Since 2009 Wisconsin has made two important modifications to laws pertaining to the reimbursement of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®s) for autism treatments:
- The legislature added behavior analysts who have a BCBA® credential and state license as professionals who are allowed to provide autism services
- The legislature defined autism as a developmental disability
These modifications combined with an existing law that specifies no health insurance company can deny or cancel coverage based on a developmental disability means that today virtually all of the state’s 5.77 million residents have access to applied behavior analysis therapy for the treatment of autism.
Expanded coverage for autism treatment coming into force in 2009 has led to an increased number of families who seek out autism diagnoses, resulting in a bottleneck as the supply of BCBA®s struggles to catch up with demand. As stated in a June 2016 article in the Wisconsin State Journal, “An increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism, and a state mandate for insurance coverage of autism treatment, has led to an expansion of autism treatment services…”
Experienced board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA®s) in Wisconsin can earn salaries as high as $105,730 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 Wisconsin
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):
Madison:
- 50th: $95,200
- 75th: $101,930
- 90th: $113,630
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis:
- 50th: $105,730
- 75th: $118,540
- 90th: $124,950
Starting Salaries for BCBA®s in the Largest Metropolitan areas of Wisconsin
The most highly paid BCBA®s in Wisconsin 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):
Madison:
- 10th: $26,230
- 25th: $50,100
- 50th: $95,200
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis:
- 10th: $48,170
- 25th: $59,560
- 50th: $105,730
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.