How much do marriage and family therapists make?

Marriage and Family Therapist salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Marriage and Family Therapists (SOC 21-1013) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Marriage and family therapists in the US earned a median of $66,940 a year ($32.18 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $50,070 to $93,840.

Median annual pay: $66,940; Mean $76,960
Median hourly pay: $32.18; Mean $37.00
Typical range (10th–90th): $44.6K–$124K; $44,650 to $123,730
US jobs: 66,740; +13.5% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a marriage and family therapist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Hawaii

Marriage and Family Therapist pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$44,650
25th percentile$50,070
Median$66,940
75th percentile$93,840
90th percentile$123,730

Half of all marriage and family therapists earned more than $66,940 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $44,650; the top 10% made over $123,730. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $50,070 to $93,840.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$44,650	$21.47	$3,721
25th	$50,070	$24.07	$4,173
Median (50th)	$66,940	$32.18	$5,578
75th	$93,840	$45.12	$7,820
90th	$123,730	$59.49	$10,311
Mean (average)	$76,960	$37.00	$6,413

Marriage and Family Therapist salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for marriage and family therapists by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. Hawaii $141,960
2. New Jersey $92,150
3. Georgia $91,550
4. Oregon $91,520
5. Connecticut $86,250

Lowest-paying states

45. Wisconsin $37,870
44. South Dakota $44,870
43. Texas $46,300
42. Tennessee $46,700
41. Montana $46,960

Best after cost of living: Hawaii. Its median of $141,960 is worth about $129,112 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$49,990	39	$56,280	36	$24.03	190	0.09
Alaska	$60,010	29	$58,627	33	$28.85	60	0.20
Arizona	$65,290	19	$64,851	22	$31.39	—	—
Arkansas	$64,340	21	$74,008	13	$30.93	80	0.06
California	$67,300	16	$60,784	28	$32.35	34,970	1.92
Colorado	$60,700	26	$58,902	32	$29.18	900	0.31
Connecticut	$86,250	5	$83,245	6	$41.47	260	0.15
Delaware	$76,580	8	$76,727	8	$36.82	400	0.82
District of Columbia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Florida	$56,400	33	$54,538	38	$27.12	930	0.09
Georgia	$91,550	3	$95,074	2	$44.02	—	—
Hawaii	$141,960	1	$129,112	1	$68.25	220	0.35
Idaho	$62,700	23	$65,659	20	$30.15	140	0.16
Illinois	$60,970	25	$60,996	26	$29.31	860	0.14
Indiana	$56,810	32	$60,871	27	$27.31	510	0.16
Iowa	$67,180	17	$76,548	10	$32.30	240	0.16
Kansas	$68,710	14	$76,287	11	$33.03	190	0.13
Kentucky	$52,420	36	$58,142	34	$25.20	330	0.17
Louisiana	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Maine	$71,680	10	$73,859	14	$34.46	180	0.28
Maryland	$69,900	13	$66,597	18	$33.61	460	0.17
Massachusetts	$67,370	15	$63,703	24	$32.39	600	0.17
Michigan	$52,270	37	$54,325	39	$25.13	590	0.13
Minnesota	$72,470	9	$73,483	15	$34.84	4,870	1.65
Mississippi	$51,440	38	$59,158	30	$24.73	140	0.12
Missouri	$60,440	27	$66,551	19	$29.06	390	0.13
Montana	$46,960	41	$49,617	43	$22.58	100	0.19
Nebraska	$62,610	24	$69,487	16	$30.10	260	0.25
Nevada	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
New Hampshire	$60,030	28	$57,630	35	$28.86	70	0.10
New Jersey	$92,150	2	$84,693	5	$44.30	4,040	0.94
New Mexico	$70,630	11	$76,595	9	$33.96	160	0.18
New York	$64,430	20	$59,701	29	$30.98	770	0.08
North Carolina	$48,100	40	$50,993	40	$23.13	1,400	0.28
North Dakota	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Ohio	$70,240	12	$75,711	12	$33.77	460	0.08
Oklahoma	$57,670	31	$65,651	21	$27.73	—	—
Oregon	$91,520	4	$88,544	3	$44.00	850	0.43
Pennsylvania	$66,040	18	$67,683	17	$31.75	2,350	0.39
Rhode Island	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
South Carolina	$55,430	35	$59,126	31	$26.65	380	0.17
South Dakota	$44,870	44	$50,651	42	$21.57	80	0.18
Tennessee	$46,700	42	$50,833	41	$22.45	1,440	0.44
Texas	$46,300	43	$47,704	44	$22.26	1,380	0.10
Utah	$84,980	6	$85,956	4	$40.86	2,390	1.38
Vermont	$62,780	22	$64,089	23	$30.19	—	—
Virginia	$79,900	7	$79,028	7	$38.41	930	0.23
Washington	$60,000	30	$56,068	37	$28.84	—	—
West Virginia	$55,700	34	$62,237	25	$26.78	90	0.13
Wisconsin	$37,870	45	$40,247	45	$18.21	180	0.06
Wyoming	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (6 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for marriage and family therapists

