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It is also true that you can make more money than you might expect as an early-career MFT. And the steps you take early in your career can change your income trajectory in the long term, separating successful therapists from those who, even as long-term professionals, continually struggle to make ends meet. Here are some proven ways to add to your income, even in your first years in the field.
Negotiate
Family therapy is a profession dominated by women. More than three- quarters of licensed MFTs in California are women, and more than 80% of those working toward licensure are women (Board of Behavioral Sciences, 2007). And multiple studies have shown that women are less likely than men to successfully negotiate for higher pay (Paquette, 2016). This applies both at initial hiring and throughout the time spent at a job, meaning that income disparities present at the onset of employment may become even more powerful as time goes on.
In some cases, potential new hires (regardless of gender) choose not to negotiate out of fear that asking for higher pay might lead the employer to rescind their job offer entirely. And, to be blunt, that can happen. But the risk may be worth taking.
Unionize
One of the most well-supported ways
to earn higher wages and better workplace protections is to join (or form) a union. Around the country and across employment types, union workers earn
higher wages than their non-union counterparts, and are more protected from employer abuses (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013).
If you are working in a small setting
like a private practice, unionizing may not hold strong benefits. If you are working in a nonprofit setting or for
a government agency, unionization
may not even be allowed, depending
on the state or province you are in.
But if you work for a medium to large- sized business, even if it is university, nonprofit, or government work, it would be worth your time to weigh the availability, costs, and benefits of joining or forming a union.
Seek free money
Several state and federal programs
can provide additional funds for early career MFTs working with underserved populations. At the federal level, the National Health Service Corps and
Indian Health Service each administer loan reimbursement programs where MFTs working at eligible jobs earn tens
of thousands of dollars on top of salary
to be used toward their educational debt. And the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program will entirely eliminate remaining direct federal loan debt for anyone who works full-time in a nonprofit setting for 10 years and keeps up with their loan payments during that time.
At the state level, additional programs may exist depending on your location. California, for example, uses license renewal fees to fund its own loan reimbursement program, which provides up to $18,500 on top of salary for those who commit to working for two years in
public mental health.
These programs are, in effect, free money. And you may already qualify.
If you are specifically hoping for NHSC money, you may want to inquire with your employer about having them apply to be part of the program—it costs them very little, and makes theirs a more attractive place to work.
Of course, if you’re still working on
your graduate degree, it is in your best interest to take advantage of as many opportunities for free money as you
can at this stage, to reduce your loan payments down the road. Both master’s and doctoral students can apply for AAMFT’s Minority Fellowship Program, where you can earn thousands of dollars toward your educational costs.
If you’re in private practice... Raise your fee
This one’s easy in concept: If you want to make more money for doing the same amount of work, charge more for that work. Raising your standard hourly
rate by $5 means a $5,000 bump in your annual revenue if you see 20 full-fee clients a week.
Newer clinicians are often hesitant
to raise fees out of a combination of concerns: Prospective clients might
go elsewhere, existing clients might struggle with a fee increase, and we as therapists may struggle with whether our work is worth the amount we charge. But these concerns often are more about the therapist than about the clients. Many therapists are surprised at how easily clients adapt to small increases in rates.
20 FAMILY THERAPY MAGAZINE
It can be easy to get discouraged about money early in your career. After all, becoming a family therapist is expensive. Depending on the program you attend and how much money you have available, you may take on tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. After you graduate, many jobs on the way to licensure are underpaid or even entirely unpaid. If you have a family to support, becoming an MFT can mean devoting yourself to years of tight budgets.