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Marriage and family therapist salary

Quoted expert
Donald B. Katz Ph.D.

Average marriage and family therapist salary

$57,856

$27.82 hourly rate

Entry-level marriage and family therapist salary
$41,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding the Salary of Marriage and Family Therapists

The average salary for a marriage and family therapist is approximately $57,856 annually, equating to about $28 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific setting in which a therapist works. For instance, those employed in hospitals or private practices may earn higher wages compared to those in community service organizations.

Salary Variations by State

Geographic location plays a crucial role in determining salary levels. States like California and New York typically offer higher salaries for marriage and family therapists, reflecting the demand for mental health services in urban areas. For example:

  • California: $70,000+
  • New York: $65,000+
  • Texas: $58,000

Additionally, therapists with specialized certifications or those working with specific populations, such as children or couples, often command higher salaries. The evolving landscape of mental health care underscores the importance of staying informed about salary trends to make strategic career decisions.

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Where can a Marriage And Family Therapist earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
94k
74k
54k
34k
14k
Columbus, OH$74,268
Lauderhill, FL$44,059
Compare salary by company
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106k
86k
66k
46k
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Henderson Behavioral Health$91,232
Charter Oak Health Center$56,163

Marriage and family therapist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, Comparably and CareerExplorer, the average salary for a marriage and family therapist typically falls between $49,880 and $91,087.
zippia
$57,856yearly
glassdoor[1]
$91,087yearly
comparably[2]
$79,755yearly
Salary.com[3]
$52,176yearly
ZipRecruiter[4]
$85,006yearly
CareerExplorer[5]
$49,880yearly

Average marriage and family therapist salary by state

The average marriage and family therapist salary in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average marriage and family therapist salary states are Arkansas, Montana, and Florida.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for marriage and family therapists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Pennsylvania$73,677$35.42
2Oregon$67,807$32.60
3Texas$64,233$30.88
4New Jersey$67,463$32.43
5New York$66,072$31.77
6Minnesota$64,283$30.91
7Maryland$62,784$30.18
8Illinois$60,161$28.92
9North Dakota$55,849$26.85
10Rhode Island$62,809$30.20
11Alabama$60,341$29.01
12Iowa$57,579$27.68
13Colorado$59,167$28.45
14Massachusetts$58,514$28.13
15Virginia$61,463$29.55
16West Virginia$61,939$29.78
17Idaho$57,519$27.65
18Kentucky$57,228$27.51
19Alaska$62,236$29.92
20Wyoming$59,257$28.49
21California$59,652$28.68
22Michigan$54,541$26.22
23Kansas$54,712$26.30
24Nevada$55,246$26.56
25Georgia$53,823$25.88
26Indiana$52,327$25.16
27District of Columbia$62,633$30.11
28Utah$56,045$26.94
29Washington$54,643$26.27
30Wisconsin$53,843$25.89
31Maine$52,381$25.18
32Nebraska$51,252$24.64
33Oklahoma$51,619$24.82
34Delaware$55,206$26.54
35Arizona$54,687$26.29
36Connecticut$56,540$27.18
37New Hampshire$53,612$25.77
38Ohio$50,265$24.17
39North Carolina$51,681$24.85
40Vermont$53,554$25.75
41Montana$45,720$21.98
42Tennessee$47,770$22.97
43Arkansas$46,232$22.23
44New Mexico$50,805$24.43
45Missouri$42,724$20.54
46Hawaii$46,570$22.39
47Mississippi$49,217$23.66
48Louisiana$47,434$22.80
49South Dakota$42,765$20.56
50Florida$43,293$20.81
51South Carolina$41,397$19.90
Top marriage and family therapist jobs near you

Highest paying cities for marriage and family therapists

The highest-paying cities for marriage and family therapists are Bensalem, PA, New York, NY, and Austin, TX.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Bensalem, PA$74,268$35.71
2New York, NY$66,286$31.87
3Austin, TX$64,940$31.22
4San Francisco, CA$62,307$29.96
5Hampton, VA$61,698$29.66
6Chicago, IL$60,505$29.09
7Fairfield, CT$56,750$27.28
8Prescott, AZ$55,569$26.72
9Seattle, WA$54,918$26.40
10Atlanta, GA$53,648$25.79
11Fayetteville, NC$51,774$24.89
12Tulsa, OK$51,625$24.82
13Knoxville, TN$48,847$23.48
14New Orleans, LA$47,613$22.89
15Fayetteville, AR$46,577$22.39
16Lauderhill, FL$44,059$21.18

Marriage And Family Therapists are the most in-demand in these five cities:

