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Marriage and Family Therapists

Typical education: Master's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $66,940 Median per year · $32.18/hr Most earn $44,650–$123,730

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Write evaluations of parents and children for use by courts deciding divorce and custody cases, testifying in court if necessary.
  • Provide family counseling and treatment services to inmates participating in substance abuse programs.
  • Gather information from doctors, schools, social workers, juvenile counselors, law enforcement personnel, and others to make recommendations to courts for resolution of child custody or visitation disputes.
  • Provide family counseling and treatment services to inmates participating in substance abuse programs.
  • Diagnose mental and emotional disorders in clients.
  • Provide public education and consultation to other professionals or groups regarding counseling services, issues, and methods.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
14% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 6,900 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Offices of mental health practitioners (except physicians)31.2%
  • Self-employed (their own business)10.9%
  • Outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers8.6%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals5.8%
  • Offices of physicians4.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This is not an entry-level job. Most people spend about 7 to 9 years after high school getting here: a bachelor's degree, a year or two of related work, and a master's degree with supervised clinical hours before they can practice independently.

  1. Bachelor's degree in psychology, family studies, or human development

    4 years

    You build a foundation in how people think, relate, and grow, and you can meet people in helping roles while you study.

  2. Social and Human Service Assistant

    1-2 years

    You work directly with individuals and families, learning case work, communication, and how community services fit together, which prepares you for graduate counseling study.

  3. Master's degree in marriage and family therapy or a related counseling field

    2-3 years

    You learn family systems theory and therapy techniques, and you complete supervised clinical hours that most states require before licensing.

  4. Marriage and Family Therapist

    Ongoing after licensing

    After completing supervised hours and passing your state's licensing exam, you diagnose and treat mental and emotional concerns in individuals, couples, and families.

Where it can lead

  1. Clinical and Counseling Psychologist

    2-4 years of experience first

    With a doctoral degree in psychology, you can move into more research, assessment, and complex clinical work, though this requires several more years of school and training.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take psychology or sociologyThese classes introduce you to how people think and relate, which is the core of family therapy.
  • Take English and public speakingStrong listening, writing, and speaking skills matter a lot in counseling work.
  • Volunteer with children, families, or older adultsHelping in a community center, library program, or care home shows you what working with people is like day to day.
  • Get a part-time job in customer service or peer tutoringWorking with the public and helping classmates builds patience, empathy, and communication skills.
  • Join a club like Debate, Peer Helpers, or Key ClubThese groups build teamwork and listening skills and show colleges that you care about helping others.

In college

  • Major in psychology, family studies, or human developmentThese majors cover the core ideas behind family systems and mental health and prepare you for a master's program.
  • Take statistics and research methodsGraduate programs and licensing work often require you to read and understand research and evaluate outcomes.
  • Volunteer at a crisis line, family services agency, or youth programDirect experience with people in difficult situations helps you decide if this career is right for you and strengthens your applications.
  • Work as a peer mentor, resident advisor, or student orientation leaderThese roles build the listening, guidance, and conflict-handling skills you will use every day as a therapist.
  • Join a psychology or counseling student organizationClubs often bring in guest speakers, offer networking, and share information about graduate programs and licensing.

Tips for getting started

  • Get hands-on experience early. Volunteering or working in a setting that serves families gives you real examples for graduate school applications and helps you see if this work fits you.
  • Plan your bachelor's coursework with graduate school in mind. Courses in research methods, statistics, human development, and abnormal psychology will help you later.
  • Ask people who work in the field about their path, especially how they handled supervised clinical hours and licensing in your state. Rules vary by state, so check your state's requirements early.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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