Play therapist vs marriage therapist

The differences between play 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 play therapist and a marriage therapist. Additionally, a marriage therapist has an average salary of $114,169, which is higher than the $92,351 average annual salary of a play therapist.

Play therapist vs marriage therapist overview

	Play Therapist	Marriage Therapist
Yearly salary	$92,351	$114,169
Hourly rate	$44.40	$54.89
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	23,449	23,391
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Play therapist vs marriage therapist salary

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

	Play Therapist	Marriage Therapist
Average salary	$92,351	$114,169
Salary range	Between $61,000 And $137,000	Between $72,000 And $178,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between play therapist and marriage therapist education

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

	Play Therapist	Marriage Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Pennsylvania

Play therapist vs marriage therapist demographics

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

	Play Therapist	Marriage Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 11.9% Female, 88.1%	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 play therapist and marriage therapist duties and responsibilities

Play therapist example responsibilities.

Manage ventilator and BiPAP's and create or update care plans per patient needs.
Organize and perform behavioral therapies for a child with autism.
Work with identify pre-school handicap children in order to meet the goals and objectives of their IEP's.
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.

Play therapist vs marriage therapist skills

Common play therapist skills

Social Work, 21%
Children Birth, 17%
Cognitive Behavioral, 14%
Autism, 11%
Therapy Services, 3%
Language, 3%

Common marriage therapist skills

Play Therapist vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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