Texas is the second-largest ABA market in the country by population, with booming metro areas in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio driving massive demand for behavior analysts. The state's autism insurance mandate and Medicaid coverage of ABA therapy ensure broad funding, though rural areas remain underserved. Texas has no state income tax, making it one of the most financially attractive states for BCBAs, and multiple universities offer BACB-approved programs.
| Role | Salary Range |
|---|---|
| BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) | $68,000-$98,000 |
| RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) | $33,000-$46,000 |
Texas is the fifth-largest BCBA workforce in the country with 19,520 jobs in the BLS counselor category that includes BCBAs, and the only large state to raise core Medicaid ABA rates in 2025. On September 1, 2025, Texas Medicaid increased the four CPT codes that drive most clinic billing by roughly 11.5%, the largest publicly disclosed payer increase nationally going into 2026. That move has shaped the market visibly: Autism Learning Partners exited Texas in March 2026 (about 300 jobs), while Behavioral Innovations, BlueSprig, and Action Behavior Centers have continued to expand. The sections below break down what BCBA jobs in Texas actually pay across Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth, and what behavior analyst jobs in Texas look like by metro.
Texas runs at scale, not density. NPPES lists 1,229 ABA-billing organizations and 6,276 ABA-billing individual providers in Texas, ranking 31st of 51 on organizations per 100,000 ASD children but absolute-large because the denominator (an estimated 204,526 children with autism) is one of the country's biggest. BACB rolls show 5,244 BCBAs and 148 BCBA-Ds based in Texas as of April 2025. TDLR shows 8,159 active LBAs and LaBAs as of April 2026, spread across 127 of the state's 254 counties.
Demand is concentrated in four metros. Harris County (Houston) leads with 879 active LBAs and LaBAs, followed by Travis (Austin) at 515, Bexar (San Antonio) at 511, Tarrant (Fort Worth) at 406, Denton at 397, Collin at 381, and Dallas at 368. Operator types include large PE-backed clinic chains (Action Behavior Centers is Austin-headquartered, Charlesbank-owned), mid-market multi-state operators (Behavioral Innovations, Hopebridge, BlueSprig), and a long tail of independent agencies. A separate 2,471 Texas-licensed analysts list addresses outside Texas, mostly telehealth providers and cross-border practitioners holding the Texas LBA alongside a home-state license.
Coverage is favorable on the payer side as of late 2025. Texas raised its four core ABA Medicaid CPT codes by 11.5% to 11.6% on September 1, 2025: 97151-HO assessment to $27.56, 97153 RBT direct service to $14.50, 97155-HN BCBA supervision to $20.08, and 97156-HN parent training to $18.40. The increases apply to both fee-for-service Medicaid and the managed-care plans that handle most Texas Medicaid ABA volume. For comparison, New York cut its ABA rates twice in the same window. Browse open ABA therapy jobs in Texas, or see the BCBA career guide for credential and pay context.
data sources: BLS OEWS May 2024; BACB April 2025; TDLR April 2026 active LBA / LaBA roster; TMHP and HHSC reimbursement updates September 2025; NPPES April 2026; Lightcast 2025.
BCBA salary in Texas reads two ways depending on the source. The BLS Texas median for BCBAs (SOC 21-1018) is $60,630, with the 25th percentile at $47,600 and the 75th at $76,390 across 19,520 jobs in the proxy code. That ranks Texas 19th of 51 on the BLS measure. The proxy understates BCBA-specific pay because SOC 21-1018 lumps BCBAs in with substance abuse and mental-health counselors who earn less. Cross-source triangulation across Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and a peer-reviewed 2023 academic survey lands the actual national BCBA total compensation band at $85,000 to $95,000. A Texas BCBA offer near $60,000 reflects the BLS proxy rather than the specialty market.