131 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Urban Honolulu, HI	$141,960	$127,937	190
Greensboro-High Point, NC	$109,200	$117,590	90
Eugene-Springfield, OR	$102,910	$101,321	130
St. George, UT	$101,510	$104,304	140
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$101,460	$101,401	—
New Haven, CT	$99,070	$94,750	30
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$95,460	$87,671	260
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$95,110	$86,132	1,180
Bend, OR	$94,140	$90,863	80
Vallejo, CA	$93,810	$86,478	150

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	13,200	$71,110	$62,616
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	5,350	$49,610	$44,339
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	2,800	$91,130	$80,959
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	2,110	$78,640	$76,682
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	1,380	$75,030	$70,338
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	1,180	$95,110	$86,132
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	890	$86,550	$85,805
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT	730	$88,810	$90,408
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	670	$61,360	$59,231
Fresno, CA	640	$74,970	$73,386

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves marriage and family therapist pay: employers and settings

Work setting moves MFT pay more than anything else. State government is the top-paying employer, at a median of $92,150, and local government pays $77,040. Outpatient care centers pay $75,560 and residential mental health and substance abuse facilities $74,670. The two largest settings pay less: offices of other health practitioners at $64,430 and individual and family services agencies at $61,060.

Location matters a great deal. Hawaii has by far the highest median at $141,960, even after cost of living ($129,112 adjusted). New Jersey follows at $92,150, Georgia at $91,550, Oregon at $91,520, and Connecticut at $86,250. Texas is among the lowest at $46,300, alongside South Dakota at $44,870, and Wisconsin at $37,870. California employs more than half of all MFTs in these figures, 34,970 of them.

Licensure is a major step: associates working under supervision often earn less than fully licensed LMFTs, who can bill insurance and practice independently. The overall range runs from the 10th percentile, $44,650, to the 90th percentile, $123,730, with the median at $66,940. About 10.9% are self-employed, and their income depends on caseload, fees and insurance rates, which these wage figures do not include.

Where marriage and family therapists work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	38.5%	$64,430
Individual and Family Services	26%	$61,060
Outpatient Care Centers	11.6%	$75,560
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	6.2%	$92,150
Offices of Physicians	5.5%	$66,940
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	3.4%	$74,670

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	61,180	$66,540
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	4,390	$92,150
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	1,180	$77,040

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Marriage and Family Therapist pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$66.9K $48.6K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $48,600 in 2015 to $66,940 in 2025, up 38% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $65,698 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 2% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What marriage and family therapists do

A marriage and family therapist (MFT, or LMFT once licensed) is a master's-level mental health clinician who treats emotional and behavioral problems by looking at the relationships around a person. Despite the title, MFTs see individuals as often as couples and families. A teenager with depression, a couple after an affair, parents and a child with behavior problems, or an adult dealing with anxiety or addiction can all be MFT clients, and the therapist asks how family patterns keep the problem going and how changing them can help.

The work happens in scheduled sessions, in an office or by video. Therapists assess each client, write a diagnosis and treatment plan, run sessions using approaches such as structural, emotionally focused or cognitive behavioral therapy, and keep progress notes for every visit. They coordinate with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, schools and probation officers when a case calls for it.

