Average Marriage And Family Therapists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Marriage And Family Therapists is $66,940 per year. The middle 50% earn between $50,070 and $93,840, with 66,740 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 45 states and 134 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Marriage And Family Therapists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $44,650
- 25th
- $50,070
- Median
- $66,940
- 75th
- $93,840
- 90th
- $123,730
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Marriage And Family Therapists earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
Pay varies significantly across workers. Seniority, employer size, and specialization all move the needle, so it is normal for two marriage and family therapists at different points in their careers to earn very different salaries.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for marriage and family therapists from 2024 to 2034. Marriage And Family Therapists are projected to grow much faster than average, more than double the roughly 4% growth rate for all US occupations. Demand is strong and outpacing most of the labor market.
- Projected growth
- +12.6%
- 9,800 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 7,700
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
A master's degree is the typical entry point, which tends to limit supply and support higher pay.
Where Marriage And Family Therapists earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where marriage and family therapists work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Hawaii at $141,960, about 112.1% above the national median. At the metro level, Urban Honolulu, HI leads with a median of $141,960.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $141,960 | 220 |
| New Jersey | $92,150 | 4,040 |
| Georgia | $91,550 | N/A |
| Oregon | $91,520 | 850 |
| Connecticut | $86,250 | 260 |
| Utah | $84,980 | 2,390 |
| Virginia | $79,900 | 930 |
| Delaware | $76,580 | 400 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $141,960 | 190 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $109,200 | 90 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | $102,910 | 130 |
| St. George, UT | $101,510 | 140 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $101,460 | N/A |
| New Haven, CT | $99,070 | 30 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $95,460 | 260 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $95,110 | 1,180 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see marriage and family therapists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Marriage And Family Therapists rose from $49,610 to $66,940, a gain of +34.9% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $49,610 would need to be worth $62,473 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $66,940 is $4,467 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +7.2% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 7.2%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +34.9%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +7.2%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Marriage And Family Therapists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $66,940
- 2024
- $63,780
- 2023
- $58,510
- 2022
- $56,570
- 2021
- $49,880
- 2020
- $51,340
- 2019
- $49,610
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Healthcare Social Workers
- $67,880
- Health Education Specialists
- $64,070
- Social Workers, All Other
- $71,900
Common salary questions for Marriage And Family Therapists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Marriage And Family Therapists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.