Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
21-1013 Marriage and Family Therapists
Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. Apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders. Excludes “Psychologists” (19-3032 through 19-3039) and “Social Workers” (21-1020).
National estimates for Marriage and Family Therapists
Industry profile for Marriage and Family Therapists
Geographic profile for Marriage and Family Therapists
National estimates for Marriage and Family Therapists:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Marriage and Family Therapists:
Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) Mean hourly
wage Mean annual
wage (2) Wage RSE (3) 54,800 3.4 % $ 28.69 $ 59,660 1.5 %
Percentile wage estimates for Marriage and Family Therapists:
Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 75% 90% Hourly Wage $ 17.81 $ 20.63 $ 23.98 $ 36.25 $ 46.41 Annual Wage (2) $ 37,050 $ 42,910 $ 49,880 $ 75,410 $ 96,520
Industry profile for Marriage and Family Therapists:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Marriage and Family Therapists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Marriage and Family Therapists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Marriage and Family Therapists:
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Marriage and Family Therapists:
Top paying industries for Marriage and Family Therapists:
Geographic profile for Marriage and Family Therapists:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Marriage and Family Therapists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Marriage and Family Therapists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Marriage and Family Therapists:
State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2) California 25,870 1.57 4.02 $ 28.52 $ 59,320 New Jersey 4,120 1.07 2.75 $ 39.10 $ 81,330 Illinois 2,540 0.45 1.16 $ 25.75 $ 53,560 Minnesota 2,310 0.84 2.17 $ 33.01 $ 68,660 Florida 2,240 0.26 0.67 $ 22.31 $ 46,410
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Marriage and Family Therapists:
State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2) California 25,870 1.57 4.02 $ 28.52 $ 59,320 New Jersey 4,120 1.07 2.75 $ 39.10 $ 81,330 Minnesota 2,310 0.84 2.17 $ 33.01 $ 68,660 Utah 910 0.59 1.51 $ 41.58 $ 86,490 Oklahoma 830 0.53 1.37 $ 27.99 $ 58,210
Top paying states for Marriage and Family Therapists:
State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2) Utah 910 0.59 1.51 $ 41.58 $ 86,490 New Jersey 4,120 1.07 2.75 $ 39.10 $ 81,330 Colorado 1,130 0.43 1.10 $ 35.11 $ 73,040 Minnesota 2,310 0.84 2.17 $ 33.01 $ 68,660 Nevada 310 0.24 0.62 $ 32.02 $ 66,600
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Marriage and Family Therapists:
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Marriage and Family Therapists:
Top paying metropolitan areas for Marriage and Family Therapists:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Marriage and Family Therapists:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Marriage and Family Therapists:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Marriage and Family Therapists:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a “year-round, full-time” hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
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LinkedInMarriage and Family Therapy: What You’ll Earn
Read about salary and job outlook predictions for marriage and family therapists.
Median Annual Salary
Marriage and family therapists focus on how people interact within marriage and family units, rather than the traditional emphasis on the individual. A marriage and family therapist generally takes a holistic, or mind-body, approach to his or her duties, working together with clients to solve issues and establish a plan of action for resolution of domestic problems. Here are some statistics on salaries, job growth, and employers.
Take a look at median annual salaries for MFTs, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by state.
