Therapist demographics and statistics in the US
Therapist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates therapist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our therapist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about therapists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 192,497 therapists currently employed in the United States.
- 75.6% of all therapists are women, while 24.4% are men.
- The average therapist age is 41 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of therapists is White (72.6%), followed by Asian (11.3%), Hispanic or Latino (7.9%) and Black or African American (4.0%).
- In 2022, women earned 94% of what men earned.
- 12% of all therapists are LGBT.
- Therapists are 81% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Therapist demographics by:
Therapist gender statistics
75.6% of therapists are women and 24.4% of therapists are men.
- Female, 75.6%
- Male, 24.4%
Therapist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 75.6% |
| Male | 24.4% |
Therapist gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$51,035
Female income
$47,882
Therapist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in therapist positions over time. Currently, 75.6% of therapists are female.
Therapist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 21.18% | 78.82% |
| 2011 | 18.38% | 81.62% |
| 2012 | 20.91% | 79.09% |
| 2013 | 18.76% | 81.24% |
| 2014 | 19.49% | 80.51% |
| 2015 | 19.31% | 80.69% |
| 2016 | 19.99% | 80.01% |
| 2017 | 22.38% | 77.62% |
| 2018 | 20.02% | 79.98% |
| 2019 | 20.87% | 79.13% |
| 2020 | 23.29% | 76.71% |
| 2021 | 24.35% | 75.65% |
Therapist related jobs gender ratio
We compared therapists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, flight surgeon and optometrist, owner have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Nurse Midwife | 2% | 98% |
| Perinatal Nurse | 3% | 97% |
| Therapeutic Dietitian | 3% | 97% |
| Therapist | 24% | 76% |
| Radiology Resident | 75% | 25% |
| Optometrist, Owner | 76% | 24% |
| Flight Surgeon | 82% | 18% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Therapist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among therapists is White, which makes up 72.6% of all therapists. Comparatively, 11.3% of therapists are Asian and 7.9% of therapists are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 72.6%
- Asian, 11.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.9%
- Black or African American, 4.0%
- Unknown, 3.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Therapist race
| Therapist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 72.6% |
| Asian | 11.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.9% |
| Black or African American | 4.0% |
| Unknown | 3.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Therapist race and ethnicity over time
See how therapist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Therapist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 79.03% | 3.85% | 9.41% | 5.94% |
| 2011 | 79.54% | 4.62% | 8.45% | 6.01% |
| 2012 | 76.82% | 5.04% | 10.02% | 6.36% |
| 2013 | 77.37% | 4.08% | 9.91% | 6.48% |
| 2014 | 77.54% | 4.60% | 9.45% | 6.32% |
| 2015 | 77.32% | 4.42% | 9.30% | 6.38% |
| 2016 | 77.20% | 4.65% | 9.96% | 6.57% |
| 2017 | 78.10% | 3.80% | 9.40% | 6.97% |
| 2018 | 77.18% | 3.71% | 10.43% | 6.75% |
| 2019 | 76.35% | 4.12% | 10.62% | 6.35% |
| 2020 | 74.84% | 4.08% | 10.22% | 7.55% |
| 2021 | 72.64% | 3.95% | 11.27% | 7.87% |
Therapist wage gap by race
According to our data, asian therapists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american therapists have the lowest average salary at $48,896.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $50,294 |
| White | $50,618 |
| Black or African American | $48,896 |
| Asian | $54,074 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $51,433 |
Average therapist age
See how the average age of therapists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Therapist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 38 | 40 |
| White | 40 | 40 |
| Black or African American | 44 | 38 |
| Asian | 41 | 40 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36.5 | 39 |
Therapist age breakdown
The average age of therapists is 40+ years years old, representing 52% of the therapist population.
Therapist age breakdown
| Therapist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 52% |
| 30-40 years | 36% |
| 20-30 years | 12% |
Therapist educational attainment
The most common degree for therapists is bachelor's degree, with 47% of therapists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 42% and master's degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 47%
- Master's, 42%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Therapists by degree level
| Therapist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 47% |
| Master's | 42% |
| Associate | 6% |
| Doctorate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Therapist jobs you might like
Therapist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, therapists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $61,407 annually. With a Doctorate degree, therapists earn a median annual income of $59,444 compared to $57,143 for therapists with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,407 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,143 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,444 |
Therapist employment statistics
Most therapists work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where therapists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where therapists work.
Therapist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 21% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 42% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 14% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 12% |
| > 10,000 employees | 4% |
Therapist jobs by company type
Employees with the therapist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most therapists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Therapist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 5% |
| Public | 8% |
| Private | 81% |
| Government | 7% |
Therapist jobs by industry
The most common industries for therapists are health care, non profits and professional.
Therapist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 53% |
| Non Profits | 14% |
| Professional | 13% |
| Pharmaceutical | 3% |
| Government | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Therapist turnover and employment statistics
Therapist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for therapists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Therapist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Therapist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.98% |
| 2011 | 0.87% |
| 2012 | 1.18% |
| 2013 | 0.95% |
| 2014 | 0.81% |
| 2015 | 0.54% |
| 2016 | 0.64% |
| 2017 | 0.42% |
| 2018 | 0.50% |
| 2019 | 0.84% |
| 2020 | 1.69% |
| 2021 | 1.49% |
Average therapist tenure
The average therapist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 42,179 therapists resumes in Zippia's database.
Therapist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Therapist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of therapists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| General Pediatrician | 9.88% | 42,460 |
| Midlevel Provider | 11.62% | 25,646 |
| Therapist | 11.89% | - |
| Director Of Cardiac Rehabilitation | 13.00% | 9,169 |
| Staff Anesthesiologist | 13.05% | 69,834 |
| Optometrist/Practice Owner | 17.57% | 59,755 |
| Associate Professor Program Director Nurse Anesthesia | 31.64% | 75,423 |
Similar therapist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| General Pediatrician | 9.88% | 42,460 |
| Midlevel Provider | 11.62% | 25,646 |
| Director Of Cardiac Rehabilitation | 13.00% | 9,169 |
| Staff Anesthesiologist | 13.05% | 69,834 |
| Optometrist/Practice Owner | 17.57% | 59,755 |
| Associate Professor Program Director Nurse Anesthesia | 31.64% | 75,423 |
Foreign languages spoken by therapists
The most common foreign language among therapists is Spanish at 66.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.4% and Swedish is the third-most popular at 4.6%.
- Spanish, 66.4%
- French, 7.4%
- Swedish, 4.6%
- German, 2.6%
- Portuguese, 2.4%
- Other, 16.6%
Therapist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 66.4% |
| French | 7.4% |
| Swedish | 4.6% |
| German | 2.6% |
| Portuguese | 2.4% |
| Other | 16.6% |
