{
 "slug": "yes-100k-is-real-when-to-walk-away",
 "title": "Yes, $100k Is Real — Here's When to Walk Away Anyway",
 "seo_title": "First-Year BCBA $100k Salary — When to Walk Away",
 "date": "2026-10-09",
 "modified": "2026-10-09",
 "author": "Liat Sacks",
 "publisher": "Pair ABA",
 "summary": "Girl. You just passed. The group chat is already doing that thing where someone drops \"six figures\" like it's a personality test.",
 "audience": "Clinicians",
 "url": "https://pairaba.com/blog-posts/yes-100k-is-real-when-to-walk-away.html",
 "markdown_url": "https://pairaba.com/blog-posts/yes-100k-is-real-when-to-walk-away.md",
 "api_url": "https://pairaba.com/api/posts/yes-100k-is-real-when-to-walk-away.json",
 "text": "Before the tea: What follows is a recap of what people said publicly on Reddit — not Pair's salary bands. We're not naming employers. Corrections: contact@pairaba.com.\n\nGirl. You just passed. The group chat is already doing that thing where someone drops \"six figures\" like it's a personality test.\n\nSo of course you open Reddit and ask: is $90–100k+ right out of grad school actually realistic in ABA?\n\nShort answer from the crowd: yes — in a lot of markets. Longer answer: the sticker number is not the offer.\n\nThe scene Reddit actually cast\n\nSome reported starting around $80–85k, with $90k+ becoming more common after a few years. Others said larger companies, higher-cost-of-living areas, and some school settings can hit that $90–100k+ range earlier.\n\nOne BCBA accepted an offer around $90k before finishing their first year—and even turned down a $100k offer. Their setup: about six clients, 27.5 billable hours per week, fully in-clinic.\n\nThe plot twist nobody puts on the offer slide\n\nSome clinicians warned that higher starting salaries can also come with larger caseloads, less supervision, and heavier productivity expectations.\n\nThat's the Pair decode in one line: sticker salary ≠ sustainable math.\n\nThree questions before you celebrate the $100k\n\n1. What's the weekly billable requirement — and what happens when cancellations hit?\n\n2. What's the caseload range for a first-year BCBA, and who actually supervises me?\n\n3. Why is the number this high?\n\nPair's Take\n\nWe screen the offer the way the floor screens the offer: pay plus caseload plus billables plus supervision. Your cert is expensive. Don't rent it to a shop that bought your silence with a round number.\n\nWant offers where the math is already green?\n\nTell us your location, setting, schedule, salary goals, and non-negotiables. We'll show you what's open.\n\nSoft follow u/PairABA",
 "markdown": "**Before the tea:** What follows is a recap of what people said **publicly on Reddit** — not Pair's salary bands. We're not naming employers. Corrections: **contact@pairaba.com**.\n\nGirl. You just passed. The group chat is already doing that thing where someone drops \"six figures\" like it's a personality test.\n\nSo of course you open Reddit and ask: *is $90–100k+ right out of grad school actually realistic in ABA?*\n\nShort answer from the crowd: **yes — in a lot of markets.** Longer answer: the sticker number is not the offer.\n\n**The scene Reddit actually cast**\n\nSome reported starting around $80–85k, with $90k+ becoming more common after a few years. Others said larger companies, higher-cost-of-living areas, and some school settings can hit that $90–100k+ range earlier.\n\nOne BCBA accepted an offer around $90k before finishing their first year—and even turned down a $100k offer. Their setup: about six clients, 27.5 billable hours per week, fully in-clinic.\n\n**The plot twist nobody puts on the offer slide**\n\nSome clinicians warned that higher starting salaries can also come with larger caseloads, less supervision, and heavier productivity expectations.\n\nThat's the Pair decode in one line: sticker salary ≠ sustainable math.\n\n**Three questions before you celebrate the $100k**\n\n**1. What's the weekly billable requirement — and what happens when cancellations hit?**\n\n**2. What's the caseload range for a first-year BCBA, and who actually supervises me?**\n\n**3. Why is the number this high?**\n\n**Pair's Take**\n\nWe screen the offer the way the floor screens the offer: pay **plus** caseload **plus** billables **plus** supervision. Your cert is expensive. Don't rent it to a shop that bought your silence with a round number.\n\n**Want offers where the math is already green?**\n\nTell us your location, setting, schedule, salary goals, and non-negotiables. We'll show you what's open.\n\nSoft follow **u/PairABA**"
}