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Family Counsellor, Marriage Counsellor
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.
Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.
2006 NOC
2006 NOC-S
2011 NOC
2016 NOC
2021 NOC
2023 OaSIS
Marriage and family counsellors help individuals, couples, and families understand and improve relationships, resolve emotional issues left over from past relationships, and enhance personal well-being. They help clients build their own strengths, resources, and resilience, and set out clear and realistic goals for the future.
In general, marriage and family counsellors assess and intervene in relational difficulties. They:
With requisite training, marriage and family counsellors may also:
Conduct crisis counselling sessions to help clients deal with suicidal impulses, divorce, job loss, grief, and other life changes
Most counsellors work in offices. However, they may work in residential, health-care, or in-home settings. They may work some evenings or weekends to accommodate client needs. They may work overtime when clients need urgent help. The work can be stressful, emotionally demanding, and challenging.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in mentoring in order to counsel clients, and provide therapy and mediation services; and in assisting individuals and groups of clients to identify, understand and overcome personal problems and achieve personal objectives
Interest in co-ordinating information to develop and implement counselling and intervention programs to assist clients in determining goals and the means of attaining them; may conduct research, publish research papers, educational texts and articles
Interest in following up results of counselling programs and clients' adjustments; and in conducting vocational testing and psychometric assessment; may supervise other counsellors, social service staff and assistants
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
Marriage and family counsellors need:
They should enjoy counselling people, synthesizing information, and helping clients solve problems.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 51 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Oct 30, 2021 and Jun 18, 2024.
Review these skills to learn:
| Personal Suitability: Excellent oral communication | 22 |
|---|---|
| Personal Suitability: Effective interpersonal skills | 22 |
| Develop and implement counselling and intervention programs to assist clients in determining goals and means of attaining them | 22 |
| Personal Suitability: Values and ethics | 22 |
| Personal Suitability: Dependability | 22 |
| Personal Suitability: Reliability | 22 |
| Personal Suitability: Judgement | 21 |
| Personal Suitability: Excellent written communication | 21 |
| Follow up results of counselling programs and clients' adjustment | 21 |
| Personal Suitability: Interpersonal awareness | 21 |
Most marriage and family counsellors have at least a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, social work, psychology, or a related discipline. A few Canadian universities offer an accredited master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. For more information, see the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT) website.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your program options, visit Post-Secondary Programs and start your search with:
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
In Alberta, the majority of marriage and family counsellors must be registered with a professional college depending on their scope of work. Some professionals may provide marriage and family counselling in related professions, but these may be regulated differently. See details below.
Certain professional titles or duties within this occupation are protected by provincial legislation. Requirements vary if you use these titles or perform these duties.
The related legislation is shown below. If there are multiple related legislations, select a certification heading to learn about each one.
Social workers help individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations develop skills and resources. Their goal is to enhance social functioning and social environments.
Under Alberta’s Health Professions Act [pdf] and the Social Workers Profession Regulation [pdf], social workers must meet identified educational requirements and register with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Registration is necessary if you wish to provide professional services directly to the public, teach social work practice to ACSW members or social work students, or supervise registered members who provide services to the public. The College authorizes some registered members to perform restricted activities defined in the Regulation. Only registered members may use the protected titles Social Worker or Registered Social Worker. To use the protected title Clinical Social Worker, registered members must meet additional requirements.
For information on what you need and other details, visit the certification profile Social Worker.
Psychologists assess and diagnose challenges in thinking, feeling, and behaving. They develop and evaluate programs to help individuals, groups, or communities manage these challenges. They research, develop, and apply theories about relational behaviour and mental processes. They also teach, consult, and supervise.
Under Alberta’s Health Professions Act [pdf], Health Professions Restricted Activity Regulation [pdf], and Psychologists Profession Regulation [pdf], registration with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) is mandatory. Only registered members may provide restricted activities specified in the Regulations. This includes those who:
For information on what you need and other details, visit the certification profile Psychologist.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Marriage and family counsellors may work in:
Advancement opportunities depend on the size and nature of the employing organization.
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Family, marriage and other related counsellors
2016 NOC: 4153
83.4% of people in this occupational group work in:
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
This section shows the short-term demand forecasted for this occupation in Alberta over a 3-year period. It also shows the number of people employed in the occupation.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2023-2025 Alberta Short-Term Employment Forecast
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
To see data for all occupations, visit Occupations in Demand.
This section shows the employment outlook for this occupation in Alberta over a 5-year period.
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Annual growth is from 2021 to 2025. New positions created each year are in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
For information about current collective agreements in the public and not-for-profit sectors, see the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $20.00 | $38.43 | $28.83 | $27.00 |
| Overall | $21.28 | $52.11 | $33.81 | $30.07 |
| Top | $22.33 | $55.25 | $36.31 | $35.00 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $62,160 |
|---|---|
| Educational Services | $53,105 |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | $63,279 |
Alberta College of Social Workers website: www.acsw.ab.ca
Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy website: camft.ca
Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE) website: caswe-acfts.ca
College of Alberta Psychologists website: www.cap.ab.ca
Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) website: www.cswe.org
Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website: www.hsaa.ca
Psychologists’ Association of Alberta website: www.psychologistsassociation.ab.ca
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2020. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.
