Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$44,650
- 25th Percentile — Junior$50,070
- 50th Percentile — Median$66,940
- 75th Percentile — Senior$93,840
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$123,730
The top 10% of Marriage and Family Therapists earn $123,730 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $44,650, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $127,570 | +65.8% |
| District of Columbia (est.) | $116,979 | +52.0% |
| Connecticut | $103,870 | +35.0% |
| Oregon | $102,390 | +33.0% |
| Utah | $93,610 | +21.6% |
| New Jersey | $90,310 | +17.3% |
| Rhode Island (est.) | $88,504 | +15.0% |
| Ohio | $86,810 | +12.8% |
| Georgia | $83,300 | +8.2% |
| Massachusetts | $80,880 | +5.1% |
| Colorado | $80,100 | +4.1% |
| California | $79,440 | +3.2% |
| Nevada (est.) | $78,499 | +2.0% |
| Maryland | $77,890 | +1.2% |
| Virginia | $74,850 | -2.7% |
| Delaware | $74,480 | -3.2% |
| Arizona | $74,150 | -3.7% |
| Minnesota | $73,980 | -3.9% |
| Maine | $73,910 | -4.0% |
| Iowa | $72,120 | -6.3% |
| New Mexico | $71,940 | -6.5% |
| Kansas | $71,920 | -6.5% |
| Wyoming (est.) | $71,573 | -7.0% |
| North Dakota (est.) | $70,803 | -8.0% |
| Alaska | $69,880 | -9.2% |
| Arkansas | $68,730 | -10.7% |
| Illinois | $68,510 | -11.0% |
| Washington | $68,080 | -11.5% |
| Pennsylvania | $67,890 | -11.8% |
| Louisiana (est.) | $67,725 | -12.0% |
| Vermont | $67,470 | -12.3% |
| New York | $67,260 | -12.6% |
| New Hampshire | $67,210 | -12.7% |
| Missouri | $66,250 | -13.9% |
| Nebraska | $65,640 | -14.7% |
| Idaho | $65,510 | -14.9% |
| Florida | $64,890 | -15.7% |
| Indiana | $62,490 | -18.8% |
| South Carolina | $61,000 | -20.7% |
| West Virginia | $60,720 | -21.1% |
| Oklahoma | $60,130 | -21.9% |
| Texas | $59,350 | -22.9% |
| North Carolina | $57,090 | -25.8% |
| Kentucky | $56,560 | -26.5% |
| Michigan | $56,220 | -26.9% |
| Montana | $54,580 | -29.1% |
| Alabama | $54,170 | -29.6% |
| Mississippi | $53,520 | -30.5% |
| Tennessee | $49,050 | -36.3% |
| South Dakota | $46,380 | -39.7% |
| Wisconsin | $45,960 | -40.3% |
What Factors Affect Marriage and Family Therapists Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Marriage and Family Therapists is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: Hawaii pays an average of $127,570, while Wisconsin pays $45,960 — a gap of $81,610 per year.
The middle half of Marriage and Family Therapists earn between $50,070 and $93,840 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $44,650, while the top 10% earn more than $123,730.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Child Family and School Social Workers $64,000/yr United States 16.8% vs this role
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers $68,030/yr United States 11.6% vs this role
- Health Education Specialists $73,280/yr United States 4.8% vs this role
- Social and Human Service Assistants $47,690/yr United States 38.0% vs this role
- Community Health Workers $56,180/yr United States 27.0% vs this role
- Educational Guidance and Career Counselors $71,430/yr United States 7.2% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +31.8% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +78.4% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Marriage and Family Therapists?
The average salary for Marriage and Family Therapists in the United States is $76,960 per year, with a median of $66,940.
What is the starting salary for Marriage and Family Therapists?
Entry-level Marriage and Family Therapists typically earn between $44,650 and $50,070 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Marriage and Family Therapists the most?
Hawaii pays Marriage and Family Therapists the most at $127,570 per year on average, followed by Connecticut ($103,870) and Oregon ($102,390).
How much do Marriage and Family Therapists make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $76,960, Marriage and Family Therapists earn approximately $37.0 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Marriage and Family Therapists a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 66,740 Marriage and Family Therapists jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $76,960 and a median of $66,940 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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