June 17, 2013 marked the day when New York’s State Senate passed legislation that enshrines into law insurance reimbursement for applied behavior analysis as a therapeutic intervention for autism. The governor signed this at the beginning of 2014, and it went live on July 1 of that year.
The highlights of this law mean Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®s) are paid for their services by health insurance plans, instead of out-of-pocket by the parents of those with autism.
This law stipulates:
- Insurance companies must provide coverage for the diagnosis, treatment, and screening of autism spectrum disorders, including ABA treatment
- Insurance companies cannot deny or amend coverage for autism treatments based solely on new diagnoses
- Holders of the BCBA® credential (BACB certification) are specifically noted for being eligible for insurance reimbursement when providing ABA treatments
- The law creates a new state licensing procedure for the new class of professional, behavior analysts
There is no age limit for coverage of ABA services to treat autism, with a treatment coverage cap at $45,000 per year per child.
Having been the law of the land going on three years now, this legislation has helped to bolster the state’s average salary for BCBA®s. Experienced board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA®s) in New York can earn salaries as high as $113,570 a year, according to 2021 statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Salaries for Experienced BCBA®s in the Largest Metropolitan areas of New York
The range of salaries for board-certified behavior analysts with ten years of experience in the field are shown below (median to top 10% – current as of May, 2021):
Albany-Schenectady-Troy:
- 50th: $103,900
- 75th: $120,240
- 90th: $121,760
New York-Newark-Jersey City:
- 50th: $113,570
- 75th: $127,750
- 90th: $138,400
Starting Salaries for BCBA®s in the Largest Metropolitan areas of New York
The most highly paid BCBA®s in New York who lack job experience in the field of behavior analysis can command salaries that exceed the median salary among highly experienced BCBA®s in the state. Salary data shown below for entry-level ABAs is current as of May 2021 (10th percentile to median):
Albany-Schenectady-Troy:
- 10th: $46,820
- 25th: $93,660
- 50th: $103,900
New York-Newark-Jersey City:
- 10th: $38,210
- 25th: $77,200
- 50th: $113,570
2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Psychologists, All Other reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed January 2023.