Marriage and Family Therapists Salary: $63,780 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 65,870 marriage and family therapists work nationally, and $63,780 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 11.7% annual growth; much hiring sits in health care and social assistance.
Marriage and Family Therapists: what the data shows
Common questions about marriage and family therapists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a marriage and family therapists?
Marriage and Family Therapists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 21-1013.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 65,870 workers.
What does a marriage and family therapists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Documenting/Recording Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a marriage and family therapists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $63,780 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $76,689 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,637 |
| 25th percentile | $49,027 |
| Median (50th) | $65,513 |
| 75th percentile | $94,151 |
| 90th percentile | $125,007 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Writing, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including Therapy and Counseling, Psychology, Customer and Personal Service, Sociology and Anthropology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is marriage and family therapists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 11.7% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 74.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 202.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 65,870.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do marriage and family therapistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 65,870 | 17.6% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 60,320 | 16.1% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 57,920 | 15.5% |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | 34,280 | 9.2% |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 23,450 | 6.3% |
| Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | 20,900 | 5.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Marriage and Family Therapists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 382,960 | $58,570 |
| Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary | 13,350 | $76,210 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 2,630 | $77,280 |
| Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 12,680 | $75,890 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 497,800 | $103,790 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 32,890 | $61,680 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Marriage and Family Therapists workforce.
Employment Over Time
65,870 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Marriage and Family Therapists grew from 21,060 in 2009 to 123,980 in 2025 (488.7%).
Historical employment for Marriage and Family Therapists from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$63,780 Median pay (BLS national)
Marriage and Family Therapists earn $63,780 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Salary distribution for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Employment Growth Projections
11.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
215,746 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 74.0%
375,435 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 202.8%
This occupation is projected to grow at 11.7% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Marriage and Family Therapists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Marriage and Family Therapists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Wage Trends by Industry
-7.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Marriage and Family Therapists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 32,070 employees, $74,660 avg wage
- NJ: 3,940 employees, $91,980 avg wage
- MN: 3,780 employees, $72,900 avg wage
- TN: 2,590 employees, $46,510 avg wage
- PA: 2,360 employees, $67,940 avg wage
- NC: 2,110 employees, $60,540 avg wage
- UT: 1,980 employees, $85,550 avg wage
- OK: 1,270 employees, $59,830 avg wage
- TX: 1,160 employees, $54,900 avg wage
- IN: 1,120 employees, $58,430 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 12,400 employees, $73,400 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 4,660 employees, $64,610 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 3,400 employees, $88,320 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 2,900 employees, $83,840 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 2,490 employees, $73,370 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 2,200 employees, $69,670 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,060 employees, $78,740 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: 1,270 employees, $79,940 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 1,220 employees, $96,000 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA: 1,010 employees, $71,040 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Marriage and Family Therapists in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Marriage and Family Therapists is about 65,870 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Marriage and Family Therapists in 2023 were Health Sciences, Biology, Psychology.
Common majors for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Marriage and Family Therapists workers.
Education level distribution for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Skills
Marriage and Family Therapists need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Writing, Judgment and Decision Making.
Required skills for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Marriage and Family Therapists include Therapy and Counseling, Psychology, Customer and Personal Service, Sociology and Anthropology, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Marriage and Family Therapists include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Marriage and Family Therapists.
Daily Activities
Marriage and Family Therapists spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Documenting/Recording Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.
Most important work activities for Marriage and Family Therapists.
About
Marriage and Family Therapists
Marriage and Family Therapists earn $63,780 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
21-1013 - Marriage and Family Therapists
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Marriage and Family Therapists reports an average salary of $76,689.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 65,870 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 11.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.