Art Therapists: Career Profile
Plan or conduct art therapy sessions or programs to improve clients' physical, cognitive, or emotional well-being.
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What Tasks Do Art Therapists Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of art therapists cover:
- Observe and document client reactions, progress, or other outcomes related to art therapy.
- Design art therapy sessions or programs to meet client's goals or objectives.
- Conduct art therapy sessions, providing guided self-expression experiences to help clients recover from, or cope with, cognitive, emotional, or physical impairments.
- Confer with other professionals on client's treatment team to develop, coordinate, or integrate treatment plans.
- Assess client needs or disorders, using drawing, painting, sculpting, or other artistic processes.
- Talk with clients during art or other therapy sessions to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to the artistic process.
- Develop individualized treatment plans that incorporate studio art therapy, counseling, or psychotherapy techniques.
- Write treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
What Art Therapists Need to Know
Successful art therapists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Art Psychotherapist
- Art Therapist
- Art Therapy Specialist
- Arts Therapist
- Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC)
- Board Certified Arts Therapist (ATR-BC)
- Certified Art Therapist
- Clinical Therapist
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 704,548 art therapists working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +1.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Art Therapists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $40,748 |
| Hourly median | $19.59 |
| 10th percentile | $23,907 |
| 25th percentile | $32,327 |
| 75th percentile | $49,169 |
| 90th percentile | $57,590 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Art Therapists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $107,070 |
| Nebraska | $102,680 |
| New Mexico | $100,510 |
| South Carolina | $99,870 |
| Kentucky | $99,060 |
| District of Columbia | $90,920 |
| New Jersey | $90,280 |
| Montana | $82,070 |
| Oregon | $80,210 |
| Rhode Island | $75,470 |
| Minnesota | $73,300 |
| Colorado | $72,440 |
| California | $71,190 |
| West Virginia | $71,180 |
| Illinois | $71,040 |
| Oklahoma | $69,900 |
| Alabama | $69,320 |
| New York | $67,870 |
| North Carolina | $65,310 |
| Massachusetts | $65,190 |
| Georgia | $63,540 |
| Texas | $62,560 |
| Arizona | $61,430 |
| Louisiana | $61,400 |
| Missouri | $60,800 |
| New Hampshire | $60,210 |
| Utah | $59,660 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,540 |
| Indiana | $58,690 |
| Virginia | $58,070 |
| Florida | $57,770 |
| Wisconsin | $57,540 |
| Arkansas | $55,820 |
| Iowa | $53,600 |
| Kansas | $52,690 |
| Michigan | $49,640 |
| Ohio | $49,510 |
| Maryland | $47,520 |
| Tennessee | $45,800 |
| Connecticut | $44,670 |
| Maine | $44,540 |
| Mississippi | $43,150 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for art therapists shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $71,574 | 31.1% | 3.53 |
| New England | $70,164 | 1.7% | 1.35 |
| Plains States | $69,806 | 5.9% | 1.16 |
| Rocky Mountains | $67,882 | 1.5% | 0.49 |
| Southeast | $63,449 | 28.0% | 1.97 |
| Southwest | $63,390 | 10.3% | 0.82 |
| Great Lakes | $59,183 | 11.7% | 0.93 |
| Far Western US | $55,673 | 9.8% | 0.85 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | KY | $108,140 | 100 |
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $107,070 | 30 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $101,970 | 100 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | NE | $96,080 | |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | OH | $95,930 | 70 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | NJ | $92,000 | 50 |
| Rochester, MN | MN | $91,990 | 60 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | KY | $84,440 | 140 |
Top Industries Employing Art Therapists
Most art therapists are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 15,910 | $64,950 |
| Educational Services | 2,140 | $62,560 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 220 | $75,520 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 100 | $64,680 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 40 | $54,100 |
Art Therapists work in the following industries:
Software Art Therapists Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for art therapists is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
Education and Training
Typical art therapists positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists (Primary-Short)
- School Psychologists (Supplemental)
- Marriage and Family Therapists (Primary-Short)
- Mental Health Counselors (Primary-Long)
- Rehabilitation Counselors (Supplemental)
- Healthcare Social Workers (Supplemental)
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (Primary-Long)
- Occupational Therapists (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Future art therapists commonly pursue programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
10 programs across 2 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1129.01 (Therapists, All Other).
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