Marriage and Family Therapists Salary
The median pay for a marriage and family therapists in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is $71,110/year ($34.19/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $118K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $62,613 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,601/month, about 56% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $71K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Marriage and family therapists pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim tracks closely to the national median, $71K locally vs. $67K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,601/month, which is 56.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for marriage and family therapists in metros near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $50K | $45K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $69K | $64K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $77K | $67K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $50K | $44K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level marriage and family therapists (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $71K. Top earners bring in $118K or more, a $71K 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 with published data
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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a marriage and family therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $71K, rent takes 56.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new marriage and family therapists typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,823/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 92% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $71K locally vs. $67K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for marriage and family therapists?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $71K median vs. the U.S. average of $67K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do marriage and family therapists make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $71,110 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,050, and experienced marriage and family therapists can clear $118,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $71K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,635/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 56.1% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median marriage and family therapists salary is worth about $62,613 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.