dealing with behavior such as self-harm or aggression. If you work with clients at their houses, you’ll be on the road driving from one house to another, and often eating lunch in the car. Yet for both of them, the rewards more than make up for the challenges. Najdowski recommends anyone who is interested in becoming a behavior analyst first try to get a job as a behavior technician, an entry-level position, which typically does not require a master’s. “You’ll be trained on the job,” she says. Then, if it’s a good fit, it’s time to start looking for master’s degrees. Najdowski speculates that 2024 may have seen an increase in calls for behavior analysts for two main reasons. First, insurance is increasingly covering behavior analysis. As of 2019, every state requires insurance to cover applied behavior analysis for people with autism. Second, people are becoming more aware of applied behavior analysis as an effective technique. “Students always worry that they won’t be able to get hired to do field work and then can’t complete their training,” Najdowski says. “Getting hired is never a problem. There’s a huge demand.”
Business Economic Syndicated News 
This year was many things: the year of dragon, the presidential election, the beginning of a new chapter for Syria, and the end of an eras tour for Taylor Swift. According to data from job search platform Indeed, it was also the year of the behavior analyst. From December 2023 to December 2024, the number of job postings for behavior analysts rose 383% on Indeed—far more than any other job.
What is a Behavior Analyst?
Behavior analysts are trained in the science of human behavior. They observe people’s behavior and then look for ways to change it by modifying the environment. “We ask, what are the influences on our behavior going on around us?” says Bridget Blakely, an associate clinical professor at Drexel University, trained in behavior analysis. “We observe and analyze people to understand what is impacting their ability to interact with the environment and find strategies to teach new behaviors.”
Behavior analysts are most commonly known for treating autism, but they can work in multiple settings including therapists’ offices or with patients in their homes. They can be found in schools helping children get up to speed with reading or math, or in hospitals helping older people struggling with dementia or teaching babies born prematurely how to chew. They can also be found in sports where they may work with athletes to improve their performance or corporate settings where they might be called upon to work on improving workplace efficiency.
How do you become a behavior analyst?
Becoming a behavior analyst requires getting a master’s degree, completing 2,000 hours of field work, and passing a certification exam. Blakely estimates it typically takes one to two years for students to complete the process, depending on how many hours of field work they are willing to do a month, and the length of their university course.
Indeed lists the median salary of a behavior analyst as $79,846. According to Adel Najdowski, professor and the director of the master of science in applied behavior analysis program at Pepperdine University, entry-level positions start at $15-$25 an hour. Board certified behavior analysts typically earn $65,000-$85,000 a year, while the next level up, clinical directors, earn around $120,000 and can be promoted to regional clinical directors who earn upwards of $150,000 a year depending on location.
“It’s incredibly rewarding work,” says Najdowski. As a 19-year-old, she decided to become a behavior analyst after watching one train a 4-year-old who couldn’t speak. The analyst broke down speech into tiny steps, reinforcing each one, until the child was finally able to start naming objects. “I could see how fast he was learning and how happy and proud he was,” Najdowski says. “Caregivers will be in tears because they are so happy.”
What’s behind the demand?
Blakely and Najdowski agree that being a behavior analyst can be tough. Your clients might be dealing with behavior such as self-harm or aggression. If you work with clients at their houses, you’ll be on the road driving from one house to another, and often eating lunch in the car. Yet for both of them, the rewards more than make up for the challenges.
Najdowski recommends anyone who is interested in becoming a behavior analyst first try to get a job as a behavior technician, an entry-level position, which typically does not require a master’s. “You’ll be trained on the job,” she says. Then, if it’s a good fit, it’s time to start looking for master’s degrees.
Najdowski speculates that 2024 may have seen an increase in calls for behavior analysts for two main reasons. First, insurance is increasingly covering behavior analysis. As of 2019, every state requires insurance to cover applied behavior analysis for people with autism. Second, people are becoming more aware of applied behavior analysis as an effective technique. “Students always worry that they won’t be able to get hired to do field work and then can’t complete their training,” Najdowski says. “Getting hired is never a problem. There’s a huge demand.”
