How To Become An Expressive Art Therapist: What It Is and Career Path

What is an expressive art therapist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Ron Precht

The average expressive art therapist salary is $51,893. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an rehabilitation science major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become an expressive art therapist. Expressive art therapists with a Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 600 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an expressive art therapist?

Ron Precht

Senior Manager, American Massage Therapy Association

Generally, metropolitan areas have had more openings for massage therapists. This is a report from the end of 2019 that has the most recent data we have available. Report

ScoreExpressive Art TherapistUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $51,893

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.77%

Asian 3.27%

Black or African American 6.53%

Hispanic or Latino 10.21%

Unknown 4.49%

White 74.73%

Gender

female 91.82%

male 8.18%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.0

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an expressive art therapist

Explore expressive art therapist education requirements

Most common expressive art therapist degrees

Bachelor's

55.1 %

Master's

36.4 %

Doctorate

3.7 %

Start to develop specific expressive art therapist skills

Skills	Percentages
Music Therapy	27.78%
Patient Care	22.24%
Crisis Intervention	13.91%
Mental Illness	13.68%
Autism	11.36%

Complete relevant expressive art therapist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New expressive art therapists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an expressive art therapist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real expressive art therapist resumes.

Research expressive art therapist duties and responsibilities

Create and manage print shop, darkroom and ceramic studio for rehabilitation purposes.
Provide training for federal and public organizations regarding the psychological aspects of veterans having experience combat or military sexual trauma.
Conduct MST assessment including review of referral information, maintain the confidentiality of all consumer care information including protect health information.

Prepare your expressive art therapist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your expressive art therapist resume.

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