Marriage and Family Therapists
National data
Median Salary: $49,880
Projected job growth: 13.9%
10th Percentile: $37,050
25th Percentile: $42,910
75th Percentile: $75,410
90th Percentile: $96,520
Projected job growth: 13.9%
State data
State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10% Alabama $44,820 $34,060 $62,170 Arizona $49,360 $37,270 $62,950 California $49,650 $37,220 $96,520 Colorado $62,280 $43,580 $130,760 Connecticut $59,330 $37,220 $96,520 Delaware $52,310 $48,760 $61,420 Florida $46,900 $34,530 $59,380 Georgia $46,910 $34,760 $61,710 Hawaii $49,650 $48,090 $102,540 Iowa $46,910 $36,910 $76,950 Idaho $49,440 $38,480 $63,040 Illinois $47,320 $33,140 $97,400 Indiana $48,690 $35,270 $62,870 Kansas $46,740 $30,640 $62,940 Kentucky $49,720 $34,260 $81,350 Louisiana $24,800 $22,980 $65,450 Massachusetts $49,630 $38,630 $80,460 Maryland $49,630 $38,580 $80,560 Michigan $59,910 $38,520 $76,090 Minnesota $65,150 $39,000 $96,710 Missouri $47,050 $37,060 $60,190 Mississippi $46,860 $36,890 $51,520 North Carolina $43,670 $36,560 $63,350 North Dakota $48,540 $38,430 $60,990 Nebraska $47,040 $20,650 $63,240 New Hampshire $46,490 $36,750 $76,630 New Jersey $77,960 $61,320 $99,160 New Mexico $49,410 $37,000 $79,890 Nevada $61,330 $46,650 $96,250 New York $59,760 $29,060 $96,520 Ohio $50,530 $37,220 $76,800 Oklahoma $55,660 $37,060 $101,430 Oregon $49,650 $44,280 $95,790 Pennsylvania $47,380 $36,210 $77,170 South Carolina $46,030 $35,500 $96,700 South Dakota $46,640 $37,060 $59,910 Tennessee $38,520 $30,640 $50,910 Texas $54,920 $38,850 $80,840 Utah $75,940 $49,250 $129,400 Virginia $49,130 $37,210 $76,950 Washington $47,130 $37,070 $60,020 Wisconsin $62,430 $44,090 $76,090 West Virginia $38,830 $36,040 $61,140 Wyoming $47,600 $36,660 $60,410
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2021 median salary; projected job growth through 2031. Actual salaries vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
How does a marriage and family therapist’s salary compare to other counseling careers?
Career Median Annual Salary Marriage and Family Therapists $49,880 Rehabilitation Counselors $38,560 Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors $48,520 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $60,510
What is my earning potential?
Marriage and family therapists in the top 10 percent may earn more than $96,520 annually according to the BLS. Those working in private practice generally earn a higher income than their counterparts, but the BLS reports that most MFTs are employed within individual and family services industries and organizations.
Is there demand for this career?
According to the BLS, career employment for marriage and family therapists is expected to grow much faster than average as more people turn to professionals to help them cope with relationship and family issues and the stress of daily obstacles such as depression, substance abuse, behavioral problems and infidelity, among others.
What is the job growth for the field?
Employment of marriage and family therapists is expected to grow 14 percent through 2031, which is much faster than the national average for all occupations. National long-term projections of employment growth may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, and do not guarantee actual job growth. Take a look at what some of the other counseling occupations can expect as far as job growth:
Job Outlook Comparison Through 2031
- School and Career Counselors—10 percent
- Mental Health Counselors—22 percent
- Substance Abuse Counselors—22 percent
- Rehabilitation Counselors—11 percent
How much competition will I face for a job?
Although states such as California have suffered layoffs and budget cuts in health care, the Veteran’s Administration has been hiring MFTs. So finding a job may largely depend on where you seek employment.
What kinds of companies hire MFTs?
According to the BLS, marriage and family therapists are most frequently employed by the following types of industries or offices:
- Individual and family services
- State Government
- Outpatient Care Centers
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners
How do I advance in my MFT career?
Some MFTs go on and earn a Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) degree. This allows them to move past therapy-only practice and attain the flexibility to become an administrator.
Other MFTs may decide to earn a Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT), which is similar to a PhD but is a practitioner-oriented program that differs in that it prepares professionals to contribute to their chosen specialty in the clinical rather than academic arena. Degree-holders can then work as top-level practitioners, agency administrators, clinical supervisors or senior clinicians.
To learn more about the education required before becoming a therapist, read more about marriage and family degrees.
