Careers · Art Therapists · California
Art Therapists in California
Art therapists use creative processes like drawing, painting, and sculpture to help clients work through physical, cognitive, or emotional challenges. They plan and lead therapy sessions in settings such as hospitals, mental health clinics, schools, private practice, and rehabilitation facilities, tailoring art activities to support each client's therapeutic goals. In California the median pay is $81,760 a year, 5% above the national median of $77,930.
$81,760median pay in California, per year
$70,730–$105,140middle half earn
840employed in California
$77,930U.S. median, for comparison
Are you suited for this?
Four short assessments and your background, scored against art therapists and 13,000 other careers — with the reasons. Free.
Four short assessments and your background, scored against art therapists and 13,000 other careers — with the reasons. Free.
What it takes
Preparation: Extensive preparation (graduate degree and/or many years of experience).
Skills that matter most
Social PerceptivenessActive ListeningSpeakingMonitoringCritical ThinkingService OrientationJudgment and Decision MakingReading Comprehension
Knowledge areas
Therapy and CounselingPsychologyFine ArtsSociology and AnthropologyCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish Language
Full profile, interests that fit, certifications and training: Art Therapists.
Licenses and training in California
Art Therapists pay in other states
District of Columbia · $127,010Illinois · $116,200New Jersey · $100,250Hawaii · $99,560Washington · $98,550South Carolina · $90,980Delaware · $90,120Nebraska · $86,900Rhode Island · $86,400Oregon · $81,860
Related occupations
Occupational TherapistsLow Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation TherapistsPhysical TherapistsRadiation TherapistsRecreational TherapistsRespiratory TherapistsSpeech-Language PathologistsExercise Physiologists
Are you suited for this?
Four short assessments and your background, scored against art therapists and 13,000 other careers — with the reasons. Free.
Four short assessments and your background, scored against art therapists and 13,000 other careers — with the reasons. Free.
O*NET-SOC 29-1129.01. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California, annual.