21 Series · SOC 21-1013
Marriage and Family Therapists Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $66,940
- Median / year
- $123,730
- Top 10% earn
- +12.6%
- Growth '23–'33
- 66,740
- US workers
Marriage and Family Therapists earn a median of $66,940 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $66,940, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $44,650 (10th percentile) to $123,730 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 66,740 US workers. Hawaii pays the most ($141,960), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Marriage and Family Therapists earn a median of $66,940, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 59% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Community and Social Service, it ranks #3 of 17 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 12.6% by 2033.
- $66,940
- Median annual wage
- Top 41%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #3 of 17
- in Community and Social Service
- 2.8×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Hawaii at $141,960. Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
Marriage and Family Therapists (SOC 21-1013) pays a national median of $66,940 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $44,650 at the 10th percentile to $123,730 at the 90th, with a mean of $76,960 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 66,740 Americans work in this occupation across 45 reporting states and 152 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +12.6% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as much faster than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 7,700 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Master's degree and internship/residency of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.3 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Hawaii pays the highest state median at $141,960, which is +112% above the national figure. The top metro is Urban Honolulu, HI at $141,960 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$66,940
per year
Median Hourly
$32.18/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$76,960
average
Employment
66,740
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Marriage and Family Therapists pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$66,940 Top 41% higher than 59% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 21-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Marriage and Family Therapists; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 17 21-series occupations with growth data, Marriage and Family Therapists sits on the faster-growing side at +12.6% growth and $66,940 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+12.6%
Much faster than average
Annual Openings
7,700
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Master's degree
On-the-Job Training
Internship/residency
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.3/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
2.2/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Marriage and Family Therapists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
- ▸ Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
- ▸ Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.
- ▸ Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
- ▸ Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.
- ▸ Collect information about clients, using techniques such as testing, interviewing, discussion, or observation.
- ▸ Confer with clients to develop plans for posttreatment activities.
- ▸ Confer with other counselors, doctors, and professionals to analyze individual cases and to coordinate counseling services.
- ▸ Determine whether clients should be counseled or referred to other specialists in such fields as medicine, psychiatry, or legal aid.
- ▸ Follow up on results of counseling programs and clients' adjustments to determine effectiveness of programs.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$44,650
25th Percentile
$50,070
Median
$66,940
75th Percentile
$93,840
90th Percentile
$123,730
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 45 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $141,960 | +112% above national |
| 2 | New Jersey | $92,150 | +38% above national |
| 3 | Georgia | $91,550 | +37% above national |
| 4 | Oregon | $91,520 | +37% above national |
| 5 | Connecticut | $86,250 | +29% above national |
| 6 | Utah | $84,980 | +27% above national |
| 7 | Virginia | $79,900 | +19% above national |
| 8 | Delaware | $76,580 | +14% above national |
| 9 | Minnesota | $72,470 | +8% above national |
| 10 | Maine | $71,680 | +7% above national |
| 11 | New Mexico | $70,630 | +6% above national |
| 12 | Ohio | $70,240 | +5% above national |
| 13 | Maryland | $69,900 | +4% above national |
| 14 | Kansas | $68,710 | +3% above national |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $67,370 | +1% above national |
| 16 | California | $67,300 | +1% above national |
| 17 | Iowa | $67,180 | same as national |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $66,040 | 1% below national |
| 19 | Arizona | $65,290 | 2% below national |
| 20 | New York | $64,430 | 4% below national |
| 21 | Arkansas | $64,340 | 4% below national |
| 22 | Vermont | $62,780 | 6% below national |
| 23 | Idaho | $62,700 | 6% below national |
| 24 | Nebraska | $62,610 | 6% below national |
| 25 | Illinois | $60,970 | 9% below national |
| 26 | Colorado | $60,700 | 9% below national |
| 27 | Missouri | $60,440 | 10% below national |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $60,030 | 10% below national |
| 29 | Alaska | $60,010 | 10% below national |
| 30 | Washington | $60,000 | 10% below national |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $57,670 | 14% below national |
| 32 | Indiana | $56,810 | 15% below national |
| 33 | Florida | $56,400 | 16% below national |
| 34 | West Virginia | $55,700 | 17% below national |
| 35 | South Carolina | $55,430 | 17% below national |
| 36 | Kentucky | $52,420 | 22% below national |
| 37 | Michigan | $52,270 | 22% below national |
| 38 | Mississippi | $51,440 | 23% below national |
| 39 | Alabama | $49,990 | 25% below national |
| 40 | North Carolina | $48,100 | 28% below national |
