Masters’s Degrees Jobs in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)

Marriage and family therapy (MFT) master’s degree holders gain knowledge of the sociological, psychological, and political factors that influence interpersonal and family dynamics. They also learn the best ways to deal with those problems so that those who are dealing with them can have a successful, satisfying life. You can decide if this professional career is suited for you by reading about the vast range of employment available to graduates of MFT master’s programs. In this post, we outline some employment options for persons with a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, in addition to the typical yearly earnings and key duties of each job.

What types of employment can you get with a degree in marriage and family therapy?

Jobs requiring a degree in marriage and family therapy involve giving psychological help to people and families. Employers frequently look for applicants that are sympathetic, have good communication skills, and are upbeat when recruiting for these positions. Those with empathy and a love of listening to others may also be a perfect match for these kinds of employment.

Professions that require a master’s in marriage and family therapy

These professions are available to those who have a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy:

1. Teacher

Nationwide average yearly salary: $24,018

Primary responsibilities: A teacher in marriage and family therapy is a person who is dedicated to their pupils’ education and growth. To aid their pupils in learning, teachers design lesson plans, administer assessments, and grade assignments. Instructors assess each student’s development and design alternative or supplemental programming to assist those who require it. Also, they might interact with students personally to learn more about their strengths and limitations and how they might help them succeed academically.

Instructors may decide to focus on students in elementary, middle, or high school as well as other age groups. Teachers in middle and high schools typically specialize in teaching one subject, like language science, history, arts, math, art, or another discipline. Additionally, some teachers decide to work directly with children who need extra assistance, like those who are learning English as a second language (ESL) or who have psychological or developmental problems.

2. A health educator

Nationwide average yearly salary: $28,385

Primary responsibilities: A health educator’s role in marriage and family therapy is to educate people on how to lead healthier, happier lives. They identify the academic goals of brand-new patients and develop specially tailored programming for them. Afterward, they can assist those patients in identifying and putting into practice modifications to their dietary, exercise, career, and family routines. Additionally, health educators assist clients who are experiencing periods of poor psychological or physical wellness by helping them to overcome obstacles and choose the most beneficial choices to ensure their safety and well-being.

Health educators might work independently or for organizations like hospitals, schools, or rehabilitation centers. To enhance community health and raise awareness about particular issues, they might develop more extensive educational programs for individuals or the general public if they collaborate with a bigger company.

3. A marital and family therapist

Nationwide average yearly salary: $30,121

Primary responsibilities: Marital and family counselors in marriage and family therapy assist individuals and households in accepting or overcoming obstacles in their relationships to live better and more satisfied lives. These experts might invite partners or families to participate in therapy sessions during which they guide the discussion, observe the dynamics of interpersonal relationships and families, and offer clients advice on how to strengthen such connections.

Some marital and family therapists specialize in marriage counseling, assisting partners in identifying issues, setting objectives, enhancing communication, and forging a stronger bond. Others might be family dynamics specialists, helping patients, kids, and other family members in a similar way. Marriage and family therapists may also suggest clients get further treatment from a psychiatrist or psychologist if they suspect there may be major mental health issues present.

4. A residential advisor

Nationwide average yearly salary: $36,016

Primary responsibilities: Residential counselors in marriage and family therapy are in charge of providing 24-hour counseling services to senior patients of a healthcare or community-based facility who have psychiatric or other psychological issues. They could carry out administrative tasks such as gathering client histories and doing client intakes, as well as evaluating client requirements, responding to inquiries from clients, and deciding how to refer them to the best care resources. Also, they might provide guidance and counseling in a one-on-one or group environment. For the purpose of observing and facilitating their patients’ growth, residential counselors frequently collaborate with other medical specialists as a team.

5. A case manager

Nationwide average yearly salary: $39,392

Primary responsibilities: A case manager in marriage and family therapy facilitates contact between patients as well as healthcare providers. They might talk to patients to determine their requirements and arrange for medical care, including physical, psychological, and emotional assistance. In addition, they can assist their patients to fill out forms as necessary and find resources that can aid them with basic requirements like food, housing, and employment. A case manager’s main objective is to help clients lead healthy, fulfilling, and autonomous lives.

6. Juvenile probation officers

Nationwide average yearly salary: $44,013

Primary responsibilities: Juvenile probation officer in marriage and family therapy deals with young offenders to make sure they adhere to the terms of their probation. They might meet with clients regularly to help them lead fruitful lives. Certain probation officers for minors serve as mentors or good examples for their charges.

