Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$79,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$9,000
11.4% of base
Total target cash
$88,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$5,50050th$9,00075th$14,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Marriage and Family Therapists is a professional role within the function in the Community and Social Service job family.
Typical entry preparation: Master's Degree and 2 to 5 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.
Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.
Top skills:Active ListeningSocial PerceptivenessSpeakingWritingService OrientationReading Comprehension
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Marriage and Family Therapists pay by experience level
Entry level$46,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$52,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$69,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$97,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$128,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+12.6%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
7,700
projected openings per year
Growing faster than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Marriage and Family Therapists salary by industry
Ambulatory Health Care Services
37,490 workers
$81,000
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
25,720 workers
$79,000
Social Assistance
17,980 workers
$73,500
Individual and Family Services
17,330 workers
$74,000
Outpatient Care Centers
7,760 workers
$87,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
4,830 workers
$92,000
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
4,120 workers
$91,500
Offices of Physicians
3,660 workers
$81,500
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
3,070 workers
$76,000
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities
2,240 workers
$80,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $51,340 to $66,940.
+30.4% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$46,000
Early career25th percentile
$52,000
Median50th percentile
$69,500
Experienced75th percentile
$97,000
Top earners90th percentile
$128,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Active ListeningSocial PerceptivenessSpeakingWritingService OrientationReading Comprehension
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.
Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Exempt · Professional, Administrative, or Executive exemption
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Exempt when paid above the salary threshold, provided they satisfy the duties test for one of the FLSA exemption categories. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$79,500
2027$82,500
2028$85,000
2029$88,000
2030$91,000
2031$94,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Marriage and Family Therapists make?
The median market pay for a Marriage and Family Therapists in the United States is about $79,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Marriage and Family Therapists?
Most Marriage and Family Therapists pay falls between about $52,000 (25th percentile) and $97,000 (75th percentile), with top earners above $128,000.
What does a Marriage and Family Therapists do?
Core responsibilities include: encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner; and ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
Is pay for Marriage and Family Therapists roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $51,340 in 2020 to $66,940 in 2025, a change of +30.4% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Marriage and Family Therapists pays 20% above the average across 17 roles in the Community and Social Service job family (family average $66,500).
Similar-paying roles in Community and Social Service
Need Marriage and Family Therapists pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
