Marriage and Family Therapists

Marriage and Family Therapists score 11 out of 100, which is low exposure to AI. That ranks #731 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 16 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 1 on its own and 2 more with extra software built on top of it. In April–May 2026, 8 of these tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant.

11/ 100

Low

Rank: #731of 923 jobs
US workers: 66,740BLS, May 2025
Median pay: $66,940a year
In real AI use: 8 of 16tasks, April–May 2026

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Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

AI can speed this up on its own: 1 (6%)
AI can speed this up with extra software: 2 (13%)
Little or no AI speed-up: 13 (81%)

Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
Gather information from doctors, schools, social workers, juvenile counselors, law enforcement personnel, and others to make recommendations to courts for resolution of child custody or visitation disputes.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task
Write evaluations of parents and children for use by courts deciding divorce and custody cases, testifying in court if necessary.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task
Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use
Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use
Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use
Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use
Collect information about clients, using techniques such as testing, interviewing, discussion, or observation.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use
Confer with clients to develop plans for posttreatment activities.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Confer with other counselors, doctors, and professionals to analyze individual cases and to coordinate counseling services.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Determine whether clients should be counseled or referred to other specialists in such fields as medicine, psychiatry, or legal aid.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use
Provide instructions to clients on how to obtain help with legal, financial, and other personal issues.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use
Provide public education and consultation to other professionals or groups regarding counseling services, issues, and methods.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Follow up on results of counseling programs and clients' adjustments to determine effectiveness of programs.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Supervise other counselors, social service staff, and assistants.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Provide family counseling and treatment services to inmates participating in substance abuse programs.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task

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Questions about marriage and family therapists and AI

Will AI replace marriage and family therapists?

Unlikely. Most of the work is hard for today's AI to speed up. Marriage and Family Therapists score 11 out of 100 (low exposure), #731 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 3 of the job's 16 tasks, 1 of them on its own, while 13 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which marriage and family therapists tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations".

Which marriage and family therapists tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner"; "Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors"; "Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Yes. In April–May 2026, 8 of the 16 tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as marriage and family therapists, and what do they earn?

About 66,740 people in the US, with median pay of $66,940 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.