Juvenile probation officials may testify in court regarding a client’s history or behavior throughout their probationary period. These individuals may act as a team to help the defendant since they deal with kids. These could involve the defendant’s parents or other relatives, as well as teachers and social professionals. Also, they could help offenders get jobs, counseling, or other programs that could hasten their recovery or help them keep moving forward to a more fulfilled life.

7. A drug and alcohol counselor

Nationwide average yearly salary: $46,753

Primary responsibilities: A drug abuse counselor in marriage and family therapy encourages those who are struggling with addiction to make better decisions in life. They may work particularly closely with people who are battling drug or alcohol addictions, disordered eating, or other behavioral difficulties. Counselors for substance misuse may provide counseling, instructional materials, or access to extra options for recovery. They might also suggest people who would gain from staying in a treatment facility or seeing a qualified psychiatrist.

8. A school counselor

Nationwide average yearly salary: $52,062

Primary responsibilities: School counselors in marriage and family therapy assist children in developing positive behaviors within the school environment and leading happier, more fruitful lives within and beyond the classroom. These experts might work with pupils to improve their conduct in the classroom or their educational achievement. They might also provide answers to queries pupils have concerning their life after school or their prospects. They can also help people who are struggling with mental health issues like despair or anxiety.

Educators and developmental specialists frequently collaborate with school counselors. These teams may have different characteristics based on whether they operate in government or private primary schools, middle schools, state schools, universities, or colleges. When required, school counselors might also suggest that pupils see a psychiatrist.

9. Social worker

Nationwide average yearly salary: $56,141

Primary responsibilities: A social worker in marriage and family therapy is charged with helping persons in succeeding in their everyday lives and overcoming obstacles. They support patients who need physical healthcare, such as treatment for illness or injuries. In addition, they support patients in need of mental health services for behavioral and emotional conditions such as schizophrenia, addiction, anxiety, and depression. Social workers can help their clients find housing, food, job, and academic, and healthcare services. Social workers can assist individuals in pursuing legal disputes or judgments as well as work for social and economic justice or rehabilitative causes.

10. Professor

Nationwide average yearly salary: $54,426

Primary responsibilities: Professors’ main responsibilities in higher education institutions are to instruct students in their fields of specialization—for example, psychology—and to get them ready for the future. Professors in marriage and family therapy can create lesson plans, deliver lectures, design tests, and mark worksheets. Students may conduct experiments with instructors while being taught how to write laboratory reports in courses that include actual lab work.

Several professors offer departmental student advice as well. These professors might offer guidance on course selection, summer job prospects, or other matters about students’ education or fields of study. Most professors conduct their research, sometimes with the assistance of undergraduate research assistants.

11. Therapist

Nationwide average yearly salary: $72,339

Primary responsibilities: Therapists in marriage and family therapy are trained mental health experts that assist patients in overcoming obstacles in their lives and mental health problems. Marriage and family therapists may assist people, couples, or households to recognize and tackle relationship difficulties. To help patients strengthen their family relationships and enhance communication among family members, they could encourage discussions and exercises.

Moreover, therapists can identify mental health conditions including anxiety, sadness, and bipolar disorder that influence their patients in family contexts and assist patients in getting treatment. They could help by providing mental health assessments and counseling services. If they feel that patients would benefit from additional treatment or a prescription for medication, they may also recommend patients to a psychiatrist.

12. A Crisis management expert

Nationwide average yearly salary: $57,208

Primary responsibilities: Crisis response professionals, usually referred to as crisis response specialists, deal with sudden mental health crises, such as attempted suicides, suicidal thoughts, or self-inflicted injury. By speaking with a person and assisting them in making decisions that are in their best interests, such as those involving hospitalization or other types of care, they may defuse situations. Crisis response professionals in marriage and family therapy also record their interactions, taking particular notes about a person’s behavior for rehabilitation professionals who will later meet with the people.

13. Clinical director

Nationwide average yearly salary: $79,484

Primary responsibilities: Clinical directors in healthcare facilities have primary responsibility for managing a group of physicians and nurses. They carry out personnel-related tasks like recruiting, dismissing, and training. An individual medical department may be under the direction of a clinical director at a major institution. They might manage the entire institution in smaller settings.

Clinical directors in marriage and family therapy may also be in charge of administrative duties like budgeting, scheduling, and formulating objectives and procedures. They are also in charge of ensuring that the medical staff functions as a cohesive unit. Clinical directors also take care of any possible office problems, such as filling in for workers who are ill.

