Career comparison
Healthcare Social Worker vs. Marriage and Family Therapist
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Healthcare social workers earn more at the median ($67,880 vs. $66,940), while healthcare social workers usually get to work faster (6 years (BSW + MSW) of training). Healthcare social workers help patients and families cope with illness and plan care after the hospital. Marriage and family therapists help couples and families improve relationships and work through problems.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Healthcare Social Worker | Marriage and Family Therapist | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $67,880 ($32.63/hr) | $66,940 ($32.18/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $46,220 – $100,360 | $44,650 – $123,730 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +8.5% (much faster than average) | +13.5% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 16,900 | 6,900 |
| Typical entry education | Master's degree | Master's degree |
| Training time | 6 years (BSW + MSW) | 6+ years plus supervised hours |
| Key credential | Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) |
| Work setting | Healthcare social workers work in hospitals, hospices, clinics and patients’ homes.. | MFTs work in private practices, clinics, hospitals, schools and via telehealth.. |
What each job does
Healthcare Social Worker
- Assess patient and family needs
- Plan hospital discharges
- Arrange home care and placements
- Counsel patients and families
- Help with advance directives
Marriage and Family Therapist
- Assess clients and relationships
- Develop treatment plans
- Provide couples, family and individual therapy
- Teach communication skills
- Address mental health and behavior issues
How they’re similar
Both careers involve helping others, working with people, indoor work, and in-demand. Both are part of the community, social & government services field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose healthcare social worker if…
- I want to help patients and families
- I can handle illness and end-of-life conversations
- I like working with medical teams
Choose marriage and family therapist if…
- I want to help families and couples
- I can stay neutral in conflict
- I’m a good listener
Still torn? Take the Healthcare Social Worker fit quiz and the Marriage and Family Therapist fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, healthcare social worker or marriage and family therapist?
Healthcare Social Workers earn more at the median: $67,880 versus $66,940 for marriage and family therapists, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Healthcare Social Workers typically train faster (6 years (BSW + MSW)) than marriage and family therapists (6+ years plus supervised hours).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects marriage and family therapists to grow +13.5% from 2025–35, compared with +8.5% for healthcare social workers.