The Hidden cost of Turnover in ABA
When you’re running an ABA company, you’re not just managing a business—you’re managing people who change lives. And when those people leave, the ripple effects are real.
Turnover in ABA is among the highest in healthcare. For Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), annual turnover can reach 75%. That means three out of four techs may leave in a single year.
And the cost? It goes far beyond hiring budgets.
The Real Costs of ABA Turnover
1. Financial Strain
Recruiting, onboarding, and training replacements add up. Each RBT who leaves costs thousands in advertising, background checks, credentialing, and supervisor time. For startups with thin margins, constant churn eats into sustainability.
2. Disrupted Client Care
Every departure disrupts therapy schedules, continuity of care, and family trust. Parents may lose confidence in the consistency of services, and clients face unnecessary transitions.
3. Supervisor Burnout
When turnover is high, BCBAs spend more time hiring and training than supervising quality care. This creates a vicious cycle: stressed leaders supporting an inexperienced, ever-changing team.
4. Culture Instability
High turnover erodes team morale. Remaining staff often feel unsupported, overworked, or worried they’ll be “next.” This uncertainty weakens culture and accelerates more exits.
How to Reduce Turnover from Day One
The good news: high turnover is avoidable. At Shaping HR, we help ABA founders design retention strategies before problems snowball:
Strong onboarding experiences that set clear expectations and build early connections.
Career pathways that show RBTs how they can grow into BCBAs or leadership roles.
Regular feedback and check-in systems that make employees feel seen and supported.
Proactive burnout prevention, like case rotations, buddy systems, and wellness support.
Because staffing issues in ABA aren’t just a recruiting problem—they’re a retention problem. The best way to reduce costs and protect client care is to build a workplace where people want to stay.
