As the diagnosis and treatment of autism has grown in Maryland, so has the demand for board certified behavior analysts (BCBA®s). That is one of the reasons why applied behavior analysts in Maryland earn some of the nation’s highest average salaries for this profession.
By law Maryland mandates that treatment for autism spectrum disorders is covered by these plans:
- Insurance company plans
- Non-profit health service plans
- Individual insurance plans
- Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
This covers infants, children, and young adults up to the age of 19. BCBA®s are also eligible for reimbursement through the state’s federally supported Value Options.
One of the biggest increases in autism treatment coverage came with the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. This opened the door for coverage under the state’s new health care marketplace, the the Maryland Health Benefits Exchange. Any insurance plans through this exchange are now required to include autism coverage.
In January of 2017 it’s expected that Medicaid insurance plans will also begin covering autism treatment provided by applied behavior analysts.
BCBA®s with 10 years of work experience earn around $63,644 annually in Maryland. That represents more than a thousand-dollar-per-year increase from the entry-level median wage in the state. Both these figures are some of the highest for any state in the nation.
Notable BCBA® Statistics for Maryland’s Eight Largest Cities
- The government, private practice, and company sectors offer the best average salaries
- Germantown offers the highest average entry-level salary, followed by Rockville
- Columbia offers the highest average salary for those with a decade of experience, followed by Rockville
- The government sector in Maryland offers a higher salary potential than it does in most other states
Salaries for Experienced Behavior Analyst in Maryland’s Major Cities
Shown here are salary figures for BCBA®s with 10-years of experience in Maryland’s largest cities. Each list provides an overall salary range (from median to 90th-percentile) for behavior analysts with 10-years of experience, followed by the average in each employment sector (December 2016).
Baltimore – $62,768 – $82,000
- Government – $65,959
- Private practice – $65,878
- Company – $65,873
- School district – $64,679
- Non-profit – $62,428
Columbia – $65,563 – $88,000
- Government – $68,554
- Private practice – $68,243
- Company – $68,106
- School district – $67,788
- Non-profit – $64,706
Germantown – $65,212 – $85,000
- Government – $67,021
- Private practice – $66,868
- Company – $66,506
- School district – $66,284
- Non-profit – $63,453
Silver Spring – $64,651 – $85,000
- Government – $66,814
- Private practice – $66,688
- Company – $66,384
- School district – $65,936
- Non-profit – $63,205
Waldorf – $62,939 – $86,000
- Company – $65,031
- Government – $64,821
- Private practice – $64,741
- School district – $63,247
- Non-profit – $61,159
Glen Burnie – $60,628 – $80,000
- Company – $63,643
- Private practice – $63,534
- Government – $63,358
- School district – $61,595
- Non-profit – $60,102
Frederick – $62,029 – $83,000
- Company – $65,309
- Private practice – $65,241
- Government – $65,238
- School district – $63,712
- Non-profit – $61,681
Rockville – $65,365 – $85,000
- Government – $67,471
- Private practice – $67,249
- Company – $66,913
- School district – $66,792
- Non-profit – $63,828
Starting Salaries for Board Certified Behavior Analyst in Maryland by City
Shown here are entry-level BCBA® salary figures for the largest cities in Maryland by sector. Each list provides an overall salary range (from median to 90th-percentile) for each city, followed by the average in each employment sector (December 2016).
Baltimore – $50,200 – $66,000
- Government – $50,190
- Private practice – $50,152
- Company – $50,140
- School district – $49,194
- Non-profit – $47,514
Columbia – $52,573 – $70,000
- Government – $53,299
- Private practice – $53,089
- Company – $52,973
- School district – $52,685
- Non-profit – $50,327
Germantown – $54,780 – $72,000
- Government – $56,805
- Private practice – $56,743
- Company – $56,420
- School district – $56,169
- Non-profit – $53,833
Silver Spring – $53,924 – $71,000
- Private practice – $56,577
- Government – $56,610
- Company – $56,302
- School district – $55,849
- Non-profit – $53,603
Waldorf – $51,242 – $70,000
- Company – $52,592
- Private practice – $52,371
- Government – $52,370
- School district – $51,073
- Non-profit – $49,456
Glen Burnie – $49,524 – $65,000
- Company – $49,589
- Private practice – $49,514
- Government – $49,346
- School district – $47,940
- Non-profit – $46,821
Frederick – $52,460 – $70,000
- Company – $54,631
- Private practice – $54,592
- Government – $54,514
- School district – $53,210
- Non-profit – $51,588
Rockville – $54,550 – $71,000
- Private practice – $57,060
- Government – $57,179
- Company – $56,759
- School district – $56,595
- Non-profit – $54,147
Salary data for entry-level and experienced applied behavior analysts was sourced from PayScale.com in December 2016. Using its daily-updated database of over 54 million salary profiles, PayScale’s proprietary algorithms provide access to real-time salary information.