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Boston Career Explorer

Community and Social Service

Marriage and Family Therapists

Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. Apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders.

Also called: Clinical Therapist, Couple and Family Therapist, Family Specialist, Family Therapist, LCMFT (Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist), LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist)

Median pay in Greater Boston
$69,830
$33.57/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
430
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+9.2%
60 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Master's degree
plus Internship/residency

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$52,090$62,650$69,830$99,500$128,500

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
  • Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
  • Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.
  • Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
  • Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.
  • Determine whether clients should be counseled or referred to other specialists in such fields as medicine, psychiatry, or legal aid.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure78 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 94
  • Language-model AIOE 94
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 46

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

This job has higher AI exposure, which means AI tools could help with some of the writing and planning tasks. Case files, progress notes, and drafting treatment plans are the tasks they are most likely to touch. So far there is little observed AI use in this job, and the core work of talking with clients and families still depends on people.

Likely to change

  • Writing progress notes and case files
  • Drafting treatment plan outlines

Still relies on people

  • Building trust with couples and families
  • Guiding clients through painful feelings and conflicts

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

8 programs near Boston (plus 15 graduate)

Related occupations

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