RBT Salary in Hawaii (2026)
From live job-posting data + Medicaid rate records. Updated July 2026.
What Registered Behavior Technicians actually earn in Hawaii right now — from postings that disclose a number — plus who is hiring, the state’s technician credential rules, and the reimbursement math behind the wage.
Posting-Disclosed Pay
| Role | Median hourly | Median (annualized) | Range | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RBT | $22.00/hr | $45,760 | $42,515 – $62,400 | 5 Hawaii postings that disclose pay |
Pay data comes from public job postings that state a number. Hourly rates are annualized at 2,080 hours. Small samples are supplemented with national data.
Who Is Hiring RBTs in Hawaii
Most active employers (RBT roles): Positive Behavior Supports Corp., Malama Pono Autism Center, BAYADA Home Health Care, Hawaii Behavioral Health, Hawaii Pacific Health.
Busiest hiring cities: Honolulu, Kapolei, Lihue, Kahului, Mililani Town.
Becoming a Billable Technician in Hawaii
In Hawaii, the RBT credential is not a nice-to-have. Hawaii Medicaid (QUEST Integration) states it directly: to bill for technician-level ABA, you must hold the BACB Registered Behavior Technician credential. An uncertified “behavior technician” cannot bill Hawaii Medicaid at all, full stop. That rule comes straight from a 2024 Med-QUEST provider memo, so if you’re weighing whether the RBT exam is worth it, this is your answer. Without it, you can work in the field, but you can’t be the one generating billable hours.
Once you’re RBT-credentialed, you bill under code 97153 with modifier HM, working under a Licensed Behavior Analyst’s (LBA) supervision. There’s also a next step up: the BCaBA credential. BCaBAs bill under modifier HN and can cover more service codes than an RBT alone, including 97155, 97152, 97156, 97157, and 97158, still under LBA supervision. That gives you a clear ladder to climb if you want to take on more responsibility and more billable work over time.
What That Means for Your Paycheck
Because the RBT credential is a hard Medicaid billing requirement here, not just a preference, it sets a real wage floor for technicians who hold it. And credentialed techs are still in short supply statewide. As of 2021, Hawaii lawmakers noted just over 1,000 RBT licenses had been issued since the law took effect in 2015, and called the total workforce “still insufficient to meet present demands.” Fewer credentialed techs relative to demand generally means more leverage for you when negotiating pay.
Supervision also works in your favor. Medicaid guidance requires case supervision of roughly 1 to 2 hours for every 10 hours of RBT service you deliver, with at least one of those hours being direct, in-person supervision. On top of that, direct supervision must cover at least 5% of your total service-delivery hours. That’s built-in, guaranteed time with your supervising LBA, not something you have to fight for. Moving into a BCaBA role adds more education requirements, but it also opens the door to billing higher-value codes, which is worth weighing if you’re planning a longer career in Hawaii ABA.
Common Questions
How much does an RBT make in Hawaii?
Job postings in Hawaii that disclose pay show a median around $22.00 per hour (about $45,760 a year full-time).
Do I need the RBT certification to work as a behavior technician in Hawaii?
Yes — Hawaii Medicaid requires the RBT credential for technicians delivering billable ABA. Details below.
Who is hiring RBTs in Hawaii?
The most active employers in recent postings are Positive Behavior Supports Corp., Malama Pono Autism Center, BAYADA Home Health Care, Hawaii Behavioral Health, Hawaii Pacific Health. The busiest hiring markets are Honolulu, Kapolei, Lihue, Kahului, Mililani Town.
What is the career path from RBT?
RBT → BCaBA (bachelor’s-level, optional) → BCBA (master’s-level). Supervised fieldwork hours accumulated as an RBT count toward BCBA certification, which is why supervision quality matters as much as the wage when you compare offers.
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