| 41 | Montana | $46,960 | 30% below national |
| 42 | Tennessee | $46,700 | 30% below national |
| 43 | Texas | $46,300 | 31% below national |
| 44 | South Dakota | $44,870 | 33% below national |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $37,870 | 43% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 152 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $141,960 | +112% above national |
| 2 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $109,200 | +63% above national |
| 3 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $102,910 | +54% above national |
| 4 | St. George, UT | $101,510 | +52% above national |
| 5 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $101,460 | +52% above national |
| 6 | New Haven, CT | $99,070 | +48% above national |
| 7 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $95,460 | +43% above national |
| 8 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $95,110 | +42% above national |
| 9 | Bend, OR | $94,140 | +41% above national |
| 10 | Vallejo, CA | $93,810 | +40% above national |
| 11 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $92,150 | +38% above national |
| 12 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $92,150 | +38% above national |
| 13 | Logan, UT-ID | $91,260 | +36% above national |
| 14 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $91,130 | +36% above national |
| 15 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $90,900 | +36% above national |
| 16 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $88,810 | +33% above national |
| 17 | Napa, CA | $88,520 | +32% above national |
| 18 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $86,550 | +29% above national |
| 19 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $85,450 | +28% above national |
| 20 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $84,080 | +26% above national |
| 21 | Wichita, KS | $83,730 | +25% above national |
| 22 | High Desert Utah nonmetropolitan area | $83,200 | +24% above national |
| 23 | Mankato, MN | $83,100 | +24% above national |
| 24 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $81,870 | +22% above national |
| 25 | Chico, CA | $81,780 | +22% above national |
| 26 | Ogden, UT | $81,550 | +22% above national |
| 27 | Columbus, OH | $81,500 | +22% above national |
| 28 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $81,350 | +22% above national |
| 29 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $79,300 | +18% above national |
| 30 | Balance of Nevada nonmetropolitan area | $79,250 | +18% above national |
| 31 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $78,640 | +17% above national |
| 32 | Wasatch Front Fringe Utah nonmetropolitan area | $78,560 | +17% above national |
| 33 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $77,850 | +16% above national |
| 34 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $77,210 | +15% above national |
| 35 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $76,910 | +15% above national |
| 36 | Rochester, MN | $75,560 | +13% above national |
| 37 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $75,030 | +12% above national |
| 38 | Fresno, CA | $74,970 | +12% above national |
| 39 | North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $74,530 | +11% above national |
| 40 | Tucson, AZ | $74,360 | +11% above national |
| 41 | Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $73,610 | +10% above national |
| 42 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $73,370 | +10% above national |
| 43 | Corvallis, OR | $73,240 | +9% above national |
| 44 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $73,220 | +9% above national |
| 45 | Fargo, ND-MN | $73,210 | +9% above national |
| 46 | Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area | $73,170 | +9% above national |
| 47 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $73,160 | +9% above national |
| 48 | Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $72,860 | +9% above national |
| 49 | Omaha, NE-IA | $72,020 | +8% above national |
| 50 | Lincoln, NE | $71,760 | +7% above national |
| 51 | St. Cloud, MN | $71,500 | +7% above national |
| 52 | Albuquerque, NM | $71,340 | +7% above national |
| 53 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $71,120 | +6% above national |
| 54 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $71,110 | +6% above national |
| 55 | Redding, CA | $71,110 | +6% above national |
| 56 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $71,050 | +6% above national |
| 57 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $71,010 | +6% above national |
| 58 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $70,910 | +6% above national |
| 59 | Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $70,670 | +6% above national |
| 60 | Lebanon, PA | $70,460 | +5% above national |
| 61 | El Centro, CA | $70,370 | +5% above national |
| 62 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $69,960 | +5% above national |
| 63 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $69,830 | +4% above national |
| 64 | Modesto, CA | $69,680 | +4% above national |
| 65 | Dover, DE | $69,450 | +4% above national |
| 66 | Visalia, CA | $69,100 | +3% above national |
| 67 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $68,700 | +3% above national |
| 68 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $68,570 | +2% above national |
| 69 | Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $68,340 | +2% above national |
| 70 | Yuba City, CA | $67,260 | same as national |
| 71 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $66,300 | 1% below national |
| 72 | Salinas, CA | $65,930 | 2% below national |
| 73 | Chambersburg, PA | $65,500 | 2% below national |
| 74 | Lancaster, PA | $65,370 | 2% below national |
| 75 | Syracuse, NY | $64,730 | 3% below national |
| 76 | Pittsburgh, PA | $64,430 | 4% below national |
| 77 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $64,190 | 4% below national |
| 78 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $64,120 | 4% below national |
| 79 | Rochester, NY | $63,800 | 5% below national |
| 80 | Toledo, OH | $63,780 | 5% below national |
| 81 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $63,380 | 5% below national |
