Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling

What Marriage and 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

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• 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:

• 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

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a marriage and family therapy/counseling student include the following:

• 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.

How Much Do Marriage and 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 you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling

Some careers associated with marriage and family therapy/counseling require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to marriage and family therapy/counseling have obtained the following education levels.

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 and Family Therapy/Counseling Programs

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	145	17
Post-Master’s	18	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	21	5
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	6	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Marriage and 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!

Trades Related to Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling

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	8,344
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling	5,915
Other Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	3,697
Clinical/Medical Social Work	2,864
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician	2,762
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling	2,419
Genetic Counseling/Counselor	299
Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling	217
Trauma Counseling	104
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist	12
Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy	12
Hospice and Palliative Care	3

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.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.