You Buy the Gummies. Who Pays for the Notes?

An in-home RBT took to r/ABA with a question that probably sounds familiar to a lot of behavior technicians: Is anyone else spending their own money just to do their job? They explained that they've been buying toys and gummies out of their own pocket to use as reinforcers during sessions, rather than relying on the client's belongings.

They're also spending their personal time planning upcoming sessions and finishing session notes after work.

What the Department of Labor says

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), work an employer knows about and allows you to perform generally counts as paid work time, even if they didn't specifically ask you to do it. That can include things like completing session notes or preparing for upcoming sessions.

The DOL also considers travel between job sites during the workday to be compensable work time. For in-home RBTs, that can mean the drive from one client's home to another.

State laws, employment classification, and the circumstances of the work can affect which rules apply. And being classified as a 1099 contractor doesn't automatically mean that classification is legally correct.

The field is starting to price this work

Starting Jan 1, 2027, ABA gets a new billing code, 97180, for the work BCBAs do between sessions: reviewing data and notes, changing programs and training techs.

To be clear, it's for BCBAs, not RBTs. But it shows the field is finally admitting that the work between sessions is real work.

Questions to ask before you sign

• Is note time paid, and how many minutes do you allow per session?
• Is drive time between clients paid?
• Who buys reinforcers and materials? Is there a budget?
• Is planning time built into the schedule?

If a clinic can't answer these, your unpaid hours are part of their business plan.

Our matchmakers ask these before you ever get on a call. Want a clinic that pays for the whole job? Find us at u/PairABA.

General info only, not legal or billing advice.