Marriage Counselors and Family Therapists

Median Salary: $46,900

Many marriage counselors and family therapists across the country share a number of key professional characteristics. For example, self control, stress tolerance, and cooperation can be vital for success in the industry, especially when mixed with career training. Around 26,450 folks were employed as marriage counselors and family therapists nationwide in 2009. With that much workplace competition, it's essential to cultivate these attributes and receive solid training, particularly if you're aiming to progress in the field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual income for marriage counselors and family therapists in the U.S. was $46,900 in 2009, which works out to a median hourly wage of $22.60. Of course, income can vary with training and by place. Below, you'll find more data about marriage counselors and family therapists, including wages and job density for metro areas all over the country.

Marriage counselors and family therapists should be skilled in:

  • Oral Comprehension
  • Speech Clarity
  • Deductive Reasoning
  • Fluency of Ideas
  • Speed of Closure

Different folks go into different careers; marriage counselors and family therapists are typically:

  • Social
  • Artistic
  • Investigative

Working as a marriage counselor or family therapist requires knowledge in subjects like:

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Philosophy and Theology
  • Education and Training
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Law and Government

Related Occupations

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Below, you'll see links to more information on the top cities for this occupation (based on the number of folks employed as marriage counselors and family therapists). Note: "Job density" refers to the proportion of marriage counselors and family therapists in each city as compared to the national average.

