Marriage and Family Therapists Salary
The median pay for a marriage and family therapists in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $63,380/year ($30.47/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $131K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $69,117 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 31.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About marriage and family therapists
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Marriage and family therapists pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $67K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,318/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for marriage and family therapists in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $66K | $75K |
| Madison | $35K | $36K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $73K | $70K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $61K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level marriage and family therapists (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $131K or more, a $84K spread from bottom to top.
Marriage and Family Therapists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Marriage and Family Therapists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $142K | +112% | 220 |
| New Jersey | $92K | +38% | 4,040 |
| Georgia | $92K | +37% | N/A |
| Oregon | $92K | +37% | 850 |
| Connecticut | $86K | +29% | 260 |
| Utah | $85K | +27% | 2,390 |
| Virginia | $80K | +19% | 930 |
| Delaware | $77K | +14% | 400 |
| Minnesota | $72K | +8% | 4,870 |
| Maine | $72K | +7% | 180 |
| New Mexico | $71K | +6% | 160 |
| Ohio | $70K | +5% | 460 |
| Maryland | $70K | +4% | 460 |
| Kansas | $69K | +3% | 190 |
| Massachusetts | $67K | +1% | 600 |
| California | $67K | +1% | 34,970 |
| Iowa | $67K | +0% | 240 |
| Pennsylvania | $66K | -1% | 2,350 |
| Arizona | $65K | -2% | N/A |
| New York | $64K | -4% | 770 |
| Arkansas | $64K | -4% | 80 |
| Vermont | $63K | -6% | N/A |
| Idaho | $63K | -6% | 140 |
| Nebraska | $63K | -6% | 260 |
| Illinois | $61K | -9% | 860 |
| Colorado | $61K | -9% | 900 |
| Missouri | $60K | -10% | 390 |
| New Hampshire | $60K | -10% | 70 |
| Alaska | $60K | -10% | 60 |
| Washington | $60K | -10% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $58K | -14% | N/A |
| Indiana | $57K | -15% | 510 |
| Florida | $56K | -16% | 930 |
| West Virginia | $56K | -17% | 90 |
| South Carolina | $55K | -17% | 380 |
| Kentucky | $52K | -22% | 330 |
| Michigan | $52K | -22% | 590 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -23% | 140 |
| Alabama | $50K | -25% | 190 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -28% | 1,400 |
| Montana | $47K | -30% | 100 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -30% | 1,440 |
| Texas | $46K | -31% | 1,380 |
| South Dakota | $45K | -33% | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $38K | -43% | 180 |
Showing 1–10 of 45 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track marriage and family therapists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a marriage and family therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 31.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for marriage and family therapists in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new marriage and family therapists typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,845/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 46% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is marriage and family therapist a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $67K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for marriage and family therapists?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $67K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do marriage and family therapists make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $63,380 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,420, and experienced marriage and family therapists can clear $131,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,148/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 31.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a marriage and family therapists salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median marriage and family therapists salary is worth about $69,117 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do marriage and family therapists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.