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Careers›Roles›Family Psychologist
Mid-Level

Family Psychologist

Families come tangled — and a family psychologist helps untangle them, working with parents, kids, and couples to understand patterns and shift how a whole system relates. Treating the relationships, not just the individual.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
S
I
C
A
E
R
Socialhelping, teaching
Investigativeanalytical, curious
Based on Holland Code framework
Industries that often hire Family Psychologists
Healthcare · 84%Government · 7%Education · 4%Professional Services · 3%Administrative Services · 1%Consumer Services · 0%
Job markets for Family Psychologists
Where Family Psychologist jobs concentrate · ~217 metro areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
Science
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
Jump to:What it's likeCareer pathsBy the numbers

While you’re learning about the Family Psychologist role, anything we can help you with this week?

What it's like

What it's like to be a Family Psychologist

Much of the day goes to therapy, assessment, and whole-family work rather than one person at a time. You're holding many perspectives at once, and progress often means shifting patterns, not just symptoms. Documentation, coordination, and sometimes research or testing round out the week.

Settings range from practice, clinic, or research roles, with different mixes of clinical and scholarly work — sometimes both at once. The hard part for many can be carrying families' conflict and pain while staying neutral. Insurance, caseloads, and the slow pace of real change tend to shape the day.

This fits people who are emotionally steady, systems-minded, and even-handed. Trade-offs can include emotional weight and slow, nonlinear progress, plus the documentation load. For someone fascinated by how families work and committed to helping them shift, the work can be deeply meaningful.

What people in this role value
RelationshipsHigh
IndependenceHigh
AchievementAbove avg
Working ConditionsAbove avg
RecognitionAbove avg
SupportLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns

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Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

Earning potential across this track
$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
Professional Services$92K+15%
Technology & Information$91K+13%
Energy & Utilities$82K+2%
Financial Services$81K+2%
Wholesale & Distribution$79K-1%
Compared to Science average across all industries
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Family Psychologists (SOC 19-3033.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Related rolesExplore Science →
Family PsychologistFamily TherapistLicensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT)Family Service CounselorFamily Services CounselorFamily CounselorMilitary and Family Life CounselorChild and Family TherapistChild and Family CounselorHealth PsychologistMental Health ClinicianBehavior TherapistCounseling Service PsychologistOutpatient TherapistAssessment CoordinatorGeropsychologistBehavioral Health SpecialistCounseling SpecialistBehavior AnalystMental Health Unit PsychologistExperimental PsychologistGroup CounselorClinical PsychologistEducational Psychologist+1 more

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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$50K–$170K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
72K
U.S. Employment
+11.2%
10yr Growth
5K
Annual Openings

How Family Psychologist pay & employment are changing

$77K$74K$71K$68K$65K201920202021202220232024$65K$77K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Reading ComprehensionSocial PerceptivenessWritingActive ListeningCritical ThinkingSpeakingActive LearningMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingService Orientation
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mapped SOC Codes
19-3033.00

Explore related roles

Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths

midFamily Therapist$64KmidLicensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)$64KmidMarriage and Family Therapist (MFT)$64KmidFamily Service Counselor$64KmidFamily Services Counselor$64KmidFamily Counselor$64K
View all Science roles →

Common questions about what it's like to be a Family Psychologist

What does a Family Psychologist do?

Families come tangled — and a family psychologist helps untangle them, working with parents, kids, and couples to understand patterns and shift how a whole system relates. Treating the relationships, not just the individual.

How much does a Family Psychologist make?

Median pay for a Family Psychologist is about $96K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $50K to $170K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).

What skills does a Family Psychologist need?

Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Social Perceptiveness, Writing, Active Listening, and Critical Thinking.

What education do you need to be a Family Psychologist?

Most people in this role hold a doctoral (research).

Is a Family Psychologist in demand?

Employment in this field is projected to grow about 11.2% through 2034, with roughly 72,190 people working in it today (BLS).

What jobs are similar to a Family Psychologist?

Closely related roles include Family Therapist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT).

Career advice

Family Psychologist career advice

Do one small thing to grow in your career this week. Pick one of these; each comes with the words to use.

  • Micro habitBuilds goodwill and helps good work get noticed.Make someone's good work visible
  • WorksheetPassing on work so the next person can pick it up without chasing you.Hand off work so nothing drops
  • Simple exerciseSee a company the way its own people do, before you ask to join it.Understand a company before you apply
  • Simple exerciseMap your go-to people, so a stuck problem has somewhere to go.Know who to ask when you're stuck

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More career advice

  • Test a direction before you commit
  • Catch up with a remote teammate, no agenda
  • Make time to go vote
  • Set yourself a decide-by date
  • Ask for a raise with your case in hand
  • Get clear on why you want to leave
  • Read the signals your company is sending
  • Tell your manager what you need

We believe careers grow through small steps taken often, more than big leaps. So we’ve collected hundreds of them for you to try.

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.

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