Two states, two different comparisons
The BACB’s US Employment Demand for Behavior Analysts: 2010–2025, updated January 2026, reports online job postings requiring or preferring BCBA/BCBA-D certification. Its printed page 3 lists California at 19,578 postings in 2024 and 20,258 in 2025, a reported 3% increase. South Carolina had 706 and 1,425 respectively, a reported 102% increase.
California had the larger 2025 posting total; South Carolina had the larger percentage increase in this pair. Neither statement contradicts the other. We selected these two rows to demonstrate that distinction, not to identify the best state or the fastest-growing state in the whole report.
Ask what the percentage is relative to
A growth percentage compares the change with the starting value. It answers how much a series changed relative to its own earlier size. A posting total answers a different question: how many advertisements the source counted for that period and category.
Before repeating a growth claim, write the earlier count next to it. Then ask whether the reader needs the rate of change, the size of the market, or both. Keep the same certification category and years on each side of the comparison. A BCaBA series and a BCBA/BCBA-D series should not be silently substituted for one another.
The report’s state figures are not adjusted here for population, number of certificants, commuting distance or living costs. We have not calculated a shortage measure. A large total alone cannot tell you how many suitable roles will be within reach of your home.
Do not turn historical advertisements into a promise
The source measures postings, not your probability of receiving an offer. It does not follow that a role advertised during 2025 remains available today, or that every advertised role offers the duties, schedule and support you need.
For the same reason, a state-level change should not be used as a shortcut for judging an individual employer. Ask about the actual position. A useful question is “Which locations and responsibilities belong to this opening?” rather than “Is this a high-demand state?” The first can clarify a decision; the second may only repeat broad context.
Our guide to the national demand report explains the posting measure and includes a job-comparison worksheet. Keep the historical report beside current evidence, with the dates visible.
Build a dated local shortlist
- Define your workable area. Choose the locations or remote-work conditions you would actually consider. A statewide label may include roles far beyond that area.
- Read the employer’s current posting. Save the URL and date checked. Record the stated certification requirement, setting, travel, schedule and responsibilities. Treat an unanswered question as unresolved.
- Check repeated advertisements. If two listings appear to describe the same opening, keep that uncertainty visible instead of counting them as two confirmed opportunities. Ask the employer when necessary.
- Use the same questions for each role. Compare onboarding, consultation, workload expectations and the stated pay basis. Preserve the difference between an advertisement, a conversation and a written offer.
This is an editorial search method, not a labor-market estimate. A small shortlist can help you prepare for interviews without establishing the total number of vacancies in an area.
Keep the decision narrower than the headline
Imagine a reader sees a large percentage increase and decides that moving must be the next step. A more useful intermediate decision is to investigate current roles in a defined area, then compare their requirements with the reader’s circumstances. The historical number supplies context; it does not complete that comparison.
If education is the next step, our online BCBA program guide addresses program comparisons. Evaluate the program and the intended job separately: an appealing labor-market headline cannot establish that a particular course sequence fits your certification timeline.
Sources and review
Primary sources checked November 3, 2026 through automated source-and-render review. Automated source-and-render review by Codex. The selected states illustrate a measurement distinction; they are not a ranking of places to work. No employer interviews, salary survey or current vacancy census was conducted.