How To Become A Marriage Counselor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a marriage counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted Expert

Juleen Buser Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a marriage counselor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $24.03 an hour? That's $49,987 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 14% and produce 9,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Marriage Counselor?

Juleen Buser Ph.D.

Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching Programs, Rider University

Counseling Services (school counseling concentration) and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (we have a CMHC concentration and a Dance Movement Therapy concentration in this program). The general advice I would give to graduates starting positions in the counseling field would be to understand the critical importance of the work of helping professionals. Counselors optimally provide a safe space for clients to discuss their fears, worries, anxieties, joys, traumas, insecurities, accomplishments, etc. This ability to be an empathic, listening, accepting presence will be even more crucial for clients in our current situation.

ScoreMarriage CounselorUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,987

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.8

Growth Rate 14%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.48%

Asian 4.57%

Black or African American 6.97%

Hispanic or Latino 13.94%

Unknown 5.53%

White 68.51%

Gender

female 62.50%

male 37.50%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress Level

9.8

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.2

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a marriage counselor

Explore marriage counselor education requirements

Most common marriage counselor degrees

Bachelor's

66.7 %

Master's

14.8 %

Associate

11.1 %

Research marriage counselor duties and responsibilities

Focuse practice on the representation of dentists and health care professionals in malpractice litigation and general business matters.
Provide behavior modification and social skills training to children and adolescents with ADHD and other behavioral and emotional disorders.

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