Art Therapists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$77,930
United States, 2025
Employment
22,640
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 5
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Plan or conduct art therapy sessions or programs to improve clients' physical, cognitive, or emotional well-being.
- O*NET code
- 29-1129.01
- Job zone
- 5
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Instruct individuals or groups in the use of art media, such as paint, clay, or yarn.
- Supervise staff, volunteers, practicum students, or interns.
- 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.
- Design art therapy sessions or programs to meet client's goals or objectives.
- Observe and document client reactions, progress, or other outcomes related to art therapy.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$46,540
25th percentile
$58,850
75th percentile
$105,760
90th percentile
$152,530
Most important skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.3
- Monitoring4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Service Orientation3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Writing3.8
- Active Learning3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Systems Evaluation3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 19 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
19
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.3 | 5.0 | Not selected | 5.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.1 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $100,330
Compare with Art TherapistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $157,510 | — | 2025 |
| DC | $127,010 | 80 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $122,120 | 100 | 2025 |
| IL | $116,200 | 1,060 | 2025 |
| Lexington, KY | $112,070 | 80 | 2025 |
| Atlantic City, NJ | $108,650 | 100 | 2025 |
| Albany, NY | $104,470 | 40 | 2025 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $101,920 | 70 | 2025 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $100,390 | 130 | 2025 |
| NJ | $100,250 | 7,090 | 2025 |
| HI | $99,560 | 40 | 2025 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $99,180 | 30 | 2025 |
| WA | $98,550 | — | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $98,550 | — | 2025 |
| Jonesboro, AR | $97,190 | 50 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $96,820 | — | 2025 |
| Akron, OH | $91,080 | 40 | 2025 |
| SC | $90,980 | 70 | 2025 |
| Columbus, OH | $90,720 | 100 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $90,130 | 90 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Art Therapists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.