SCUBA Provider Metrics

Overview
The Provider SCUBA (Scott's Completely Unscientific Behaviorist Assessment) presents monthly updates on hiring momentum and organizational growth across the ABA industry. It draws on LinkedIn staffing trends, job postings, and state presence to surface directional insights into provider strategy, market consolidation, and operational pressure points.

While this data does not capture the full clinical workforce—especially among RBTs—it serves as a consistent pulse check on how the largest ABA providers are growing, stabilizing, or retreating. Data is drawn from LinkedIn and public disclosures and spans December 2024 through May 2025.

Top 20 ABA Service Providers

Here are the 20 largest ABA service providers based on LinkedIn staffing data:

These 20 providers represent a significant share of national staffing and hiring activity.

🔍 Key Workforce Findings – May 2025

📈 Overall Staff Growth

LinkedIn-reported staffing among the top 20 providers grew 1.46% from April to May. This reflects steady hiring but represents a plateau from earlier Q1 surges—potentially tied to seasonal dynamics and increasing scrutiny from payors.

🧑‍💼 Hiring Activity

Job postings rose 3.45%, led primarily by Centria, Action Behavior Centers, and HopeBridge. Hiring remains heavily concentrated among a few national players, with others maintaining flat or modest growth.

🧠 Observations & Market Insights

📍 Geographic Expansion Is Limited

Most providers held steady in their state footprint. Minor expansion was observed from Stepping Stones, but new state entry is now the exception.

🔄 Rankings Are Stable

Despite minor growth fluctuations, the top 20 rankings held firm—reinforcing the stability and consolidation among the largest ABA platforms.

💰 Reimbursement Headwinds

Audits and tighter payor controls—especially around Medicaid—are pressuring many organizations to prioritize efficiency and utilization over raw growth.

🌞 Seasonal Shifts

Summer scheduling changes are expected to impact direct care staffing. Some providers are flexing hours and roles to accommodate summer-driven demand variation.

🤝 M&A Watch: Mid-Sized Moves

While large-scale consolidation remained quiet in May, some activity was noted among regional operators. For instance, Alongside ABA completed another acquisition, furthering its ascent into the top-100 cohort.

📬 Get in Touch

Want a custom benchmark for your organization, or deeper insight into platform alignment and market segmentation?

Feel free to reach out. I'm always open to feedback or collaboration as we track the evolving provider landscape together.

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