14. Premarital Counselor

Nationwide average yearly salary: $30,174

Primary responsibilities: To help couples get ready for marriage, premarital counselors in marriage and family therapy offer counseling. The services of premarital counselors are frequently beneficial for creating and preserving successful marriages and loving relationships. Premarital counseling assists couples with identifying potential areas of conflict, reducing worries about marriage, developing efficient methods of communication, defining each partner’s roles, and providing guidance on important marriage-related decisions. These professionals in marriage and family therapy provide direction and counseling to people who are engaged in therapy settings, private offices, churches, or mosques.

15. A grief counselor

Nationwide average yearly salary: $30,174

Primary responsibilities: Their main job is to assist people and families in learning how to control their emotions after going through a difficult time, like the death of a loved one. To express their emotions and digest the event, they employ a variety of strategies, such as group sessions. Grief counselors in marriage and family therapy also assess their clients’ development to see whether the techniques are effective and, if necessary, recommend them to additional experts.

16. Genetic advisor

Nationwide average yearly salary: $30,174

Primary responsibilities: These experts gather and analyze family history and inherited gene patterns to assess the likelihood of recurrence. They inform patients’ loved ones about the procedures involved in genetic testing and help them understand the hazards. If a client’s worries are not specifically related to genetic problems, these counselors in marriage and family therapy advise them to seek advice from other professionals and urge them to ask inquiries about gene-related subjects. When they share the results with people or families, they also offer emotional support.

17. Counselor for Crisis

Nationwide average yearly salary: $30,343

Primary responsibilities: This individual in marriage and family therapy provides support to those who are going through tough conditions. Specialists in crisis intervention can work with charities, nonprofit organizations, schools, clinics, suicide prevention hotlines, or other medical or psychological facilities. These specialists’ responsibilities include:

  • Assisting their clients through various trauma stages
  • Assessing a situation to determine the client’s needs
  • Advising clients to avoid suicide

18. A youth worker

Nationwide average yearly salary: $32,151

Primary responsibilities: Youth care professionals in marriage and family therapy organize and run community initiatives and programs aimed at assisting youth. They can be found working in an array of places, including social welfare foster care facilities and after-school courses. They strive to improve young people’s lives and act as role models. They also play various roles, such as:

  • Guiding, mentoring, and giving young people power
  • Employing young volunteers
  • Obtaining funding for youth projects

19. A behavioral therapist

Nationwide average yearly salary: $35,467

Primary responsibilities: Clients of behavioral therapists are assisted in changing old thought patterns to adopt constructive conduct. They assist patients in better understanding the reasons behind their behavior and aid in coping with day-to-day challenges. They identify behavioral issues, provide treatment, and track the improvement of their patients. Hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and private practices all employ behavioral therapists.

20. Case manager for mental illness

National average yearly wage: $42,138

Primary responsibilities: To organize and manage psychological health programs, most health centers and governmental institutions need the help of mental health case managers. Their main responsibilities are:

  • Creating programs for individuals who have mental disorders
  • Constructing coping mechanisms for persons battling trauma
  • Scheduling PTSD victims into programs

21. Therapists in private practice

National average yearly wage: $71,253

Primary responsibilities: Therapists in private practice see their patients on their timetables and in their own offices. They may provide their customers advice on a range of subjects, including depression, anxiety conditions, divorce, and job loss. They might also collaborate with other industry experts so that they can concentrate on some areas while their coworkers take care of others.

22. Military counselors

National average yearly wage: $71,739

Primary responsibilities: Armed forces personnel and their families receive counseling from military therapists to assist them to deal with a variety of emotional problems, such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Several techniques are employed by military therapists to identify and treat mental illnesses. This line of work includes comforting relatives of fallen soldiers and offering emotional assistance to wounded soldiers. These counselors carry out their tasks in military hospitals or on military installations in various nations. Joining the military and completing specialized military training are prerequisites for working in this area.

23. Therapist for children and teenagers

National average yearly salary: $72,372

Primary responsibilities: Young children are assisted by pediatric and adolescent therapists in coping with challenging life experiences, school, stress, depression, and low self-esteem. These therapists offer support and assistance in coping with or resolving the difficulties that kids and teenagers encounter. They also oversee young people’s emotional development and diagnose and manage an array of mental health and social issues.

24. Mental health professional

National average yearly salary: $72,372

Primary responsibilities: Mental health professionals collaborate with patients to identify and treat common mental diseases. If necessary, they recommend customers to experts like psychiatrists. They develop an individualized care strategy for every patient, keep track of the patient’s development, and give the patient coping mechanisms and skills to assist them to manage their psychological health.

