Salary
Average Salary: $46,670
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $1,948,000
There's a wide range of positions a marriage and family therapist can hold, which often dictates how much income they can expect to make. Those employed by state and local governments can do very well for themselves, making between $50,000-$60,000 annually on average (source).
It's slightly less for therapists working in outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers—around $45,000-$50,000—and even less for the majority, who work in mental health offices or in individual and family services (in the $40,000-$45,000 range) (source). Those who work out of converted lemonade stands and greatly undervalue their own professional services may make more in the range of $10.00-$15.00 a year.
There are ways to bump up that paycheck, though. For example, if you work in an urban area and are able to accumulate a clientele consisting of high-profile patients, you may be able to make $100,000 or more (source).
Another nice way to spring into a higher tax bracket is to write a book or publish articles about your specific area of expertise. You're very knowledgeable about a specific topic that interests a great many people—take advantage of that fact and get yourself a book deal. If you're multi-talented enough, you can even do your own illustrations. Sadly, Maurice Sendak has passed, so it's up to you now.