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 their 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 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 can also 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 master’s, 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 (2025) reports that the annual wage for sex therapists is $61,599 per year, but this self-reported rate is based only on 20 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 2024) and PayScale.com (2025)—the latest data available as of June 2025. 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 2024), Averages	PayScale.Com (2025), Averages
Marriage and Family Therapist	$72,720	$64,071 (Based on 472 salaries)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist	$106,850	$95,558 (1,007 salaries)
Mental Health & Substance Abuse Social Worker	$68,290	$56,376 (3,930 salaries)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder & Mental Health Counselor	$65,100	$53,838 (1,670 salaries)
(Psychiatric) Nurse Practitioner	$132,000	$124,113 (1,545 salaries)
Clergy	$67,160	$59,564 (58 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 2024)	By Percentile (BLS May 2024)	Years of Experience (# of Salaries Reported) (PayScale.com 2025)
Marriage and Family Therapist (65,870 employed nationwide)	10% – $42,610 25% – $48,600 50% (Median) – $63,780 75% – $85,020 90% – $111,610	0 – 1 Years – $56,363 (96 salaries) 1 – 4 Years – $60,808 (269 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $70,525 (154 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $71,382 (89 salaries) 20+ Years – $75,621 (35 salaries)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist (72,190 employed nationwide)	10% – $50,470 25% – $67,470 50% (Median) – $95,830 75% – $131,510 90% – $170,150	0 – 1 Years – $81,789 (165 salaries) 1 – 4 Years – $90,542 (495 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $96,887 (295 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $104,907 (258 salaries) 20+ Years – $115,840 (153 salaries)
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (125,910 employed nationwide)	10% – $39,620 25% – $46,550 50% (Median) – $60,060 75% – $78,980 90% – $104,130	0 – 1 Years – $49,656 (790 salaries) 1 – 4 Years – $52,540 (1,951 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $59,395 (1,101 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $63,494 (883 salaries) 20+ Years – $64,526 (515 salaries)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (440,380 employed nationwide)	10% – $39,090 25% – $47,170 50% (Median) – $59,190 75% – $76,230 90% – $98,210	0 – 1 Years – $49,049 (427 salaries) 1 – 4 Years – $50,912 (970 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $58,437 (429 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $62,129 (291 salaries) 20+ Years – $67,075 (133 salaries)
Nurse Practitioner (307,390 employed nationwide)	10% – $97,960 25% – $109,940 50% (Median) – $129,210 75% – $149,570 90% – $169,950	0 – 1 Years – $116,084 (486 salaries) 1 – 4 Years – $124,190 (836 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $127,633 (402 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $130,637 (250 salaries) 20+ Years – $136,502 (119 salaries)
Clergy (58,080 employed nationwide)	10% – $37,140 25% – $47,220 50% (Median) – $60,820 75% – $76,340 90% – $99,720	0 – 1 Years: No Data 1 – 4 Years – $50,168 (18 salaries) 5 – 9 Years – $53,720 (16 salaries) 10 – 19 Years – $55,012 (25 salaries) 20+ Years – $61,553 (24 salaries)

Stepping-Stone Occupation with employment according to the BLS (May 2024)

By Percentile (BLS May 2024)

Years of Experience (# of Salaries Reported)
(PayScale.com 2025)

Marriage and Family Therapist (65,870 employed nationwide)

10% –

$42,610

25% –

$48,600

50% (Median) –

$63,780

75% –

$85,020

90% –

$111,610

0 – 1 Years – $56,363 (96 salaries)

1 – 4 Years – $60,808 (269 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $70,525 (154 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $71,382 (89 salaries)

20+ Years – $75,621 (35 salaries)

Clinical and Counseling Psychologist (72,190 employed nationwide)

10% –

$50,470

25% –

$67,470

50% (Median) – $95,830

75% –

$131,510

90% –

$170,150

0 – 1 Years – $81,789 (165 salaries)

1 – 4 Years – $90,542 (495 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $96,887 (295 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $104,907 (258 salaries)

20+ Years – $115,840 (153 salaries)

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (125,910 employed nationwide)

10% –

$39,620

25% –

$46,550

50% (Median) –

$60,060

75% –

$78,980

90% –

$104,130

0 – 1 Years – $49,656 (790 salaries)

1 – 4 Years – $52,540 (1,951 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $59,395 (1,101 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $63,494 (883 salaries)

20+ Years – $64,526 (515 salaries)

Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (440,380 employed nationwide)

10% – $39,090

25% – $47,170

50% (Median) – $59,190

75% – $76,230

90% – $98,210

0 – 1 Years – $49,049 (427 salaries)

1 – 4 Years – $50,912 (970 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $58,437 (429 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $62,129 (291 salaries)

20+ Years – $67,075 (133 salaries)

Nurse Practitioner (307,390 employed nationwide)

10% – $97,960

25% – $109,940

50% (Median) – $129,210

75% – $149,570

90% – $169,950

0 – 1 Years – $116,084 (486 salaries)

1 – 4 Years – $124,190 (836 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $127,633 (402 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $130,637 (250 salaries)

20+ Years – $136,502 (119 salaries)

Clergy (58,080 employed nationwide)

10% – $37,140

25% – $47,220

50% (Median) – $60,820

75% – $76,340

90% – $99,720

0 – 1 Years: No Data

1 – 4 Years – $50,168 (18 salaries)

5 – 9 Years – $53,720 (16 salaries)

10 – 19 Years – $55,012 (25 salaries)

20+ Years – $61,553 (24 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 2024 data was acquired from the BLS—the latest figures available as of May 2025.

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 2025), California is also the third-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	Hawaii – $145,360 Connecticut – $94,830 Oregon – $94,520 New Jersey – $91,980 Utah – $85,550
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist	Oregon – $129,110 New Jersey – $128,400 Kentucky – $126,740 Washington – $125,270 California – $124,720
Social Worker (Mental Health and Abuse)	New York – $96,240 California – $83,110 District of Columbia – $81,300 Minnesota – $77,190 Rhode Island – $75,200
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	Alaska – $88,870 New Jersey – $75,900 Hawaii – $75,610 Oregon – $72,860 California – $72,530
Nurse Practitioners	California – $173,190 New York – $148,410 Oregon – $148,030 Massachusetts – $145,140 Washington – $143,620
Clergy	California – $86,900 Washington – $79,460 Connecticut – $77,960 Nevada – $77,440 New York – $75,130

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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