How Much Do Sex Therapists Make?

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Sex therapists are professionals who commit to earning the knowledge, therapeutic skills, and interpersonal skills required to help clients navigate successfully through the wild world of human sexuality. The healing, empowerment, and self-actualization that a sex therapist can catalyze are as broad as the field of human sexuality itself.

Sex therapists can help clients heal from the pain and trauma caused by violence to one’s sexual body, identity, or spirit. They can also help perpetrators of sexual violence to come into peaceful wholeness. Sex therapists can help clients build the emotional and physical bridge between the bodies their clients were born into and the bodies their clients know deep down are their true bodies. They can help clients heal physical and emotional rifts within themselves or between partners when the origins of the rift lie in sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, differences in background, and more.

Sex therapists also can help families navigate the generational differences in how people view, experience, and express sexuality. Sex therapists can also help those in marginalized groups to overcome the sexually limiting narratives internalized from the injustice of an inequitable cultural and historical legacy. This list is by no means exhaustive.

Choosing sex therapy is not currently a straightforward path through the education system. One can come to it from various backgrounds, including social work, nursing, psychotherapy, counseling, the clergy, marriage and family therapy, and more. Some sex therapists will come to their path through sex-therapy-focused masters, doctoral, or post-doctoral programs, while others will come to their practice through experience, time, need, and self-study.

Certification to practice sex therapy is not currently required, but some sex therapists will pursue certification from the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). Doing so helps to anchor a culturally misunderstood therapeutic practice within the legitimacy of neutral third-party standards for quality. To become a certified sex therapist (as opposed to a certified sex educator or sex counselor), a candidate for professional certification must have a master’s degree or higher in a clinical specialty that includes psychotherapy training.

In a time where sexuality is becoming more openly diverse and complex, sex therapists can be hugely important in helping people find peace in an aspect of human existence that can be mysterious, confusing, or cloaked in fear. Keep reading to learn more about how much sex therapists have the potential to earn.

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Sex Therapy Salary Guide

How much a sex therapist makes will vary depending on years of experience, geographic location, sex therapy niche, client base, and more. At the time of this writing, sex therapy salaries are not commonly studied. PayScale.com (2024) reports that the annual wage for sex therapists is $59,425 per year, but this self-reported rate is based only on 24 salaries and therefore does not hold statistical significance.

Because there isn’t solid data on sex therapy salaries specifically, this article will focus on salaries for “stepping-stone occupations.” Stepping-stone occupations are those jobs that can lead a professional to a career in sex therapy or serve as the baseline career for a sex therapy specialization.

For the purpose of this analysis, salary information was acquired from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2023) and PayScale.com (2024)—the latest data available as of August 2024. The BLS collects its data through field visits and interviews. PayScale.com collects its data through self-reporting.

Annual Average Salaries in Occupations Related to Sex Therapy

The following table explains the average annual salary of a person employed in a stepping-stone occupation. While those practicing sex therapy in these baseline occupations may earn more based on their expertise, these numbers may also translate directly into what a sex therapist has the potential to earn.

Stepping-Stone Occupation	BLS (May 2023), Averages	PayScale.Com (Aug. 2024), Averages
Marriage and Family Therapist	$68,730	$60,818 (Based on 567 salaries)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist	$106,600	$89,314 (999 salaries)
Mental Health & Substance Abuse Social Worker	$63,870	$54,876 (4,651 salaries)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder & Mental Health Counselor	$60,080	$50,947 (1,985 salaries)
(Psychiatric) Nurse Practitioner	$128,490	$125,362 (123 salaries)
Clergy	$63,720	$55,551 (74 salaries)

Average Annual Salaries of Sex Therapists by Percentile and Experience

While the averages give a general sense of how much Sex Therapists have the potential to make, the range of what someone in this occupation can vary widely. To paint a more detailed picture of the earning potential for sex therapists, the following chart details the range that professionals in the stepping-stone occupations make at different earning levels (BLS) and experience levels (PayScale.com).

Stepping-Stone Occupation with employment according to the BLS (May 2023)	By Percentile	Years of Experience (# of Salaries Reported) (PayScale.com 2024)
Marriage and Family Therapist (63,340 employed nationwide)	10% – $39,090 25% – $45,250 50% (Median) – $58,510 75% – $78,440 90% – $104,710	0 – 1 Years – $47,772 (29 salaries) 1 – 4 Years – $56,340 (327 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $67,790 (186 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $70,207 (101 salaries) 20+ Years – $72,353 (41 salaries)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist (71,730 employed nationwide)	10% – $48,820 25% – $66,050 50% (Median) – $96,100 75% – $129,020 90% – $168,870	0 – 1 Years – $73,678 (57 salaries) 1 – 4 Years – $82,249 (415 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $93,202 (285 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $96,440 (314 salaries) 20+ Years – $102,674 (169 salaries)
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (114,680 employed nationwide)	10% – $37,150 25% – $43,750 50% (Median) – $55,960 75% – $74,810 90% – $100,090	0 – 1 Years – $48,032 (934 salaries) 1 – 4 Years – $50,933 (2,308 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $57,619 (1,284 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $61,737 (1,056 salaries) 20+ Years – $63,514 (597 salaries)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (397,880 employed nationwide)	10% – $36,700 25% – $44,600 50% (Median) – $53,710 75% – $70,130 90% – $89,920	0 – 1 Years – $44,048 (131 salaries) 1 – 4 Years – $49,049 (1,190 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $55,294 (495 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $58,918 (345 salaries) 20+ Years – $64,135 (144 salaries)
Nurse Practitioner (280,140 employed nationwide)	10% – $94,530 25% – $106,960 50% (Median) – $126,260 75% – $140,610 90% – $168,030	0 – 1 Years – $117,641 (20 salaries) 1 – 4 Years – $120,247 (44 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $118,687 (30 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $130,118 (41 salaries) 20+ Years – $131,870 (25 salaries)
Clergy (56,640 employed nationwide)	10% – $35,400 25% – $45,540 50% (Median) – $58,920 75% – $74,620 90% – $96,600	0 – 1 Years: No Data 1 – 4 Years – $50,168 (9 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $53,042 (22 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $55,012 (25 salaries) 20+ Years – $60,936 (31 salaries)