Arizona
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Phoenix NA $43,900 $21.10 $56,500 $27.20 NA
Tucson NA $32,600 $15.70 $41,700 $20.10 NA
California
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Bakersfield 90 $51,700 $24.90 $74,400 $35.80 75.7%
Fresno 80 $45,800 $22.00 $63,000 $30.30 15.8%
Los Angeles (Area) 2,190 $49,800 $24.00 $60,800 $29.20 91.6%
Modesto NA $52,200 $25.10 $61,400 $29.50 NA
Oakland 640 $52,000 $25.00 $62,200 $29.90 221.3%
Oxnard 190 $52,100 $25.00 $59,000 $28.40 215.8%
Redding 90 $43,200 $20.80 $56,900 $27.30 618.3%
Riverside 320 $49,400 $23.70 $58,500 $28.10 34.2%
Sacramento 120 $51,600 $24.80 $67,700 $32.60 -29.7%
Salinas 30 $37,300 $18.00 $53,000 $25.50 -4.5%
San Diego 720 $52,000 $25.00 $63,800 $30.70 179.2%
San Francisco (Area) 1,220 $47,300 $22.70 $65,400 $31.40 206.4%
San Francisco (City) 580 $42,500 $20.40 $68,600 $33.00 191.6%
San Jose 150 $40,100 $19.30 $56,000 $26.90 -17.3%
Santa Barbara NA $44,000 $21.20 $57,100 $27.50 NA
Santa Rosa 50 $75,900 $36.50 $91,800 $44.10 53.5%
Stockton NA $39,800 $19.10 $42,500 $20.40 NA
Vallejo 50 $53,600 $25.80 $60,600 $29.10 94.6%
Visalia NA $46,300 $22.20 $59,200 $28.50 NA
Colorado
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Denver 120 $34,500 $16.60 $42,800 $20.60 -51%
Connecticut
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Bridgeport NA $56,900 $27.40 $63,900 $30.70 NA
Hartford 130 $47,100 $22.60 $58,900 $28.30 11.9%
Norwich 40 $39,800 $19.20 $54,000 $26.00 41.1%
District of Columbia
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Washington (Area) 320 $51,600 $24.80 $62,600 $30.10 -48.5%
Florida
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Cape Coral 50 $38,800 $18.70 $45,800 $22.00 10.4%
Jacksonville 90 $34,100 $16.40 $51,300 $24.70 -20.3%
Lakeland 40 $41,700 $20.10 $52,300 $25.10 7.9%
Miami (Area) NA $41,800 $20.10 $49,200 $23.60 NA
Orlando 190 $19,600 $9.40 $36,500 $17.50 -4%
Tallahassee NA $41,800 $20.10 $51,800 $24.90 NA
Tampa NA $31,500 $15.20 $36,400 $17.50 NA
Georgia
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Atlanta 120 $49,700 $23.90 $61,300 $29.50 -73.3%
Hawaii
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Honolulu 40 $87,100 $41.90 $97,800 $47.00 -52.5%
Illinois
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Chicago (Area) NA $41,200 $19.80 $47,500 $22.80 NA
Indiana
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Bloomington 50 $35,900 $17.30 $41,500 $20.00 234.2%
Evansville 90 $39,600 $19.00 $64,500 $31.00 175.7%
Fort Wayne NA $39,800 $19.10 $44,100 $21.20 NA
Indianapolis 110 $41,900 $20.20 $86,600 $41.60 -35.1%
South Bend 60 $44,800 $21.50 $51,700 $24.90 129.2%
Iowa
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Cedar Rapids NA $28,600 $13.70 $31,800 $15.30 NA
Des Moines 190 $39,600 $19.00 $56,400 $27.10 195%
Kentucky
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Louisville 80 $32,200 $15.50 $40,500 $19.50 -35.6%
Louisiana
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Monroe 50 $34,100 $16.40 $40,400 $19.40 200%
Maryland
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Baltimore 1,260 $45,700 $22.00 $52,200 $25.10 393.6%
Massachusetts
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Boston (Area) NA $41,100 $19.70 $47,100 $22.60 NA
Springfield 100 $39,500 $19.00 $46,200 $22.20 69.8%
Michigan
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Detroit (Area) NA $39,600 $19.00 $46,400 $22.30 NA
Minnesota
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Minneapolis 700 $50,500 $24.30 $64,500 $31.00 99.5%
Missouri
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Kansas City 140 $42,500 $20.50 $47,900 $23.10 -27.7%
Springfield NA $39,700 $19.10 $50,700 $24.40 NA
St. Louis NA $44,900 $21.60 $62,000 $29.80 NA
Nebraska
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Omaha 80 $36,700 $17.60 $41,500 $20.00 -14.4%
Nevada
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Las Vegas NA $64,600 $31.10 $72,300 $34.80 NA
New Jersey
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Atlantic City 150 $57,700 $27.80 $71,300 $34.30 449%
Ocean City 60 $56,600 $27.20 $64,100 $30.80 654%
Trenton 440 $64,600 $31.10 $76,900 $37.00 899.5%
New York
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Albany 30 $35,700 $17.20 $38,300 $18.40 -62.9%
New York (Area) 3,150 $55,900 $26.90 $66,800 $32.10 294.6%
Rochester NA $59,900 $28.80 $64,500 $31.00 NA
Syracuse 30 $37,100 $17.80 $41,500 $20.00 -51.5%
Ohio
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Cincinnati 150 $50,000 $24.00 $62,500 $30.10 -27.2%
Cleveland NA $41,100 $19.80 $47,400 $22.80 NA
Dayton NA $41,700 $20.10 $46,000 $22.10 NA
Toledo 100 $40,700 $19.60 $45,200 $21.70 64.9%
Oklahoma
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Oklahoma City 130 $40,200 $19.30 $46,000 $22.10 10.9%
Tulsa NA $28,700 $13.80 $35,000 $16.90 NA
Oregon
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Portland 230 $36,800 $17.70 $45,900 $22.10 14.4%
Pennsylvania
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Allentown 200 $56,600 $27.20 $63,300 $30.50 192.6%
Harrisburg 30 $39,700 $19.10 $43,900 $21.10 -47.5%
Lancaster 50 NA NA NA NA 2%
Philadelphia (Area) 510 $53,200 $25.60 $59,500 $28.60 84.2%
Pittsburgh NA $38,900 $18.70 $59,500 $28.60 NA
Scranton NA $46,900 $22.50 $54,400 $26.20 NA
York 70 $33,600 $16.20 $40,500 $19.50 93.6%
South Dakota
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Rapid City 50 $41,200 $19.80 $47,700 $22.90 347%
Sioux Falls NA $40,800 $19.60 $45,100 $21.70 NA
Tennessee
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Knoxville 60 $35,000 $16.80 $38,900 $18.70 -1%
Memphis 110 $36,800 $17.70 $44,800 $21.60 -12.4%
Nashville 140 $29,700 $14.30 $36,300 $17.40 -4.5%
Texas
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Austin NA $32,000 $15.40 $41,500 $19.90 NA
Dallas (Area) 70 $37,400 $18.00 $48,500 $23.30 -59.4%
Houston NA $75,200 $36.20 $86,200 $41.40 NA
San Antonio NA $43,800 $21.10 $47,200 $22.70 NA
Virginia
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Richmond NA $35,100 $16.90 $38,000 $18.30 NA
Virginia Beach NA $35,600 $17.10 $42,200 $20.30 NA
Washington
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Seattle (Area) 140 $42,800 $20.60 $47,500 $22.90 -28.7%
Spokane 40 $34,700 $16.70 $40,300 $19.40 -4%
Wisconsin
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Madison NA $34,300 $16.50 $42,100 $20.30 NA
Milwaukee 150 $57,100 $27.40 $70,800 $34.10 -9.4%