| 82 | Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $62,790 | 6% below national |
| 83 | Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $62,780 | 6% below national |
| 84 | Worcester, MA | $62,490 | 7% below national |
| 85 | Duluth, MN-WI | $62,480 | 7% below national |
| 86 | Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $62,300 | 7% below national |
| 87 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $61,860 | 8% below national |
| 88 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $61,850 | 8% below national |
| 89 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $61,360 | 8% below national |
| 90 | Springfield, MA | $61,050 | 9% below national |
| 91 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $60,880 | 9% below national |
| 92 | Boulder, CO | $60,700 | 9% below national |
| 93 | Birmingham, AL | $60,690 | 9% below national |
| 94 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $60,270 | 10% below national |
| 95 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $60,260 | 10% below national |
| 96 | Reading, PA | $60,130 | 10% below national |
| 97 | Anchorage, AK | $60,010 | 10% below national |
| 98 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $60,000 | 10% below national |
| 99 | York-Hanover, PA | $59,530 | 11% below national |
| 100 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $59,120 | 12% below national |
| 101 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $58,660 | 12% below national |
| 102 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $57,880 | 14% below national |
| 103 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $57,670 | 14% below national |
| 104 | Oklahoma City, OK | $57,670 | 14% below national |
| 105 | Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $56,120 | 16% below national |
| 106 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $55,500 | 17% below national |
| 107 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $54,600 | 18% below national |
| 108 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $54,440 | 19% below national |
| 109 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $53,600 | 20% below national |
| 110 | Fort Wayne, IN | $53,560 | 20% below national |
| 111 | Las Cruces, NM | $53,040 | 21% below national |
| 112 | Tulsa, OK | $52,300 | 22% below national |
| 113 | Richmond, VA | $52,000 | 22% below national |
| 114 | North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $51,640 | 23% below national |
| 115 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $51,300 | 23% below national |
| 116 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $50,820 | 24% below national |
| 117 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $50,770 | 24% below national |
| 118 | Winston-Salem, NC | $50,640 | 24% below national |
| 119 | Johnson City, TN | $50,540 | 24% below national |
| 120 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $50,450 | 25% below national |
| 121 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $50,440 | 25% below national |
| 122 | Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $50,230 | 25% below national |
| 123 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $49,690 | 26% below national |
| 124 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $49,680 | 26% below national |
| 125 | Erie, PA | $49,670 | 26% below national |
| 126 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $49,610 | 26% below national |
| 127 | South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $49,560 | 26% below national |
| 128 | Jacksonville, FL | $49,420 | 26% below national |
| 129 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $49,380 | 26% below national |
| 130 | Columbia, SC | $49,340 | 26% below national |
| 131 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $49,140 | 27% below national |
| 132 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $48,690 | 27% below national |
| 133 | Jackson, TN | $48,600 | 27% below national |
| 134 | Montgomery, AL | $48,540 | 27% below national |
| 135 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $48,050 | 28% below national |
| 136 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $47,850 | 29% below national |
| 137 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $47,650 | 29% below national |
| 138 | Grand Junction, CO | $47,030 | 30% below national |
| 139 | Greenville, NC | $46,610 | 30% below national |
| 140 | Spartanburg, SC | $45,780 | 32% below national |
| 141 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $45,430 | 32% below national |
| 142 | Rapid City, SD | $44,690 | 33% below national |
| 143 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $44,140 | 34% below national |
| 144 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $43,830 | 35% below national |
| 145 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $43,710 | 35% below national |
| 146 | Knoxville, TN | $42,610 | 36% below national |
| 147 | Cleveland, OH | $41,840 | 37% below national |
| 148 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $41,400 | 38% below national |
| 149 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $40,500 | 39% below national |
| 150 | South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $36,160 | 46% below national |
| 151 | Asheville, NC | $35,990 | 46% below national |
| 152 | Madison, WI | $34,980 | 48% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 21 (community and social service) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Marriage and Family Therapists make? ▼
What state pays Marriage and Family Therapists the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Marriage and Family Therapists? ▼
How dangerous is being a Marriage and Family Therapists? ▼
Is Marriage and Family Therapists a good career? ▼
How does Marriage and Family Therapists pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Marriage and Family Therapists? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Marriage and Family Therapists pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $93,840/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Hawaii leads at $141,960/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.