Family Therapist | Salary & Job Information

Becoming a Family Therapist via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Liberty University Online, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering family therapy courses to train individuals to become top-notch family therapists, speech therapists, therapists, respiratory therapists, marriage therapists, occupational therapists, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 13,440 people employed as therapists alone in America, and their average annual salary is $54,400. Marriage and family therapists make on average $49,020 per year and there are about 26,450 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Liberty University Online that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for a Family Therapist
  • church
  • corporation
  • non profit organization
  • in an office
  • Atheist convention
  • doctor's office
  • in a clinic
  • Christmas party
  • social services
  • at a park
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Family Therapist
  • questions that will help clients identify
  • clients on concerns
  • individuals and family members to develop and use
  • information about clients
  • other counselors in order to analyze
  • up on results of counseling programs and clients
  • used in this occupation
  • human behavior and performance
  • group behavior and dynamics
  • methods for curriculum and training design
Potential Drawbacks
  • be patient with the emotions of others
  • always know the right thing to say
  • be understanding and attentive even when it is difficult to do so
  • remain unbiased be careful not to form your own opinions about a situation
  • work long hours
  • take on the stress of others
  • be able to keep things confidential
  • keep thorough records of your findings
  • have a good memory about the issues of all of your patients
  • be friendly and sociable when when you do not feel like it
Related Professions to Consider
  • Family Therapist
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
  • Functional Family Therapy Interventionist
  • Family Based Therapist
  • Occupational Therapy Assistant
  • Bilingual Family Counselor
  • Play Therapy Consultant
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Senior Occupational Therapist
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Family Therapist
  • What counseling issues do you feel you are best trained to handle?
  • What aspects of therapeutic recreation do you like and dislike?
  • How would you analyze and interpret data to determine a patient's/client's strengths and weaknesses?
  • What assets do you bring to FFT therapy?
  • How would you partner with a parole counselor or probation officer when you are both working with a challenging family?
  • Please outline the reasons you believe you could be a family therapist and provide FFT.?
  • Please describe your beliefs about work with families in mental health or juvenile justice.?
  • What difficulties might you expect to encounter in transitioning to the position of family therapist?
  • What made you choose physical therapy over other health professions?
  • What condition should you be aware of in children with Downs Syndrome when doing physical activities?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • Physical Therapist
  • Area Manager
  • Physical Therapist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physical Therapist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physical Therapist
  • Family Therapist
  • Child and Family Therapist
  • Family Based Mental Health Professional Therapist
Family Therapist Training books Family Therapist (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • alternative medicine
  • clinical laboratory science
  • communication disorders
  • counseling
  • dental hygiene
  • forensic medicine
  • health promotion
  • health information technology
  • life care planning
  • long term care

Family Therapist Salary Information

Category: Marriage and family therapists

Total # Employed in the US 26,450
Average Hourly Wage: $23.57/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$14.07 $17.54 $22.56 $28.1 $35.39
Average Yearly Salary $49,020
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$29,270 $36,480 $46,920 $58,440 $73,610
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
1.3% 7.3% 10.5% 5.6% 25.0% 45.9% 4.4%
Marriage and family therapists — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Indiana $35.61/hr $74,070
Idaho $30.54/hr $63,510
North Dakota $29.29/hr $60,920
Alaska $29.18/hr $60,700
New York $29.09/hr $60,510
New Hampshire $27.32/hr $56,820
District of Columbia $24.96/hr $51,920
Nebraska $24.87/hr $51,730
Colorado $24.81/hr $51,600
Oregon $24.79/hr $51,550
Delaware $24.41/hr $50,770
Iowa $24.11/hr $50,150
Guam $23.75/hr $49,400
Tennessee $23.15/hr $48,160
Utah $22.83/hr $47,480
Wyoming $22.49/hr $46,770
Mississippi $22.05/hr $45,870
Michigan $21.86/hr $45,470
South Carolina $21.38/hr $44,470
Montana $21.29/hr $44,280
Missouri $21.12/hr $43,930
California $20.98/hr $43,640
Alabama $20.89/hr $43,450
Maryland $20.61/hr $42,860
Kentucky $20.47/hr $42,570
Ohio $20.25/hr $42,130
Louisiana $20.03/hr $41,660
Kansas $20.01/hr $41,620
Washington $19.85/hr $41,300
New Mexico $19.83/hr $41,240
Oklahoma $19.62/hr $40,810
Connecticut $19.57/hr $40,700
West Virginia $19.48/hr $40,520
Hawaii $19.42/hr $40,390
Puerto Rico $19.41/hr $40,370
Pennsylvania $19.4/hr $40,340
Maine $18.87/hr $39,240
Arkansas $18.44/hr $38,360
North Carolina $18.36/hr $38,190
South Dakota $17.46/hr $36,310
Massachusetts $16.29/hr $33,880
Wisconsin $15.87/hr $33,010
New Jersey $15.52/hr $32,280