Many work in group practices or their own private practice; others work in community mental health agencies, outpatient clinics, residential treatment programs and state agencies. Evening and weekend sessions are common because clients come after work and school.

A typical day

Run individual, couples and family sessions in person or by video
Assess new clients and write a diagnosis and treatment plan
Help family members change how they argue, listen and solve problems together
Write progress notes after every session and keep records current
Screen for suicide risk, abuse and violence and follow reporting laws
Coordinate care with psychiatrists, schools, physicians and caseworkers
Bill insurance or collect fees, and market a practice if self-employed

Also called: lmft, family therapist, clinical therapist, couple and family therapist, family specialist, lcmft (licensed clinical marriage and family therapist), lmft (licensed marriage and family therapist), marriage and family counselor.

How to become a marriage and family therapist

Full guide

To become a marriage and family therapist you need a bachelor's degree, a master's in marriage and family therapy or a closely related field, about two years of supervised postgraduate clinical work, and a passing score on a licensing exam. The full path usually takes about 8 to 10 years after high school.

Typical time: 8 to 10 years; Fastest: 8 years
Minimum education: Master's degree in marriage and family therapy or a closely related mental health field that meets your state board's coursework rules
License: Required in all 50 states to practice as a marriage and family therapist; state boards set the degree, supervised-hour and exam rules
Typical training cost: $52.0K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a marriage and family therapist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 8 to 10 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $52.0K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $66,940; $15,960 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 78–78%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($15,960 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 3.3–3.3 years after training ends (8 to 10 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for marriage and family therapists

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +13.5%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 76,300; 86,600 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 6,900; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 10.9%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects MFT jobs to grow 13.5% from 2025 to 2035, from 76,300 to 86,600, much faster than the 3.5% for all occupations. That works out to about 6,900 openings a year, from new positions plus therapists who retire or leave the field.

BLS ties the growth to integrated care, in which MFTs work in teams with substance use, behavioral and mental health counselors to treat several problems at once.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Marriage and Family Therapist salary FAQ

How much do marriage and family therapists make an hour?

The median hourly wage for marriage and family therapists was $32.18 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $21.47 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $59.49. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays marriage and family therapists the most?

Hawaii has the highest median pay for marriage and family therapists, $141,960 a year, followed by New Jersey ($92,150) and Georgia ($91,550). After adjusting for each state's price level, Hawaii comes out ahead at about $129,112 in national-average dollars.

Do marriage and family therapists make six figures?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of marriage and family therapists earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $66,940, and the top 10% earn more than $123,730. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between an LMFT and an LPC or LCSW?

All three are master's-level licenses to provide therapy, and their work often overlaps. LMFT training centers on relationships and family systems, with required hours treating couples and families. LPCs, or licensed professional counselors, train more broadly in counseling, and LCSWs come from social work programs that add case management and community resources. Which one you see matters less than the individual therapist's experience.

Do marriage and family therapists only see couples?

No. Many MFT clients are individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, grief, trauma or substance use. What makes the work distinct is the lens: the therapist looks at how relationships with partners, parents and children affect the problem, and may bring family members into some sessions. Couples and family therapy are a core part of the training, and California, for example, requires at least 500 supervised hours with couples, families and children.

Why do so many marriage and family therapists work in California?

California has 34,970 of the 66,740 MFT jobs in these figures, more than half. The LMFT is one of California's main licenses for master's-level therapists, and the state has many qualifying training programs. In many other states, much of the same work is done by licensed professional counselors or clinical social workers, so fewer people hold the MFT title there.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 21-1013
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (21-1013.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Marriage and Family Therapists, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Exam Reference, Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards · checked October 28, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions - Students, Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) · checked October 28, 2026
Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy, Valdosta State University · checked October 28, 2026
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, California Board of Behavioral Sciences · checked October 28, 2026
LMFTs: Handbook for Future Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, California Board of Behavioral Sciences · checked October 28, 2026
Your Exam Roadmap and FAQs, Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards · checked October 28, 2026
Continuing Education, California Board of Behavioral Sciences · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026

Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.