For RBT jobs in Texas, the BLS state median under SOC 21-1094 is $47,440, with a 25th-to-75th range of $42,570 to $53,870. That figure runs above neighboring states like Arkansas (which sits in the lower national tercile) but below California's RBT proxy of $57,560. The September 2025 Texas Medicaid rate increase on 97153 (the RBT direct-service code) lifted the line from $13.00 to $14.50 per 15-minute unit, an 11.5% increase that is feeding into 2026 hiring budgets at clinics with heavy Medicaid mix.
ABA clinical directors and program managers fall under SOC 11-9151 in Texas, where the state median is $69,700, with a p25 of $55,280 and p75 of $91,510 across 12,040 jobs. The step from the BCBA proxy median to the manager proxy median is $9,070 in Texas, less than half the $19,050 step nationally. Austin leads on director pay at $78,690 median with a 75th percentile of $98,100, the only Texas metro where the manager 75th clears $95,000. Dallas-Fort Worth follows at $75,400 and San Antonio at $75,010. The narrower BCBA-to-director step in Texas means the move into clinical leadership pays less of a premium than in California or New York, but the entry-level director floor still clears $69,700.
Houston is the highest-paying Texas BCBA metro at the median, with a $64,140 BCBA-proxy median, a 75th percentile of $76,890, and 4,230 BCBA-proxy jobs. It ranks 8th nationally on BCBA pay. Houston's market is shaped by a deep in-home and school-contract mix alongside the clinic-chain footprint, which is part of why its median runs above Dallas-Fort Worth despite a smaller workforce. Harris County hosts 879 active TDLR-licensed LBAs and LaBAs, the largest county count in the state. Search Houston ABA jobs.
Austin shows the widest pay spread of any Texas metro, with a $62,440 BCBA-proxy median and a 75th percentile of $93,020 across 2,600 jobs. That p75 is the highest BCBA mark in Texas. Director-level pay tracks the same pattern at $78,690 median and $98,100 at the 75th percentile, the only Texas metro where the manager 75th breaks $95,000. Austin's market is shaped by Action Behavior Centers' headquarters and a heavier representation of senior, in-home, and supervisory roles. See Austin BCBA jobs.
San Antonio's BCBA-proxy median is $58,330, with a 25th percentile of $46,490 and a 75th of $74,340 across 1,710 jobs. Director medians sit at $75,010. Bexar County hosts 511 active TDLR-licensed LBAs and LaBAs. The metro is the smallest of Texas's four major hubs by BCBA-proxy employment, with a denser representation of school-contract and Medicaid-MCO providers than the larger Texas metros. Browse San Antonio ABA jobs.
Dallas-Fort Worth has the largest BCBA workforce in the state at 5,320 jobs but the lowest median of the four major metros at $57,700, with a 75th percentile of $76,580. The DFW corridor splits across multiple counties: Tarrant (Fort Worth) has 406 active LBAs and LaBAs, Denton 397, Collin 381, and Dallas 368. Director pay sits at $75,400 median. DFW is the deepest Texas market for switching jobs without relocating, with hundreds of operators ranging from solo practices to PE-backed chains. See Dallas BCBA jobs and Fort Worth roles.
Texas requires a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) credential through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) before you can practice. Many sources mislabel this. Behavior analyst licensure stayed at TDLR and never moved to BHEC, whose scope is psychologists, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, and social workers.
Two license types apply. The LBA (Licensed Behavior Analyst) is the master's-level credential, paired with the BCBA, and the LaBA (Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst) is the bachelor's-level credential, paired with the BCaBA. LBA prerequisites mirror the BCBA: a qualifying graduate degree, supervised fieldwork hours, and passage of the BACB BCBA exam. Renewal runs every two years. RBTs are not licensed by TDLR; the BACB registration alone covers them.
Coverage is broad on the payer side. Texas Medicaid covers ABA, and as of September 1, 2025, the four core CPT codes pay 11.5% more than they did before: 97151-HO at $27.56, 97153 at $14.50 per 15-minute unit, 97155-HN at $20.08, and 97156-HN at $18.40. Texas SB 2 also created an Education Savings Account program that funds up to $30,000 per child with a disability for educational services, opening an adjacent private-pay channel for some ABA delivery. HB 5133 would expand the credentialing entities Texas recognizes for behavior analysts beyond the BACB; as of April 2026 it is a watch item, not enacted. For a contrast on licensure regimes, see New Mexico's ABA market, which pays a higher BCBA-proxy median ($70,770) but runs a much smaller workforce.
