Art Therapists earn a median of $77,930 per year ($37.47/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 12.6% through 2035, with about 3,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 29-1129
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Art Therapist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $77,930a year, or $37.47/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $47KTop 10% $153K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +12.6%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+12.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +12.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,60056,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202556.1K
- Projected 203563.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 56.1K Projected 2035 63.2K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Activity Therapy Specialist, Art Psychotherapist, ATR (Registered Art Therapist), ATR-BC (Board Certified Art Therapist), Clinical Art Therapist, Creative Arts Therapist.
Pay
How much do Art Therapists make?
Every art therapist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$77,930
Middle half earn $58,850 to $105,760
- 10th
- $46,540
- 25th
- $58,850
- 75th
- $105,760
- 90th
- $152,530
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,540 |
| 25th | $58,850 |
| Median | $77,930 |
| 75th | $105,760 |
| 90th | $152,530 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $77,930
- Median hourly wage
- $37.47/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $90,420
- People employed
- 22,640
Versus all US occupations
At $77,930, Art Therapists earn 53% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $26,950 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 24% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $152,530 or more while the bottom 10% earn $46,540, a gap of 3.3×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 54% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($127,010), but once local prices are taken into account Illinois leads at $116,249 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Art Therapists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $127,010 | $115,568 | 80 |
| 2Illinois | $116,200 | $116,249 | 1,060 |
| 3New Jersey | $100,250 | $92,137 | 7,090 |
| 4Hawaii | $99,560 | $90,549 | 40 |
| 5Washington | $98,550 | $92,092 | N/A |
| 6South Carolina | $90,980 | $97,046 | 70 |
| 7Delaware | $90,120 | $90,293 | 30 |
| 8Nebraska | $86,900 | $96,445 | 40 |
| 9Rhode Island | $86,400 | $84,474 | 90 |
| 10Oregon | $81,860 | $79,198 | 170 |
Job outlook
Is Art Therapist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +12.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Therapists | +12.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Art Therapists to change 12.6% over 2025–2035, roughly 3.6× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 7,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,600 openings are projected each year, 6.4% of the 56,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Art Therapist
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does an Art Therapist do?
Plan or conduct art therapy sessions or programs to improve clients' physical, cognitive, or emotional well-being.
Day-to-day tasks
- Conduct art therapy sessions, providing guided self-expression experiences to help clients recover from, or cope with, cognitive, emotional, or physical impairments.
- Talk with clients during art or other therapy sessions to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to the artistic process.
- Write treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
- Assess client needs or disorders, using drawing, painting, sculpting, or other artistic processes.
- Observe and document client reactions, progress, or other outcomes related to art therapy.
- Develop individualized treatment plans that incorporate studio art therapy, counseling, or psychotherapy techniques.
- Establish goals or objectives for art therapy sessions in consultation with clients or site administrators.
- Communicate client assessment findings and recommendations in oral, written, audio, video, or other forms.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Writing3.8
- Active Learning3.6
- Learning Strategies3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.3
- Service Orientation3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Coordination3.1
- Systems Analysis3.1
- Systems Evaluation3.1
- Time Management3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.3 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Video creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Art Therapist?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Art Therapist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 5 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Social5.6
- Artistic5.5
- Investigative3.7
- Realistic3.0
- Conventional2.9
- Enterprising2.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Art Therapist
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Community and Social Service
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Healthcare Support
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with art therapists highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Art Therapist$77,930
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Art Therapist | $77,930 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Art Therapist appears on
Questions
Art Therapist: frequently asked questions
How much do Art Therapists make?
Art Therapists earn a median of $77,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 53% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $37.47/hr. The middle half earn between $58,850 and $105,760. The top 10% earn $152,530 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Art Therapist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Art Therapists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation.
Is Art Therapist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 12.6% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Art Therapist do?
Plan or conduct art therapy sessions or programs to improve clients' physical, cognitive, or emotional well-being. A core O*NET task: conduct art therapy sessions, providing guided self-expression experiences to help clients recover from, or cope with, cognitive, emotional, or physical impairments. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Desktop publishing software.
Which states pay Art Therapists the most?
The highest state medians for Art Therapists are District of Columbia ($127,010), Illinois ($116,200), New Jersey ($100,250) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Illinois moves to the top at $116,249.
What personality type suits an Art Therapist?
O*NET scores Art Therapists highest on the Social, Artistic and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INFP, ENFP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.