What You Need to Know About Art Therapist
Career Description Plan or conduct art therapy sessions or programs to improve clients’ physical, cognitive, or emotional well-being.
Life As an Art Therapist
- Write treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
- Design art therapy sessions or programs to meet client’s goals or objectives.
- Establish goals or objectives for art therapy sessions in consultation with clients or site administrators.
- Interpret the artistic creations of clients to assess their functioning, needs, or progress.
- Instruct individuals or groups in the use of art media, such as paint, clay, or yarn.
- Analyze or synthesize client data to draw conclusions or make recommendations for art therapy.
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What Every Art Therapist Should Know
Art Therapists state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Types of Art Therapist
- Medical Art Therapist
- Expressive Art Therapist
- Art Therapist
- Creative Therapist
- Bereavement Program Coordinator
Job Outlook for Art Therapists
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 19,200 jobs in the United States for Art Therapist. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,300 new jobs for Art Therapist by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 1,200 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Art Therapist are Alaska, Colorado, and Washington. Watch out if you plan on working in Alabama, Wyoming, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Art Therapist Salary
The typical yearly salary for Art Therapists is somewhere between $29,590 and $77,050.

Art Therapists who work in California, District of Columbia, or Nevada, make the highest salaries.
How much do Art Therapists make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $42,860 |
Arizona | $49,440 |
Arkansas | $50,170 |
California | $75,810 |
Colorado | $49,300 |
Connecticut | $59,450 |
Delaware | $46,320 |
District of Columbia | $68,430 |
Florida | $48,290 |
Georgia | $43,950 |
Hawaii | $55,470 |
Idaho | $40,770 |
Illinois | $46,620 |
Indiana | $42,280 |
Iowa | $52,470 |
Kansas | $35,850 |
Kentucky | $45,330 |
Louisiana | $41,180 |
Maine | $49,390 |
Maryland | $48,690 |
Massachusetts | $55,570 |
Michigan | $51,280 |
Minnesota | $54,660 |
Mississippi | $38,470 |
Missouri | $46,000 |
Montana | $44,730 |
Nebraska | $39,420 |
Nevada | $58,480 |
New Hampshire | $46,660 |
New Jersey | $58,220 |
New Mexico | $38,680 |
New York | $55,370 |
North Carolina | $47,600 |
North Dakota | $43,910 |
Ohio | $45,750 |
Oklahoma | $37,760 |
Oregon | $55,410 |
Pennsylvania | $45,900 |
Rhode Island | $49,310 |
South Carolina | $42,240 |
South Dakota | $50,480 |
Tennessee | $41,660 |
Texas | $43,070 |
Utah | $48,230 |
Vermont | $43,120 |
Virginia | $47,590 |
Washington | $59,860 |
Wisconsin | $44,970 |
Wyoming | $50,170 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Art Therapists
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Art Therapists may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
- Trimble SketchUp Pro
- Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
- Appointment scheduling software
- Adobe Systems Adobe AfterEffects
- Autodesk Maya
- Case management software
How do I Become an Art Therapist?
Education needed to be an Art Therapist:

How Long Does it Take to Become an Art Therapist?

Art Therapists Sector

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

References:
Image Credit: Barbara E. Carver via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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