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The differences between marriage and family therapists and behavior 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 marriage and family therapist and a behavior therapist. Additionally, a marriage and family therapist has an average salary of $57,856, which is higher than the $36,864 average annual salary of a behavior therapist.
The top three skills for a marriage and family therapist include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a behavior therapist are autism, applied behavior analysis, and behavior analysis.
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Behavior Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $57,856 | $36,864 |
| Hourly rate | $27.82 | $17.72 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 114,361 | 90,578 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Marriage and family therapists are health professionals who are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders of married couples and families. These therapists are required to treat patients with issues such as child and adolescent behavioral problems, depression and anxiety, and marital conflicts. They must observe the interaction of people within units while evaluating and resolving their issues with relationships. Marriage and family therapists must also guide their clients to go through transitional crises such as divorce or death.
A behavior therapist is an individual psychologist who is responsible for helping patients with mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Behavior therapists must equip patients with psychological tools to help them diminish unhealthy thoughts so that they can effectively deal with the challenges of their daily lives. They are required to devise problem-solving methods such as psychotherapy and counseling to help patients improve their quality of life. Behavior therapists must also collaborate with the families of their patients to help them overcome behavioral issues more effectively.
Marriage and family therapists and behavior therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Behavior Therapist | |
| Average salary | $57,856 | $36,864 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $80,000 | Between $27,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bensalem, PA | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | Alabama |
| Best paying company | Henderson Behavioral Health | Regis College |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a marriage and family therapist and a behavior therapist in terms of educational background:
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Behavior Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between marriage and family therapists' and behavior therapists' demographics:
| Marriage And Family Therapist | Behavior Therapist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% |
| 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% |