Couples therapist vs marriage and family social worker

The differences between couples therapists and marriage and family social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a couples therapist and a marriage and family social worker. Additionally, a couples therapist has an average salary of $95,051, which is higher than the $46,682 average annual salary of a marriage and family social worker.

The top three skills for a couples therapist include couples therapy, private practice and adolescents. The most important skills for a marriage and family social worker are MFT, crisis intervention, and mental health.

Couples therapist vs marriage and family social worker overview

	Couples Therapist	Marriage And Family Social Worker
Yearly salary	$95,051	$46,682
Hourly rate	$45.70	$22.44
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	23,353	55,408
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 55%	Master's Degree, 50%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Couples therapist vs marriage and family social worker salary

Couples therapists and marriage and family social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Couples Therapist	Marriage And Family Social Worker
Average salary	$95,051	$46,682
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $151,000	Between $35,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between couples therapist and marriage and family social worker education

There are a few differences between a couples therapist and a marriage and family social worker in terms of educational background:

	Couples Therapist	Marriage And Family Social Worker
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 55%	Master's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	Boston University	California State University - Long Beach

Couples therapist vs marriage and family social worker demographics

Here are the differences between couples therapists' and marriage and family social workers' demographics:

	Couples Therapist	Marriage And Family Social Worker
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%	Male, 36.4% Female, 63.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between couples therapist and marriage and family social worker duties and responsibilities

Couples therapist example responsibilities.

Manage ventilator and BiPAP's and create or update care plans per patient needs.
Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.
Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.

Marriage and family social worker example responsibilities.

Develop effective treatment plans and implement evidence-base strategies to assist patients in alleviating psychological symptoms and achieving goals.
Counsele veterans and Medi-Cal clients individually to provide behavioral interventions in order to address their anxiety, depression and anger.
Complete MDS assessments to determine mood and cognitive functioning, relaying information to interdisciplinary team and families.

Couples therapist vs marriage and family social worker skills

Common couples therapist skills

Couples Therapy, 30%
Private Practice, 19%
Adolescents, 14%
Family Therapy, 12%
Cognitive Behavioral, 9%
Assessment Methods, 8%

Common marriage and family social worker skills

MFT, 58%
Crisis Intervention, 29%
Mental Health, 13%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Couples Therapist
Couples Therapist vs Marriage And Family Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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