Prevailing Wage for Marriage and Family Therapists
Prevailing wage floors for Marriage and Family Therapists are set by DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, and they vary significantly by worksite city. Whether your job title reads Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Clinical Therapist, or Counselor, DOL assigns four experience-based levels, each carrying a different wage floor that your sponsored offer must clear.
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Level 1 covers entry-level therapists new to independent clinical practice, typically with limited post-degree supervised hours, working under direct supervision on routine caseloads. Employers filing at this level are expected to provide structured oversight and ongoing clinical direction.
Level 2 applies to qualified therapists who hold full licensure and handle a standard independent caseload. Most H-1B and green card filings for Marriage and Family Therapists land at Level 2, reflecting the licensure requirement that typically precedes unsupervised practice.
Level 3 covers experienced clinicians who manage complex cases, may supervise associates or interns, and often hold specialty certifications. These professionals exercise significant independent judgment and contribute to program development or clinical quality initiatives.
Level 4 reflects fully competent senior therapists, including clinical directors and lead practitioners whose scope spans staff oversight, program leadership, or policy-level responsibilities. Employers in community mental health and hospital systems most often file at this level for senior roles.
Prevailing Wage for Marriage and Family Therapists by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Marriage and Family Therapists and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your licensure status maps to the right level
Marriage and Family Therapists working toward licensure hours often get filed at Level 1, but once you hold a full LMFT or LPC credential, Level 2 is the appropriate floor. Verify your offer's wage level reflects your actual licensure status before signing.
Watch for title aliasing under a different SOC
Employers sometimes post Counselor or Human Relations Counselor roles but file the LCA under a different SOC code, shifting the prevailing wage floor. If your offer letter says Clinical Therapist but the LCA cites a lower-wage occupation, the wrong floor may be applied to your petition.
Check metros where community mental health suppresses wages
Nonprofit community mental health centers in markets like Asheville, NC and Winston, NC file at notably lower prevailing wage floors. If you're comparing offers across regions, the difference between a Connecticut metro and a rural North Carolina market can span the entire wage-level range.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with MFT sponsorship history
Because sponsored therapy roles are rare outside hospital systems and large behavioral health groups, Migrate Mate's employer sponsorship history filter helps you identify which organizations have actually sponsored Marriage and Family Therapists before, narrowing your search to realistic opportunities.
Jobs for Marriage and Family Therapists are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Marriage and Family TherapistsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 21-1013.00 alongside Marriage and Family Therapists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Clinical Therapist Prevailing Wage
Clinical Therapist Prevailing Wage
Clinical Therapist positions fall under SOC 21-1013.00 (Marriage and Family Therapists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Counselor Prevailing Wage
Counselor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Counselor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 21-1013.00 (Marriage and Family Therapists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Family Therapist Prevailing Wage
Family Therapist Prevailing Wage
Family Therapist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 21-1013.00 (Marriage and Family Therapists). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Human Relations Counselor Prevailing Wage
Human Relations Counselor Prevailing Wage
Human Relations Counselor positions fall under SOC 21-1013.00 (Marriage and Family Therapists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Prevailing Wage
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 21-1013.00 (Marriage and Family Therapists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Prevailing Wage
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Prevailing Wage
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 21-1013.00 (Marriage and Family Therapists). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Marriage and Family Counselor Prevailing Wage
Marriage and Family Counselor Prevailing Wage
Marriage and Family Counselor positions fall under SOC 21-1013.00 (Marriage and Family Therapists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) Prevailing Wage
Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 21-1013.00 (Marriage and Family Therapists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Outpatient Therapist Prevailing Wage
Outpatient Therapist Prevailing Wage
Outpatient Therapist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 21-1013.00 (Marriage and Family Therapists). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Play Therapist Prevailing Wage
Play Therapist Prevailing Wage
Play Therapist positions fall under SOC 21-1013.00 (Marriage and Family Therapists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Marriage and Family Therapists?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For Marriage and Family Therapists under SOC 21-1013, DOL maps wage percentiles to four experience levels. The resulting figures become the minimum an employer must pay and certify on the Labor Condition Application filed with OFLC before sponsoring an H-1B or similar petition.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to me?
DOL's four levels correspond to experience and responsibility, running from entry-level supervised practice at Level 1 through senior clinical or leadership roles at Level 4. For Marriage and Family Therapists, the key dividing line is usually licensure: pre-licensure associates typically fall at Level 1, while fully licensed practitioners holding an LMFT or LPC credential generally qualify for Level 2 or above. Your job duties and supervisory scope, not just your title, determine the correct level.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same therapist role differ so much between cities?
DOL sets wages using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions rather than a national average. The employer must list the actual worksite on the LCA, and OFLC applies the wage data for that specific metropolitan area. A telehealth platform headquartered in a high-wage market that lists a remote worksite in a low-wage metro would use the lower local floor, making worksite designation a critical detail to verify.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
DOL will not certify an LCA where the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage floor. Without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the H-1B petition. If an employer submits an LCA with an understated wage and it is later audited, the employer faces back-pay liability and potential debarment from the immigration sponsorship program. For the candidate, an uncertified LCA means the entire petition process stalls or fails.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Marriage and Family Therapists role in a specific U.S. city?
The OFLC Wage Search tool allows you to look up current prevailing wages by SOC code, experience level, and metropolitan area. Enter SOC 21-1013 and the metro where the job is located to see all four level wages. Cross-reference the wage on your offer letter against the level your employer intends to file. For identifying which employers have sponsored therapist roles historically, Migrate Mate shows employer-level sponsorship counts so you can prioritize your search.
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