You’re holding an offer letter. The salary is competitive. The title is solid. So why don’t you feel excited?
For BCBAs, the problem is that most job offers hide the real cost of the role. The number at the top of the letter is only the beginning.
Here’s what we see over and over when we place BCBAs across the country: a candidate accepts what looks like a good offer, starts the role, and within three months realizes they’re managing 40 active cases on their own, the indirect time they were promised got cut for a client crisis, and they’re spending two hours a week on documentation they thought was handled by support staff. The salary can’t make up for that.
When you’re evaluating an offer, look past the number.
Ask about the actual caseload structure. Don’t just ask “what’s the case load?” Ask: How many cases will I personally manage? How are those cases distributed across clients and locations? What’s the turnover rate for cases, and when they close, who sources the next client? Can I see a sample schedule for a typical week?
Get clarity on indirect time. This is where the conversation matters most. If a practice promises you “protected indirect time,” that’s not a benefit. That’s table stakes. The real question is whether that protection is built into their model or whether it’s contingent on productivity metrics you don’t control. Ask: Is my indirect time locked into my schedule or variable? What happens when a client wants an emergency session during that time? How many BCBAs share one admin coordinator?
Understand the support infrastructure. A practice with 15 BCBAs might have one billing person or four. That changes everything. Ask: How many support staff per BCBA? What does the RBT to BCBA ratio look like? Is there a case management system, or are you managing cases in email and spreadsheets? How much of your time gets eaten by administrative work?
Dig into growth and trajectory. Some offers come from practices that are stable and profitable. Others come from startups in growth mode, which usually means you’ll be putting out fires, wearing multiple hats, and taking on cases you didn’t plan for. Ask: Is the practice growing, flat, or consolidating? If they’re growing, how much of that growth lands on your desk? What does the hiring pipeline look like for support staff and other BCBAs?
The money tells you one story. These questions tell you what your life actually looks like.
A $65,000 salary at a stable practice with a 20-case cap, protected indirect time, four support staff per BCBA, and predictable client transitions is worth more than $72,000 at a growing clinic where you’re managing 35 cases, running your own billing, and finding your next clients solo.
When you’re comparing offers, value the package as a whole. The offer that excites you on day one should still excite you at month six.
