Couples therapist vs marriage therapist

The differences between couples therapists and marriage therapists 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 therapist. Additionally, a marriage therapist has an average salary of $114,169, which is higher than the $95,051 average annual salary of a couples therapist.

Couples therapist vs marriage therapist overview

	Couples Therapist	Marriage Therapist
Yearly salary	$95,051	$114,169
Hourly rate	$45.70	$54.89
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	23,353	23,391
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Couples therapist vs marriage therapist salary

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

	Couples Therapist	Marriage Therapist
Average salary	$95,051	$114,169
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $151,000	Between $72,000 And $178,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between couples therapist and marriage therapist education

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

	Couples Therapist	Marriage Therapist
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Boston University	University of Pennsylvania

Couples therapist vs marriage therapist demographics

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

	Couples Therapist	Marriage Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%	Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0%
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 therapist 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 therapist example responsibilities.

Conduct play therapy with elementary age students to help manage anxiety, divorce, ADHD, etc.
Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.
Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.

Couples therapist vs marriage therapist skills

Common couples therapist skills

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

Common marriage therapist skills

Couples Therapist vs. similar jobs

Couples Therapist related careers

Couples Therapist related jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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