  1. Bensalem, PA
  2. New York, NY
  3. Austin, TX
  4. San Francisco, CA
  5. Hampton, VA

Marriage and family therapist salary details

A marriage and family therapist's salary ranges from $41,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $80,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average marriage and family therapist salary graph
Average marriage and family therapist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a marriage and family therapist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$80,000$6,667$38
75th Percentile$68,000$5,667$33
Average$57,856$4,821$28
25th Percentile$48,000$4,000$23
10th Percentile$41,000$3,417$20

Highest paying marriage and family therapist jobs

The highest paying types of marriage and family therapists are licensed professional counselor, clinical social worker, and clinician.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Addictions Counselor$47,226$3,936$22.7079,459
Clinical Counselor$54,191$4,516$26.05146,133
Mental Health Counselor$49,471$4,123$23.78110,752
Clinician$60,150$5,012$28.92105,023
Mental Health Clinician$54,359$4,530$26.1391,347
Clinical Social Worker$63,056$5,255$30.32124,816

How would you rate the starting salaries for marriage and family therapists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Donald B. Katz Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology, Brandeis University

How would I "rate" them? They are objectively good -- far over the national average -- if highly variable depending on specific career choice (obviously, a postdoc makes less than most, but that's a stepping stone to higher salaries.)

Top companies hiring marriage and family therapists now:

  1. Thriveworks jobs (8)
  2. Kaiser Permanente jobs (14)
  3. Santa Anita Park jobs (8)
  4. San Diego Youth Services jobs (10)
  5. Family & Children's Services jobs (6)

Which companies pay marriage and family therapists the most?

Marriage and family therapist salaries at Henderson Behavioral Health and Thriveworks are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average marriage and family therapist salary at companies like Medical Billing and Tarzana Treatment Centers are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Henderson Behavioral Health$91,232$43.86
2Thriveworks$81,333$39.10
3Medical Billing$78,326$37.66
4Tarzana Treatment Centers$76,183$36.63
5Wellpath$75,765$36.43
6Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.$75,505$36.30
7Sharp HealthCare$65,807$31.64
8Maricopa County$64,274$30.90
9Gotham$64,138$30.84
10Advanced Recovery Systems$63,453$30.51
11THERAPY SOLUTIONS$63,173$30.37
12STG International$63,082$30.33
13Santa Clara County$61,307$29.47
14American Psychological Association$61,060$29.36
15Kaiser Permanente$59,963$28.83
16Suncoast Post-Tension$59,173$28.45
17Eden Health$58,696$28.22
18Hathaway-Sycamores Child & Family Services$58,286$28.02
19Sinai Chicago$56,939$27.37
20Charter Oak Health Center$56,163$27.00

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$58,000$57,400$56,800$56,200$55,600$55,000
MaleFemale

Marriage And Family Therapist salary by industry

The average marriage and family therapist salary varies across industries:

  • The average marriage and family therapist salary in the government industry is $60,978, the highest of any industry.
  • The average marriage and family therapist salary in the finance industry is $59,246.
  • Marriage and family therapists in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $51,367, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for marriage and family therapists

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Government$60,978$29.32
2Education$59,246$28.48
3Retail$58,653$28.20
4Health Care$57,982$27.88
5Non Profits$51,367$24.70

High paying marriage and family therapist jobs

Marriage and family therapist salary trends

The average marriage and family therapist salary has risen by $5,747 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average marriage and family therapist earned $52,109 annually, but today, they earn $57,856 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for marriage and family therapists over the last decade.

Compare marriage and family therapist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average marriage and family therapist salary over time

Compare marriage and family therapist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Marriage and family therapist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$57,900$27.82+3.4%
2024$55,900$26.88-1.0%
2023$56,400$27.14+2.6%
2022$55,000$26.43-0.8%
2021$55,400$26.64+1.2%

Recently added marriage and family therapist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Lifestance HealthLicensed Marriage and Family TherapistManchester, NH06/30/2025$95,000
Get It-Professional ServicesLmft-Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist-RemoteLos Angeles, CA06/29/2025$86,762
Get It-HealthcareLicensed Marriage & Family Therapist-Remote | WFHScottsdale, AZ06/29/2025$74,000
Community Health and Dental Care, Inc.Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist-HybridPottstown, PA06/29/2025$64,000
Lifestance HealthLicensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Lcsw-C, Lcpc, Lcmft)Chevy Chase, MD06/29/2025$82,000
Lifestance HealthLicensed Marriage & Family Therapist (Lmft)Frankfort, KY06/29/2025$85,000
Lifestance HealthLicensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Lmft)Portland, OR06/29/2025$123,000
Lifestance HealthLicensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Lmft)Providence, RI06/29/2025$72,000
Lifestance HealthLicensed Marriage & Family TherapistLas Vegas, NV06/29/2025$76,000
Che ServicesLicensed Marriage and Family TherapistNew York, NY06/29/2025$100,000

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