BCBA & RBT Salary in Michigan (2026)
From live job-posting data + Medicaid rate records. Updated July 2026.
This page is for ABA practice owners in Michigan. 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 | $89,000 | $47,840 – $156,000 | 46 Michigan postings that disclose pay |
| RBT | $38,480 | $33,280 – $56,160 | 327 Michigan 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 Michigan
Most active employers (BCBA roles): Healing Haven LLC, Above and Beyond Therapy, Total Spectrum, LLC, Judson Center, Acorn Health.
Busiest hiring cities: Detroit, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Taylor.
Working as a Behavior Analyst in Michigan
Michigan has required a state license to practice as a behavior analyst since January 7, 2020, when the Michigan Board of Behavior Analysts, part of LARA’s Bureau of Professional Licensing, began issuing licenses under MCL 333.18253. There are two protected titles: Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) for BCBA-level practitioners, and Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst (LABA) for BCaBA-level practitioners. Both require holding the underlying BACB credential plus the state license before you can use the title or bill for services.
For a working BCBA, this means the license is not optional paperwork, it’s the gate to practicing and getting paid in Michigan. The license renews on a 4-year cycle, separate from your BACB 2-year recertification, and renewal requires completing human-trafficking-identification training and implicit-bias training hours. If you already held a BACB credential before the law took effect, you could apply for licensure within one year of the rules taking effect without extra steps, but that grandfathering window has long since closed for anyone certifying now.
RBT vs. BT in Michigan
Michigan Medicaid does not require a license or certification for behavior technicians delivering direct ABA treatment. MDHHS’s current provider-qualifications letter, Numbered Letter L 24-78, states plainly that a “license or certification is not required” for the Behavior Technician/RBT tier. That’s a different bar than the clinical tier: BCBAs must hold both BACB certification and the LARA LBA license, and Licensed Psychologists and Qualified Behavioral Health Professionals delivering these services had to become licensed as a BCBA and LBA by September 30, 2025 or lose Medicaid billing eligibility.
For job seekers, this puts real weight on the LBA license itself, not just the BCBA credential, since it’s the license that unlocks independent clinical billing in this state. For owners, it means you can build a staffing model with unlicensed technicians delivering hours under a licensed BCBA/LBA without an added state credentialing requirement on the technician side. Michigan also runs a Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program that lists BCBAs and BCaBAs as eligible: up to $300,000 in tax-free loan repayment over 10 years, in 2-year service agreements (minimum $20,000 per agreement), for those working at eligible nonprofit outpatient, CMHSP, or school-based sites, with priority for roles serving children in shortage areas.
Common Questions
How much does a BCBA make in Michigan?
Job postings in Michigan that disclose pay show a median around $89,000 per year.
Is it hard to hire BCBAs in Michigan?
A LinkedIn search for BCBA roles in Michigan returns 1,000+ results from the past month (including related roles). The busiest hiring markets are Detroit, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Taylor.
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: Ohio · Indiana · Wisconsin · Illinois