Category: Child, family, and school social workers

Total # Employed in the US 277,670
Average Hourly Wage: $20.93/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$12.52 $15.36 $19.21 $25.2 $32.38
Average Yearly Salary $43,540
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$26,050 $31,950 $39,960 $52,410 $67,360
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
1.2% 6.2% 10.4% 6.0% 42.3% 32.2% 1.6%
Child, family, and school social workers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Delaware $29.66/hr $61,690
Nebraska $26.36/hr $54,820
Virginia $26.04/hr $54,170
North Dakota $25.77/hr $53,610
Kansas $25.59/hr $53,230
Florida $24.66/hr $51,290
Oklahoma $24.44/hr $50,830
New York $24.23/hr $50,400
Colorado $24.2/hr $50,340
Mississippi $23.85/hr $49,600
Montana $23.81/hr $49,520
Indiana $23.68/hr $49,250
Missouri $22.21/hr $46,200
Alaska $21.4/hr $44,500
Connecticut $21.33/hr $44,370
Massachusetts $20.99/hr $43,660
Oregon $20.71/hr $43,090
Maine $19.89/hr $41,370
Alabama $19.6/hr $40,760
Hawaii $19.47/hr $40,500
Michigan $19.33/hr $40,200
Puerto Rico $19.16/hr $39,860
Guam $19.15/hr $39,840
Pennsylvania $18.98/hr $39,480
Louisiana $18.92/hr $39,360
Tennessee $18.91/hr $39,330
North Carolina $18.79/hr $39,090
South Carolina $18.39/hr $38,240
Maryland $18.01/hr $37,450
Wyoming $17.9/hr $37,230
Idaho $17.75/hr $36,910
Utah $17.69/hr $36,790
Arkansas $17.58/hr $36,560
West Virginia $17.25/hr $35,870
Ohio $17.2/hr $35,780
Iowa $17.13/hr $35,630
California $17.13/hr $35,620
New Mexico $17.07/hr $35,510
New Jersey $17.01/hr $35,390
Kentucky $16.82/hr $34,990
Wisconsin $16.6/hr $34,530
New Hampshire $16.31/hr $33,910
South Dakota $15.91/hr $33,090
Washington $15.69/hr $32,630
Nevada $15.34/hr $31,910


Category: Occupational therapist assistants

Total # Employed in the US 26,680
Average Hourly Wage: $24.44/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$16.03 $19.81 $24.16 $28.8 $32.91
Average Yearly Salary $50,830
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$33,350 $41,200 $50,250 $59,890 $68,450
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
1.3% 1.3% 10.1% 74.1% 11.5% 1.0% 0.7%
Occupational therapist assistants — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Wyoming $31.68/hr $65,900
Iowa $30.5/hr $63,430
North Dakota $28.82/hr $59,940
Hawaii $27.76/hr $57,750
Colorado $27.51/hr $57,230
Mississippi $26.96/hr $56,080
District of Columbia $26.65/hr $55,440
New York $26.56/hr $55,230
Delaware $26.36/hr $54,830
Oregon $25.3/hr $52,620
Virginia $24.91/hr $51,820
Idaho $24.87/hr $51,740
Massachusetts $24.8/hr $51,580
South Carolina $24.66/hr $51,290
Ohio $24.55/hr $51,050
Maryland $24.46/hr $50,890
Kansas $24.3/hr $50,550
Maine $24.29/hr $50,520
Tennessee $24.03/hr $49,990
California $23.97/hr $49,850
Kentucky $23.77/hr $49,430
Puerto Rico $23.71/hr $49,320
Arkansas $23.58/hr $49,040
South Dakota $23.4/hr $48,670
Alabama $23.25/hr $48,350
Wisconsin $23.22/hr $48,290
Missouri $23.2/hr $48,260
Washington $23.19/hr $48,230
New Hampshire $22.71/hr $47,230
North Carolina $22.6/hr $47,000
Utah $22.01/hr $45,770
Oklahoma $21.75/hr $45,240
Nevada $21.48/hr $44,680
Indiana $21.15/hr $44,000
Montana $21.11/hr $43,910
Louisiana $20.74/hr $43,140
Guam $20.54/hr $42,720
Connecticut $20.32/hr $42,270
New Mexico $20.26/hr $42,140
Pennsylvania $19.43/hr $40,420
Nebraska $19.28/hr $40,100
New Jersey $18.24/hr $37,950
West Virginia $16.42/hr $34,160
Michigan $15.97/hr $33,220


Category: Occupational therapist aides

Total # Employed in the US 8,040
Average Hourly Wage: $13.89/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$7.83 $9.38 $12.37 $15.98 $22.88
Average Yearly Salary $28,890
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$16,280 $19,520 $25,730 $33,230 $47,590
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
1.3% 1.3% 10.1% 74.1% 11.5% 1.0% 0.7%
Occupational therapist aides — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Virginia $23.14/hr $48,140
Missouri $19.09/hr $39,710
Delaware $18.35/hr $38,170
Oregon $18.1/hr $37,650
Connecticut $17.83/hr $37,100
Wisconsin $15.95/hr $33,180
Maine $15.87/hr $33,010
Colorado $15.76/hr $32,780
Kansas $15.47/hr $32,180
Ohio $15.39/hr $32,020
Oklahoma $15.27/hr $31,760
Utah $15.2/hr $31,620
Montana $15.1/hr $31,420
South Dakota $14.84/hr $30,870
Mississippi $14.72/hr $30,620
Maryland $14.42/hr $30,000
Kentucky $14.37/hr $29,890
North Carolina $13.78/hr $28,670
Massachusetts $13.77/hr $28,630
Nebraska $13.74/hr $28,580
Alabama $13.68/hr $28,440
North Dakota $13.59/hr $28,260
Arkansas $13.56/hr $28,210
New Hampshire $13.51/hr $28,100
South Carolina $13.23/hr $27,510
Louisiana $13.21/hr $27,480
Hawaii $13.2/hr $27,450
Nevada $12.68/hr $26,370
Indiana $12.21/hr $25,390
Idaho $12.13/hr $25,230
Washington $10.83/hr $22,530
New Mexico $10.61/hr $22,060
California $10.56/hr $21,970
Wyoming $9.55/hr $19,870
Iowa $8.15/hr $16,960


Family Therapy Programs by State & City