# Marriage and Family Therapists

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/marriage-and-family-therapists
- SOC code: 21-1013.00
- Career family: Community and social service
- Median annual pay: $66,940 (10th percentile $44,650, 90th percentile $123,730)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +13.5%
- Openings a year: 6,900
- Typical entry education: Master's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SIA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 8 |
| Investigative (I) | 72 |
| Artistic (A) | 43 |
| Social (S) | 87 |
| Enterprising (E) | 13 |
| Conventional (C) | 32 |

## What you'd do

- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 92/100)
- Getting Information (importance 89/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 89/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 89/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 87/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 85/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 84/100)
- Developing Objectives and Strategies (importance 81/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 78/100)
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (importance 78/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Critical Thinking, Monitoring

## Knowledge

Therapy and Counseling, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Education and Training, Administrative, Philosophy and Theology, Law and Government, Administration and Management

## Also called

ABA Behavior Therapist (Applied Behavior Analysis Behavior Therapist), Child and Adolescent Therapist, Child and Family Counselor, Child and Family Therapist, Clinical Therapist, Couple and Family Therapist, Couples Therapist, Family Counselor, Family Service Counselor, Family Services Counselor

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5115) (CIP 5115, 969 colleges)
- [Social Work](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4407) (CIP 4407, 849 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Pennsylvania UPENN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $70,054 | $76,395 | $13,021 |
| [Providence College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/providence-college-2158) | Social Work | not reported | $70,356 | not reported |
| [CUNY Hunter College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-hunter-college-739) | Social Work | $46,845 | $70,273 | $11,000 |
| [California State University-San Bernardino](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-san-bernardino-376) | Social Work | $59,991 | $69,201 | $11,000 |
| [San Francisco State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/san-francisco-state-university-2349) | Social Work | $44,889 | $68,524 | $21,763 |
| [California State University-Long Beach](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-long-beach-371) | Social Work | $45,614 | $68,448 | $11,000 |
| [Pacific Lutheran University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pacific-lutheran-university-2059) | Social Work | not reported | $67,458 | $18,862 |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Social Work | $51,615 | $67,393 | $8,893 |

## Related careers

- [Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse-social-workers): $60,280 median pay
- [Mental Health Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mental-health-counselors): $59,350 median pay
- [Child, Family, and School Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/child-family-and-school-social-workers): $59,550 median pay
- [Clinical and Counseling Psychologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-and-counseling-psychologists): $100,580 median pay
- [Healthcare Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/healthcare-social-workers): $67,880 median pay
- [Rehabilitation Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/rehabilitation-counselors): $46,850 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.