21
Marriage and Family Therapists is a notable career in the 21 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Marriage and Family Therapists against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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11
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| soc | 21-1013 |
| title | Marriage and Family Therapists |
| onet code | 21-1013.00 |
| description | Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. Apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders. |
| job zone | 5 |
| major group | 21 |
| tot emp | 65,870 |
| a mean | 72,720 |
| a median | 63,780 |
| a pct10 | 42,610 |
| a pct25 | 48,600 |
| a pct75 | 85,020 |
| a pct90 | 111,610 |
| h mean | 34 |
| h median | 30 |
The day-to-day work of a marriage and family therapists typically centers on encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, and Speaking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 4.11 out of 5 — critical for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working marriage and family therapists, the most common entry qualification is a Master's Degree (79.0%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 96% of incumbents. This is a degree-heavy profession — most incumbents hold a four-year degree or beyond.
Median annual pay is highest in Hawaii at $135,870 and lowest in Wisconsin at $34,700 — a 3.9× spread. The top five states (Hawaii, New Jersey, Utah, Virginia, Oregon) average $93,326. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $135,870 | $145,360 | $48,660 | — | 220 |
| New Jersey | $89,030 | $91,980 | $60,050 | $107,240 | 3,940 |
| Utah | $81,170 | $85,550 | $39,240 | $116,680 | 1,980 |
| Virginia | $80,670 | $78,900 | $42,790 | $121,780 | 910 |
| Oregon | $79,890 | $94,520 | $59,770 | $137,950 | 1,080 |
| Connecticut | $76,930 | $94,830 | $45,910 | $163,810 | 390 |
| Minnesota | $72,370 | $72,900 | $48,020 | $99,130 | 3,780 |
| Colorado | $69,990 | $89,280 | $43,750 | $126,700 | 810 |
| Maine | $68,670 | $72,820 | $52,160 | $90,740 | — |
| Nebraska | $68,550 | $68,000 | $37,020 | $112,120 | 50 |
| New Mexico | $67,990 | $68,660 | $52,250 | $85,060 | 250 |
| Kansas | $66,620 | $63,480 | $44,320 | $78,020 | 160 |
| Maryland | $65,300 | $84,900 | $48,550 | $141,420 | 340 |
| New York | $65,020 | $66,710 | $47,450 | $87,040 | 930 |
| Missouri | $64,900 | $70,010 | $38,080 | $116,840 | 530 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,570 | $67,940 | $48,000 | $90,800 | 2,360 |
| Ohio | $63,880 | $78,300 | $40,230 | $154,770 | 710 |
| California | $63,780 | $74,660 | $44,430 | $121,700 | 32,070 |
| Delaware | $63,360 | $64,840 | $49,840 | $81,830 | 380 |
| Massachusetts | $62,290 | $68,430 | $47,760 | $90,070 | 530 |
| Alaska | $62,220 | $69,970 | $46,040 | $88,590 | 80 |
| Iowa | $61,450 | $72,070 | $42,120 | $169,590 | 90 |
| Vermont | $61,060 | $66,260 | $53,840 | $76,840 | 110 |
| Kentucky | $60,190 | $65,100 | $36,250 | $95,350 | 410 |
| Illinois | $60,140 | $66,640 | $50,210 | $102,850 | 840 |
| Washington | $59,660 | $68,250 | $52,710 | $100,250 | — |
| Georgia | $58,830 | $67,960 | $28,910 | $98,100 | — |
| North Dakota | $58,180 | $70,330 | $35,090 | $113,040 | 40 |
| New Hampshire | $57,220 | $60,490 | $44,490 | $80,300 | 220 |
| Oklahoma | $56,450 | $59,830 | $39,100 | $83,480 | 1,270 |
| Alabama | $54,280 | $55,260 | $37,820 | $79,920 | 200 |
| North Carolina | $53,910 | $60,540 | $42,000 | $81,440 | 2,110 |
| Michigan | $52,890 | $59,210 | $38,970 | $82,400 | 870 |
| Arizona | $52,420 | $54,830 | $48,580 | $64,450 | — |
| Indiana | $51,710 | $58,430 | $43,420 | $77,720 | 1,120 |
| South Carolina | $51,440 | $51,940 | $33,270 | $73,540 | 550 |
| Mississippi | $51,260 | $51,480 | $49,520 | $58,550 | 180 |
| South Dakota | $51,190 | $50,120 | $37,670 | $59,930 | 70 |
| Florida | $50,220 | $69,450 | $34,860 | $156,570 | 760 |
| West Virginia | $48,180 | $49,450 | $27,280 | $64,880 | 110 |
| Arkansas | $47,090 | $52,710 | $41,120 | $71,020 | 120 |
| Texas | $45,690 | $54,900 | $36,830 | $79,220 | 1,160 |
| Tennessee | $45,660 | $46,510 | $31,000 | $60,820 | 2,590 |
| Montana | $37,150 | $43,300 | $32,290 | $72,900 | — |
| Wisconsin | $34,700 | $43,740 | $34,250 | $70,200 | 230 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for marriage and family therapists. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for ABA Behavior Therapist (Applied Behavior Analysis Behavior Therapist) or Behavior Intervention Specialist frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Marriage and Family Therapists compares to others in the 21 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Marriage and Family Therapists
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.