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LifeStance Health
San Marcos, California

Licensed Marriage Family Therapist (LMFT)

LMFTFull-Time

Listed compensation

$118k-$135k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 2h ago · Verified live

Job Description

We are actively looking to hire talented therapists in the San Marcos area, who are passionate about patient care and committed to clinical excellence.

We are actively looking to hire talented therapists in the San Marcos area, who are passionate about patient care and committed to clinical excellence.

Is This You?

  • Wanting to deliver high quality behavioral healthcare.
  • Seeking work life balance.
  • Interested in growing professionally.

What We Offer Therapists:

  • Sign on bonus
  • Competitive Compensation: $118,000 - $135,000, compensation model based on productivity.
  • Flexible work schedules.
  • Generous ‘above market’ compensation with unlimited/uncapped earnings.
  • Full benefits package: health, dental, vision, life, 401k (with match), paid parental leave, EAP and more.
  • Collegial work environment.
  • Newly designed and modern offices.
  • Full administrative support.
  • Latest in digital technology.
  • Strong work/life balance.

Licensed Therapists are a critical part of our clinical team. We’re seeking Licensed Therapists that are::

  • Fully licensed LMFT or LCSW.
  • CA state license.
  • Experienced in working with adult, and/or child and adolescent populations.
  • Please reach out directly to arrange a time to speak by phone and include your CV, thank you.
  • Michael Pitts
  • Director, Practice Development
  • Michael.Pitts@lifestance.com
  • (W) 619-810-9495
  • (C) 623-308-4226

Key Responsibilities

Provide high-quality behavioral healthcare to adult, child, and adolescent populations. Maintain clinical excellence while working within a collegial and supportive team environment.

Requirements

Must be a fully licensed LMFT or LCSW in the state of California. Experience working with diverse age groups is required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Adult therapyChild therapyAdolescent therapyClinical documentationTherapeutic intervention

Marriage & Family Therapy — Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$127k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $114k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) listings this role was benchmarked against, 68% are remote, 28% have no call, 56% require no weekends.

What does the Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) market look like in California?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$114k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Marriage & Family Therapy listings in California62 active—live on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
All marriage & family therapist (lmft) listings in California1,014 active12,915 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 68% remote · 28% no call · 56% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia counselor listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 9% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Marriage & Family Therapy listings182 in the last 30 days84 the 30 days before (+117%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
LifeStance Healthsilver tier, 84/100 · #1 of 21 for payTop Employers work-life index1,061 active listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page. California figures use all marriage & family therapist (lmft)s: too few California Marriage & Family Therapy postings state pay.

Top Counselor Jobs

46 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

46 jobs · 37 employers
16
<$95k
18
$95k-115k
7
$115k-135k
3
$135k-155k
2
$155k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

38 jobs · 37 employers
401k / retirement match
97% this job
CME allowance
47%
Sign-on bonus
42% this job
Loan repayment
16%
Relocation assistance
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Inpatient Clinical Director (LCSW, LMFT, LPCC) - Mental Health 105

Telecare · Redwood City, California

$136k-$168k
#2

Dental Therapist

InterDent Service · Salem, Oregon

From $155k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

$123k-$141k
#4

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

$123k-$141k
+ 44 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.9this job 4.8
Below most Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 883 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

LifeStance Health logo

About LifeStance Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Scottsdale, Arizona
5,001-10,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
Life Insurance
401k with match
Paid Parental Leave
EAP
Sign-On Bonus

Living in San Marcos

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$865k≈ 7.3× annual pay
Typical market rent
$3,311/mo≈ 34% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
27 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.