Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Salary
How much do marriage and family therapists make?
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean annual wage of MFTs (also known as marriage and family counselors) in the United States in 2023 was $68,730.
The table below compares the salaries of MFTs to other counseling occupations in Oregon and the U.S. As with all professions, individual earnings differ based on industry, geographic location, experience, education, and other factors. In 2023, the lowest paid 10% of MFTs in the U.S. earned less than $39,090, while the highest paid 10% earned more than $104,710.
| Counseling Occupations | Oregon Annual Mean Wage |
U.S Annual Mean Wage |
Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | $73,540 | $66,990 |
$6,550 |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | [not reported in 2023] | $68,730 |
N/A |
| Rehabilitation Counselors | $53,970 | $48,430 |
$5,540 |
| Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors | $66,260 | $60,080 |
$6,180 |
| Counselors, All Other | $53,040 | $52,360 | $680 |
U.S. Mean Annual Wage for Marriage and Family Therapists (USD)
Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Job Outlook for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that employment of marriage and family therapists will grow 16% between 2023 and 2033, "much faster" than the average growth rate for all occupations.
Growth is expected due to the increasing use of integrated care, which is a treatment of multiple problems at one time by a group of specialists. In providing integrated care, marriage and family therapists are working with counselors such as substance abuse, behavior disorder, or mental health counselors, to address patients' issues as a team.
From the 2023 employment estimate of 76,000 people working as marriage and family therapists in the U.S., a 16% increase would mean that an additional 12,300 jobs would be added, bringing the total up to 78,300 by 2033.