by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 2 U.S. colleges awarded 7 degrees and certificates in Medical Family Therapy/Therapist. Graduates earn a median $45,762 one year after completing, rising to $55,481 after four years.
A major in Medical Family Therapy/Therapist explores A Program That Prepares Individuals To Work With Patients And Their Families Who Are Experiencing Emotional, Physical, Relational And Spiritual Difficulties Related To Acute And Chronic Illnesses. Includes Instruction In Cultural Context, Ethics, Family Dynamics, Family Therapy, Gender, Human Development, Marriage Counseling, Psychopathology, Research Design And Methods, Sexuality, And Systems Thinking.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., medical family therapy/therapist is a widely-pursued major, with 7 degrees awarded annually. 2 colleges award medical family therapy/therapist degrees, an average of 4 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 5.
All 7 of the awards are doctorates, the only level colleges reported.
Women earned 57% of medical family therapy/therapist degrees and certificates in the latest year (4 of 7). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (3) and Hispanic or Latino (1), and international students earned 1.
O*NET rates Active Listening the most important skill for jobs related to medical family therapy/therapist, at 4.5 out of 5. The key knowledge areas are Psychology, Therapy and Counseling and Sociology and Anthropology. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension and Written Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a medical family therapy/therapist degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 7 |
Master’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to medical family therapy/therapist, at 74.8%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 74.8% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 7.2% |
| First professional degree | 6.8% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 6.7% |
| Doctoral degree | 2.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 1.1% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.9% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to Medical Family Therapy/Therapist, with an average median salary of $76,184; the strongest outlook belongs to Healthcare Social Workers, at 12.1% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Family Services Counselor, Outpatient Therapist, Play Therapist and Behavior Intervention Specialist.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to medical family therapy/therapist, at 251,555.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Workers | 251,555 | 12.1% |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | 229,049 | -3.8% |
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist graduates earn a median $45,762 one year after completing their program, $55,481 after four years and $50,915 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $45,762 |
| 4 years | $55,481 |
| 5 years | $50,915 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to medical family therapy/therapist, with a median salary of $78,044.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Workers | $78,044 |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | $74,325 |
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist has 12 similar majors in the Health Professions field, which together award 36,109 degrees a year; the largest are Mental Health Counseling/Counselor (12,039), Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling (6,362) and Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling (4,547). Browse all Health Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mental Health Counseling/Counselor | 12,039 |
| Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling | 6,362 |
| Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling | 4,547 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other | 3,934 |
| Clinical/Medical Social Work | 3,399 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician | 2,777 |
| Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling | 2,203 |
| Genetic Counseling/Counselor | 402 |
| Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling | 217 |
| Trauma Counseling | 214 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.