Okay, so I was poking around trying to figure out this whole “how much do MFTs make” thing. It’s one of those questions, right? You hear about different jobs, and you just get curious about the numbers.
My First Dig
So, I started where everyone does, just a general search. And honestly, at first, it was all over the place. You see some high numbers, some low numbers, and it’s tough to get a real feel. It’s like, okay, give me something I can actually work with here!
Nailing Down the Starting Point
Then I thought, alright, let’s get specific. What about folks just stepping into the field? You know, the entry-level MFTs. That seemed like a good place to start. After a bit more digging, I found some stuff that made more sense. It looks like if you’re just starting out, say with 0 to 2 years under your belt, you’re probably looking at something in the ballpark of $50,000 to $65,000 a year. That felt like a more solid piece of info than the wild guesses I saw initially.
Location, Location, Location!
But then, another thought hit me. Does it matter where you are? Like, city versus countryside, or one state versus another? And boy, does it ever. I came across this bit that said there are, get this, like 29 states where the usual pay for a Marriage and Family Therapist is actually higher than the national average. That’s a good chunk of places!
And they even pointed out a top one. Washington state, apparently, is leading the pack. So, yeah, where you decide to practice can make a pretty big difference to your paycheck. It’s not just about your skills, but also about the local market, I guess.
Putting It Together
So, what I learned from my little dive was this:
- Starting out? Think roughly 50k to 65k. Not bad to begin with, in my opinion.
- But! Don’t forget that where you live and work plays a huge role. Some states are just going to pay more.
It’s not a super simple answer, like one single number for everyone. But breaking it down like this, looking at experience and then location, definitely helped me get a clearer picture. Just thought I’d share what I found in case anyone else was wondering the same thing. It’s always good to know these things, right?
