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Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Major

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Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling

3 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
2,923 Master's Degrees Annually
#128 in Popularity
$54,150 Median Salary

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

The following table lists how many marriage and family therapy/counseling graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 2,948
Graduate Certificate 300
Doctor’s Degree 141
Associate Degree 13
Bachelor’s Degree 3

What Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to marriage and family therapy/counseling were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in marriage and family therapy/counseling should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Skills for Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Majors

When studying marriage and family therapy/counseling, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

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  • 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.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities for Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Majors

A major in marriage and family therapy/counseling will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

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

Below is a list of occupations associated with marriage and family therapy/counseling:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Marriage and Family Therapists 23.4% $50,090
Psychology Professors 15.1% $76,710

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling?

3 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
67% Percent Women
0% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major is dominated by women with about 67% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of marriage and family therapy/counseling majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 0
Black or African American 0
Hispanic or Latino 0
White 3
International Students 0
Other Races/Ethnicities 0

How Much Do Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $54,150 to $88,490 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Major  ( 54150 to 88490 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
0K
250K

Some degrees associated with marriage and family therapy/counseling may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for marriage and family therapy/counseling careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Master’s Degree 31.0%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 14.2%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.7%
Doctoral Degree 32.9%
Post-Doctoral Training 18.5%

Online Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 159 schools offered some type of marriage and family therapy/counseling program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 1 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 2 0
Bachelor’s Degree 18 2
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 144 13
Post-Master’s 20 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 21 5
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 5 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

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

The median salary for a marriage and family therapy/counseling grad is $54,150 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 36% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $285,000 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to marriage and family therapy/counseling.

Major Number of Grads
Mental Health Counseling/Counselor 7,609
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling 5,433
Other Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions 4,069
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician 2,779
Clinical/Medical Social Work 2,534
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 2,526
Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling 328
Genetic Counseling/Counselor 288
Trauma Counseling 56
Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy 13
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist 12

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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