BCBA & RBT Salary in District of Columbia (2026)
From live job-posting data + Medicaid rate records. Updated July 2026.
This page is for ABA practice owners in District of Columbia. It shows what the market pays right now, who is hiring, and why. Use it to set offers that keep your team.
Posting-Disclosed Pay
| Role | Median (annualized) | Range | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCBA | $110,000 | $100,000 – $130,000 | 6 District of Columbia postings that disclose pay |
| RBT | $54,080 | $50,180 – $58,240 | 7 District of Columbia postings that disclose pay |
Pay data comes from public LinkedIn postings that state a number. Hourly rates are annualized at 2,080 hours. Small samples are supplemented with national data.
Who Is Hiring in District of Columbia
Most active employers (BCBA roles): Storybook ABA, ABA Centers of Virginia, Kona Medical Consulting, National Therapy Center, Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas.
Busiest hiring cities: Washington, District of Columbia.
Working as a Behavior Analyst in District of Columbia
DC created a brand-new licensure category for behavior analysts in 2024, separate from its long-standing psychology license. Under D.C. Code § 3-1207.71, the DC Board of Psychology now issues a “Licensed Behavior Analyst” credential and added a dedicated behavior-analyst seat to the six-member board. To qualify, you need current BACB certification, a master’s degree or higher from a BACB-accredited program, and a clean criminal background check. Anyone already BCBA-certified on or before July 19, 2024 is grandfathered in and doesn’t need the accredited-program degree.
That’s a higher bar than the BCBA-only licensure most states use, and it could tighten the pool of BCBAs eligible to supervise or hold leadership roles in DC over time. One caveat for owners and job seekers to check before relying on this: the law required implementing rules and an application process by July 19, 2025, but as of this writing DC Health’s Psychology Licensing page still only lists application forms for Psychologist and Psychology Associate — no Behavior Analyst application has surfaced yet. Confirm directly with DC Health whether licenses are actually being issued before you count on this credential being live.
Two other things worth knowing if you’re weighing a move to DC. BCBAs are not on DC’s list of eligible professions for the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program — the mental-health track covers LCSWs, psychologists, and licensed professional counselors, but not behavior analysts, so don’t expect loan repayment as a recruiting lever here. And DC’s shortage designations show just one mental-health HPSA citywide, a thin footprint compared to many states, which limits access to shortage-linked incentives for ABA practices.
RBT vs. BT in District of Columbia
The clearest signal on technician credentials in DC comes from Medicaid, not the licensing board: the CASSIP/HSCSN managed-care contract specifically names the Registered Behavior Technician as the technician-level credential for billable ABA hours, alongside BCBAs and other licensed providers. That’s a real advantage for RBT-credentialed techs job-hunting in DC — it gives them documented leverage over uncredentialed behavior technicians when a practice is billing Medicaid. For owners, it means building your direct-service staffing model around RBT certification rather than a generic BT role, at least for any Medicaid-funded cases. One thing to verify before treating this as citywide policy: this definition was confirmed in the CASSIP/HSCSN specialty contract specifically, and no general DC Medicaid ABA provider manual could be found to confirm it applies the same way across fee-for-service and the other managed-care plans.
Common Questions
How much does a BCBA make in District of Columbia?
Job postings in District of Columbia that disclose pay show a median around $110,000 per year.
Is it hard to hire BCBAs in District of Columbia?
A LinkedIn search for BCBA roles in District of Columbia returns 357 results from the past month (including related roles). The busiest hiring markets are Washington, District of Columbia.
What drives BCBA pay in a state?
Three things: Medicaid and commercial reimbursement rates, how many certified analysts live in the state, and demand from autism prevalence and insurance mandates.
Compare neighboring states: Maryland · Virginia