Marriage and Family Therapists Salary
The median pay for a marriage and family therapists in Illinois is $60,970/year ($29.31/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $64,965 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 35.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $61K get you in Illinois?
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What this looks like in Illinois
Marriage and family therapists pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $67K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 35.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level marriage and family therapists (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $53K spread from bottom to top.
Marriage and Family Therapists salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $61K | +1% | 670 |
Compare to other states
Track marriage and family therapists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a marriage and family therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 35.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new marriage and family therapists typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,085/month. At HUD’s $1,407/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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $67K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for marriage and family therapists?
Illinois pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $67K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do marriage and family therapists make in Illinois?
The median is $60,970 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,420, and experienced marriage and family therapists can clear $104,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,001/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 35.2% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $64,965 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.