Marriage and Family Therapist Salary and Career Outlook
Marriage and family therapists are mental health care practitioners who diagnose and treat people with marital or other family issues. Marriage and family therapy (MFT) relies on psychotherapeutic best practices to help individuals, couples, and families address challenges related to behavioral, cognitive, social, and emotional issues.
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As with many careers in therapy, marriage and family therapist careers will remain well above the average for all other occupations over the next ten years. The median annual salary for all marriage and family therapists as of May 2024 was $63,780.location.
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Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy
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Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
The online MFT from The Family Institute at Northwestern University allows students to complete the program in as few as 24 months. Students learn from expert faculty in courses with live and asynchronous components and during six consecutive quarters of intensive clinical training in or near their own communities. Upon program completion, students have the prerequisite graduate-level elements needed to pursue state licensure as LMFTs.
- COAMFTE-accredited program
- Convenient 24-month option
- No GRE required to apply
- Full- and part-time tracks available
Marriage and Family Therapist Careers
Becoming a marriage and family therapist typically does not require a PhD or other doctoral-level degree, but it still entails a substantial educational commitment. Like many other careers in therapy, the marriage and family therapy field requires practitioners to hold a master’s degree, complete supervised fieldwork, pass a state-issued licensing exam, and continue their education.
Once credentialed, an MFT's career varies depending on where they practice and the types of patients they see.
Marriage and Family Therapists in Outpatient Care Centers
Many marriage and family therapists practice in private or nonprofit outpatient care centers as part of a team. Many of these centers have programs dedicated to addiction, abuse, and behavioral disorders, as well as traditional individual and group therapy sessions. In outpatient care settings, counselors play a key role in addressing the social, emotional, and mental health needs of families, couples, children, and adults. Therapy is usually just one part of a more substantial patient care plan.
Self Employed Marriage and Family Therapists
With a state-issued business license and appropriate MFT credentials, therapists can open a private practice. Successful marriage and family therapists market themselves well, handle their own accounting, and coordinate with insurance companies. Private practice is a popular option for many marriage and family therapists. As of 2024, about 13% of the MFT workforce was registered as self-employed.
Marriage and Family Therapists for Individual and Family Services
Over 3.41 million people work in the individual and family services industry, and approximately 77,800 are marriage and family therapists.
In this industry, therapists work in environments such as:
- Schools
- Social assistance services for children, the elderly, or disabled adults
- Foster care services
- Homeless shelters
- Food, clothing, and related assistance centers
- Rehabilitation facilities
- Employee assistance programs (EAPs)
Marriage and Family therapists primarily provide a combination of social assistance and mental health care to ensure the welfare of those they serve.
How Much Do Marriage and Family Therapists Make?
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data from May 2024, the median annual marriage and family therapist salary differs significantly by industry:
Industry | Median Salary (2024) |
|---|---|
State government (excluding education and hospitals) | $89,030 |
Outpatient care centers | $73,230 |
Offices of other health practitioners | $59,550 |
Individual and family services | $59,010 |
Average marriage and family therapist salaries vary by state as well. Therapists working in Hawaii, Connecticut, Oregon, New Jersey, and Colorado can earn over $89,000 per year, while the average salary is $72,720, according to the BLS. The median annual income of a marriage and family therapist ranges from $42,610 for the lowest 10% to $111,610 for the highest 10%.
The median annual income of a marriage and family therapist ranges from $31,850 for the lowest 10% to $82,240 for the highest 10%.
Job Outlook for Marriage and Family Therapists
Employment of marriage and family therapists is expected to grow by 13% over 2024-2034, which is much faster than the average for all other occupations. BLS expects job growth for marriage and family therapists, in part because of the increasing use of integrated care, in which teams of specialists treat multiple issues simultaneously, and because MFTs collaborate with other behavioral health providers. In addition, BLS projects about 7,700 openings per year (on average), many of which result from the need to replace therapists who retire, leave the labor force, or transfer to other occupations.
Information last updated: January 2026