Stepping-Stone Occupation with employment according to the BLS (May 2023)

By Percentile

Years of Experience (# of Salaries Reported)
(PayScale.com 2024)

Marriage and Family Therapist (63,340 employed nationwide)

10% –

$39,090

25% –

$45,250

50% (Median) –

$58,510

75% –

$78,440

90% –

$104,710

0 – 1 Years – $47,772 (29 salaries)

1 – 4 Years – $56,340 (327 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $67,790 (186 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $70,207 (101 salaries)

20+ Years – $72,353 (41 salaries)

Clinical and Counseling Psychologist (71,730 employed nationwide)

10% – $48,820

25% – $66,050

50% (Median) – $96,100

75% – $129,020

90% – $168,870

0 – 1 Years – $73,678 (57 salaries)

1 – 4 Years – $82,249 (415 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $93,202 (285 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $96,440 (314 salaries)

20+ Years – $102,674 (169 salaries)

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (114,680 employed nationwide)

10% –

$37,150

25% –

$43,750

50% (Median) –

$55,960

75% –

$74,810

90% –

$100,090

0 – 1 Years – $48,032 (934 salaries)

1 – 4 Years – $50,933 (2,308 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $57,619 (1,284 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $61,737 (1,056 salaries)

20+ Years – $63,514 (597 salaries)

Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (397,880 employed nationwide)

10% – $36,700

25% – $44,600

50% (Median) – $53,710

75% – $70,130

90% – $89,920

0 – 1 Years – $44,048 (131 salaries)

1 – 4 Years – $49,049 (1,190 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $55,294 (495 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $58,918 (345 salaries)

20+ Years – $64,135 (144 salaries)

Nurse Practitioner (280,140 employed nationwide)

10% – $94,530

25% – $106,960

50% (Median) – $126,260

75% – $140,610

90% – $168,030

0 – 1 Years – $117,641 (20 salaries)

1 – 4 Years – $120,247 (44 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $118,687 (30 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $130,118 (41 salaries)

20+ Years – $131,870 (25 salaries)

Clergy (56,640 employed nationwide)

10% – $35,400

25% – $45,540

50% (Median) – $58,920

75% – $74,620

90% – $96,600

0 – 1 Years: No Data

1 – 4 Years – $50,168 (9 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $53,042 (22 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $55,012 (25 salaries)

20+ Years – $60,936 (31 salaries)

Highest Regional Annual Salaries – By State

The following table breaks down where each stepping-stone-to-sex therapy occupation has the highest average yearly salaries. This May 2023 data was acquired from the BLS—the latest figures available as of August 2024.

When considering salaries from a regional perspective, it can be important to consider the cost of living in that region. For example, California is among the top-paying states for many of these stepping-stone occupations. According to the Missouri Economic Information and Resource Center (MERIC 2024), California is also the second-most expensive state in the country, with particularly high housing costs. This means that the dollar in California doesn’t stretch as far as it might in other regions and necessitates a higher salary. While not universally the case, salaries often reflect how much it costs to live in a certain area.

Stepping-Stone Occupation	Top Paying States – Average Yearly Wages
Marriage and Family Therapist	New Jersey – $92,120 Maryland – $87,090 Utah – $83,980 Virginia – $76,480 Alaska – $74,420
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist	New Jersey – $148,370 California – $132,410 Oregon – $129,470 Rhode Island – $120,720 Maine – $117,710
Social Worker (Mental Health and Abuse)	New York – $92,470 California – $81,330 Connecticut – $77,930 District of Columbia – $77,600 New Jersey – $76,690
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	Alaska – $77,430 Utah – $70,310 District of Columbia – $67,750 New Jersey – $67,250 New York – $67,240
Nurse Practitioners	California – $161,540 Nevada – $148,670 Washington – $145,400 New Jersey – $145,030 Oregon – $144,950
Clergy	Nevada – $84,130 California – $83,270 Connecticut – $76,790 Hawaii – $75,330 New Jersey – $73,910

Becca Brewer, MEd

Writer

Becca Brewer is building a better future on a thriving earth by healing herself into wholeness, divesting from separation, and walking the path of the loving heart. Previously to her journey as an adventurer for a just, meaningful, and regenerative world, Becca was a formally trained sexuality educator with a master of education.

How Much Do Sex Therapists Make?

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Sex Therapy Salary Guide

Annual Average Salaries in Occupations Related to Sex Therapy

Average Annual Salaries of Sex Therapists by Percentile and Experience

Highest Regional Annual Salaries – By State

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