Marriage & Family Therapists vs Healthcare Social Workers
Median pay is about $1k higher for Healthcare Social Workers. The usual entry education is master's plus license for Marriage & Family Therapists and master's for Healthcare Social Workers.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Marriage & Family Therapists | Healthcare Social Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $66,940 | $67,880, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $50,070 | $56,710, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $93,840, higher | $82,240 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +14% Growing fast, higher | +8.5% Growing fast |
| Openings a year | 6,900 | 16,900 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Master's plus license | Master's |
| Difficulty modeled | 3.8 / 5 | 3.6 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | Low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 80th pct | 47th pct |
Skills
Both lean on the same top skills: active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, writing, critical thinking, active learning.
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.