25. Clinical leader

National average yearly salary: $80,306

Primary responsibilities: A clinical counseling unit’s general activities are overseen by clinical directors. They make sure clinical operations are effectively managed and that customers receive top-notch care. Other tasks they perform include:

  • Recruiting and training fresh recruits
  • Evaluating the performance of employees
  • Creating economic statistics and budget preparation
  • Managing the counseling division or the entire business

26. Psychologist

National average yearly salary: $94,623

Primary responsibilities: A psychologist’s primary responsibility is to identify people’s emotions and actions so that they might be assisted in leading happy and satisfying lives. To comprehend their clients’ demands, these professionals monitor, pay attention to and analyze them. To determine the kind of treatment that best meets their needs and goals, they collaborate with the clients. These professionals study and look for behavioral and psychological trends while employed in medical centers, mental health facilities, and rehabilitation facilities. They might also carry out behavioral research.

27. Religious advisor or clergy

National average yearly salary: £25602

Primary responsibilities: In this line of work, a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy will be helpful because priests and spiritual advisors frequently offer to counsel on ethical or religious matters. They will work primarily for churches or other places of worship. Spiritual counselors routinely visit patients in need of their assistance in hospitals, jails, and nursing homes.

Types of Master’s Degree Courses in Marriage and Family Therapy

  • Master of Marriage and Family Therapy (MMFT):  A master’s degree in MMFT is often created for people looking to get their marriage and family therapist licensure. Typically, it requires 60 credits and two or three years to finish this kind of degree. Together with studying family systems theory and therapeutic methods, people can also get clinical experience. Family or couples therapy is a frequent professional path after receiving an MMFT.
  • Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT): Usually, it requires two or three years to finish this type of degree, with 60 credits of coursework on average. Medical background, ethical standards, and social and family relations are typical courses. A person with an MAMFT may serve as a spiritual advisor or guidance counselor at a school. An MAMFT degree program can assist candidates in obtaining marriage and family therapy licenses.
  • Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy (MSMFT): Marriage and family therapy’s utilization in a clinical context is typically the main focus of an MSMFT degree course. Those with an MSMFT frequently hold positions as psychologists. Typically, they spend two years studying psychopharmacology, psychological testing, and human evolution. Usually, 60 credits of coursework and clinical experience are needed.
  • Master in social work (MSW): Those looking for career chances in social work should enroll in this kind of program. A profession as a social worker or addiction counselor is frequently paved with an MSW. Normally, it requires two years to earn an MSW degree, with 60-course credits on average. The fundamentals of welfare programs, management and leadership, and supervised fieldwork are typical fields of study.

Conclusion

Marriage and family therapy master’s degree courses all demand a bachelor’s degree. The majority of schools additionally demand GRE scores, individual recommendations, and a minimum GPA of 3.0. An interview and a background check may also be prerequisites for admission. Many schools require writing samples from applicants. Foreign students are required to take the TOEFL examination.

A marriage and family therapy master’s degree can be used to work as a relationship therapist, caseworker, or psychologist. Master of Social Work and Master of Marriage and family therapy are typical degree kinds.

Frequently Asked Questions on Marriage and family therapy

  • Which therapists get the highest salaries?

The highest-paying careers for psychology majors are unquestionably those of psychiatrists. According to PayScale, the typical wage is $217,798. A psychiatrist ought to hold a board certification and a license.

  • What does a family therapist do?

Family counseling can assist you in repairing strained bonds with your spouse, kids, or other relatives. You can talk about certain subjects like marriage or financial difficulties, parent-child conflict, or the effects of substance misuse or a mental disease on the whole family.

  • Are psychologists and marriage and family therapists the same thing?

Clinical psychologists care for patients with more severe mental diseases, whereas MFTs typically treat clients with family and interpersonal issues. In general, psychologists are paid more than MFTs because they have more training.

  • What distinguishes counseling from marriage and family therapy?

The requirements of the couple are the main emphasis of marriage counseling. Any number of members of the family, such as the parents, kids, grandparents, co-parents, etc., may participate in family therapy. A single parent and a single child may participate in family counseling, or the whole family may.

  • Is it possible to make a decent living as a therapist?

The average therapist makes between $30,000 and $100,000 annually. The salary for a therapist (who is neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist) is influenced by therapeutic specialization, training, and education. Individual therapists may earn anything from $30,000 and $100,000 annually.