Houston is Texas's largest ABA market, with the Texas Medical Center, Texas Children's Hospital, and dozens of ABA provider organizations serving the nation's fourth-largest city. The city's diversity drives demand for multilingual behavior analysts.
Dallas anchors the massive DFW metroplex ABA market, with UT Southwestern's autism programs and Children's Health providing comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services.
Austin's booming tech economy brings families with generous employer insurance plans that cover ABA therapy. The University of Texas's autism research programs and the city's cultural appeal attract top BCBA talent.
San Antonio's large military community (with multiple bases) drives significant Tricare-funded ABA demand. The city's lower cost of living compared to Houston and Dallas offers strong purchasing power for BCBAs.
Fort Worth is part of the DFW metroplex and offers ABA professionals access to a major market with a slightly lower cost of living than Dallas. Cook Children's Medical Center is a key autism service provider.
The BLS state median for the counselor proxy that includes BCBAs is $60,630, with the 25th percentile at $47,600 and the 75th at $76,390. That BLS code lumps BCBAs in with mental-health counselors who earn less. The cross-source national BCBA total comp band, triangulated across Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and a 2023 academic survey, sits at $85,000 to $95,000. Texas BCBA pay tracks the national band closely on the major metros (Houston at $64,140 median, Austin at $62,440) and runs below it in San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth.
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands leads at a $64,140 BCBA-proxy median, ranking 8th nationally. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has the widest pay spread, with a 75th percentile of $93,020. San Antonio-New Braunfels sits at $58,330 median, and Dallas-Fort Worth at $57,700 with the largest absolute workforce (5,320 BCBA-proxy jobs). For senior BCBAs targeting the highest percentile pay, Austin's 75th percentile is the strongest mark in the state.
Yes. Texas requires a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) credential through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). LBA prerequisites mirror the BCBA: a qualifying graduate degree, supervised fieldwork hours, and passage of the BACB BCBA exam. BCaBAs hold the LaBA credential. Renewal is every two years. RBTs are not licensed by TDLR. As of April 2026, Texas has 8,159 active LBAs and LaBAs spread across 127 of its 254 counties.
Yes, and at increased rates as of September 1, 2025. Texas raised its four core ABA Medicaid CPT codes by 11.5% to 11.6%: 97151-HO assessment to $27.56, 97153 RBT direct service to $14.50, 97155-HN BCBA supervision to $20.08, and 97156-HN parent training to $18.40. The increases apply to both fee-for-service Medicaid and managed care. That makes Texas one of the more operator-friendly Medicaid environments for ABA in 2026.
RBT roles are the standard entry path. The BLS Texas median for the RBT proxy (SOC 21-1094) is $47,440, with a 25th-to-75th range of $42,570 to $53,870. Most Texas RBT openings sit in clinic, in-home, and school-contract settings across Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and DFW. RBT certification through the BACB requires a 40-hour training course, a competency assessment, and a passing exam score. The September 2025 Medicaid rate lift on 97153 has fed into 2026 RBT hiring budgets at Medicaid-heavy clinics. Browse [open RBT jobs in Texas](/jobs?state=Texas).
Yes by most measures relevant to ABA careers in Texas. Becoming a BCBA in Texas is worth $154,932 over 20 years for an RBT who completes the credential, ranking 5th in the country on BCBA NPV. Texas has the fifth-largest BCBA workforce, no state income tax, and the largest publicly disclosed 2025 Medicaid rate increase in the country. The trade-offs are middle-of-the-pack BLS median pay (ranked 19th) and a narrower BCBA-to-director step ($9,070 in Texas versus $19,050 nationally). For most Texas-based BCBAs, the comparison that matters is staying in-state for the rate-increase tailwind versus chasing higher BLS medians into smaller markets.
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