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Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling

A program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of marriage and family therapy, involving the diagnosis of cognitive, affective, and behavioral domain disorders, both mental and emotional, within the context of marriage and family systems and the application of short- and long-term therapeutic strategies in family group contexts. Includes instruction in psychotherapy, family systems and studies, small group intervention and therapy, marital problems, depression, identification of psychopathologies and behavioral disorders, holistic health care, practice management, applicable regulations, and professional standards and ethics.

Types of Degrees Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	4,228
Doctor’s Degree	248

What Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Majors Need to Know

Studies in Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Psychology — Importance 5.0 / 5; level 6.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Empirisoft MediaLab	Analytical or scientific software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
ePsych	Computer based training software	—
XNAT	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling graduates include:

• Applied Psychology Professor
• Instructor
• Educational Psychology Professor
• Human Relations Professor
• Child Development Instructor
• Psychology Instructor
• Professor
• College Professor
• Human Relations Teacher
• Lecturer
• Clinical Psychology Teacher
• Educational Psychology Teacher
• Teacher
• Psychology Faculty Member
• Child Psychology Teacher

What Can You Do With a Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary	-3.0%	$98,479	$80,534–$116,424
Marriage and Family Therapists	-3.8%	$74,325	$63,783–$84,868

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	39.2%
Master’s degree	34.7%
Post-doctoral training	21.7%
First professional degree	3.0%
Post-master’s certificate	0.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 83.3% of Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,728	83.3%
Men	748	16.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,214	49.5%
Asian	258	5.8%
Hispanic or Latino	743	16.6%
Black or African American	600	13.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	15	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	9	0.2%
Two or More Races	207	4.6%
Race Unknown	320	7.1%
International Students	110	2.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$46,066
4 years	$46,824
5 years	$52,641

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $52,641 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	2	0
Master’s	21	8
Doctoral (Research)	5	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling graduates earn a median of $46,824 four years after completion — roughly 23% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	33,946
Mental Health Counseling/Counselor	10,855
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling	6,135
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other	3,545
Clinical/Medical Social Work	3,296
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician	2,601
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling	2,298
Genetic Counseling/Counselor	378
Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling	187
Trauma Counseling	161
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist	6
Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy	5

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.