Salary AI Book a Demo

Marriage Counselor Salary in the United States

How much does a Marriage Counselor make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Marriage Counselor in the United States is $71,242 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $34.

However, a Marriage Counselor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $88,661
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $59,756 to $80,360
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $49,299
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Marriage Counselor Salaries

A Marriage Counselor's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Marriage Counselor Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Marriage Counselors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $78,879.
  • California: $78,579.
  • Massachusetts: $77,532.

Top Paying Cities for Marriage Counselors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $89,857
  • San Francisco: $88,873
  • Oakland: $87,000

What Skills Can Increase a Marriage Counselor's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 12.5% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Academic Advising (Mentioned in 2.08% Job Postings): Academic advising is, according to the National Academic Advising Association, "a series of intentional interactions with a curriculum, a pedagogy, and a set of student learning outcomes. Academic advising synthesizes and contextualizes students' educational experiences within the frameworks of their aspirations, abilities and lives to extend learning beyond campus boundaries and timeframes."
  • Computer Science (Mentioned in 2.08% Job Postings): Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 12.5%
Academic Advising 2.08%
Computer Science 2.08%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Marriage Counselor's salary.

  • Patient Care: Can increase your salary by up to 40%.
  • Health Sciences: Can increase your salary by up to 29%.
  • Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Patient Care $99,738
40%
Health Sciences $91,902
29%
Initiative $86,202
21%
Get Latest Data

Marriage Counselor Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Marriage Counselor roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 14% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Education, offers compensation 8% above the average. Conversely, Marriage Counselor positions in Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Marriage Counselor as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Marriage Counselor

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Education$76,941$37.08%

How Education impacts a Marriage Counselor's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Marriage Counselors enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Marriage Counselor with a Bachelor's Degree is between $64,565 and $73,689).

Marriage Counselor Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Marriage Counselor
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 3.7%
High School 22.2%
Associates 74.1%
Bachelors 3.7%
Masters 22.2%
Doctorate 74.1%
View as Graph

Marriage Counselor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Marriage Counselor's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$59,756
Average $71,242/year
$80,360
$4,980
Average $5,937/month
$6,697
$1,149
Average $1,370/week
$1,545
$29
Average $34/hour
$39
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $80,360 $6,697 $1,545 $39
Average $71,242 $5,937 $1,370 $34
25th Percentile $59,756 $4,980 $1,149 $29

Most common benefits for Marriage Counselor

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Marriage Counselor

Here are companies hiring for Marriage Counselor and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Marriage Counselor Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Marriage Counselor job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Marriage Counselor

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Marriage Counselor?

The Education industry offers the highest average compensation for Marriage Counselor roles, with salaries approximately 8% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst