Massage Therapists
Massage Therapists (SOC 31-9011) earn a median $58,450 a year ($28.10 an hour) in the United States, with 98,790 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Alaska.
What massage therapists do
Massage therapists perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints. They confer with clients about medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful, and they assess the client's soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength and range of motion. They then massage and knead muscles and soft tissues to treat medical conditions and injuries or to maintain wellness, and apply finger and hand pressure to specific points on the body. The SOC says they may propose client therapy plans, and O*NET describes developing and proposing treatment plans that specify the types of massage to be used. They give clients guidance on posture, stretching, strengthening, relaxation and rehabilitative exercises, maintain treatment records, and keep massage areas stocked and equipment sanitized. O*NET alternate titles include clinical massage therapist, deep tissue massage therapist, licensed massage therapist and bodywork therapist. Nearly three in four respondents report a postsecondary certificate. Physical therapy is a separate occupation with its own code.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a postsecondary certificate as the typical level of education for this occupation (73 percent).
Also called: Bodywork Therapist, Certified Massage Therapist (CMT), Clinical Massage Therapist, Deep Tissue Massage Therapist, Integrated Deep Tissue Massage Therapist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.17 | $20.91 | $28.10 | $37.66 | $48.17 | $30.69 | 98,790 |
| Annual | $33,640 | $43,480 | $58,450 | $78,320 | $100,200 | $63,830 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where massage therapists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $16.41 | $50.00 | $64.87 | $66.93 | $77.59 | $58.34 | 570 | 1.76 | 2.78 |
| Annual | $34,140 | $104,000 | $134,930 | $139,210 | $161,400 | $121,350 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $29.74 | $36.33 | $42.00 | $46.90 | $55.67 | $42.05 | 3,740 | 1.05 | 1.66 |
| Annual | $61,850 | $75,570 | $87,360 | $97,550 | $115,800 | $87,460 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $22.73 | $31.79 | $41.81 | $46.57 | $49.82 | $39.50 | 2,250 | 1.14 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $47,270 | $66,130 | $86,970 | $96,870 | $103,630 | $82,160 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $17.63 | $27.59 | $39.08 | $62.39 | $80.16 | $58.93 | 1,330 | 2.12 | 3.34 |
| Annual | $36,660 | $57,390 | $81,280 | $129,770 | $166,730 | $122,580 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $17.55 | $31.36 | $38.63 | $48.34 | $55.00 | $38.11 | 270 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $36,500 | $65,220 | $80,360 | $100,550 | $114,400 | $79,270 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.91 | $22.10 | $30.83 | $43.21 | $26.75 | 14,600 | 0.80 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $35,170 | $45,970 | $64,130 | $89,880 | $55,630 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.57 | $20.88 | $23.88 | $28.70 | $38.09 | $25.83 | 9,280 | 0.94 | 1.47 |
| Annual | $30,310 | $43,420 | $49,680 | $59,700 | $79,220 | $53,730 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.77 | $24.23 | $28.54 | $35.54 | $52.87 | $31.28 | 8,630 | 0.61 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $34,870 | $50,400 | $59,370 | $73,910 | $109,970 | $65,060 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $16.24 | $22.02 | $29.08 | $37.29 | $39.86 | $29.06 | 4,950 | 0.81 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $33,770 | $45,800 | $60,490 | $77,550 | $82,910 | $60,440 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.00 | $17.99 | $30.11 | $43.29 | $52.99 | $32.63 | 4,500 | 0.46 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $37,410 | $62,630 | $90,030 | $110,210 | $67,860 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Fairbanks-College, AK | Hourly | $16.40 | $50.11 | $62.78 | $65.19 | $76.74 | $56.04 | 50 | 1.35 | 2.12 |
| Annual | $34,120 | $104,230 | $130,590 | $135,580 | $159,620 | $116,560 | ||||
| Pittsfield, MA | Hourly | $20.91 | $22.58 | $49.10 | $49.10 | $49.10 | $38.43 | 50 | 0.83 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $43,480 | $46,970 | $102,120 | $102,120 | $102,120 | $79,930 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $14.97 | $29.03 | $46.55 | $70.64 | $81.34 | $48.89 | 330 | 4.49 | 7.07 |
| Annual | $31,140 | $60,380 | $96,820 | $146,940 | $169,180 | $101,690 | ||||
| Salem, OR | Hourly | $30.13 | $39.86 | $46.19 | $47.19 | $56.48 | $44.05 | 160 | 0.84 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $62,670 | $82,910 | $96,080 | $98,160 | $117,490 | $91,630 | ||||
| Grants Pass, OR | Hourly | $19.58 | $41.00 | $45.49 | $45.60 | $47.39 | $41.11 | 40 | 1.19 | 1.87 |
| Annual | $40,730 | $85,280 | $94,610 | $94,850 | $98,560 | $85,520 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.50 | $20.93 | $29.28 | $37.66 | $25.06 | 5,680 | 0.91 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,320 | $43,530 | $60,900 | $78,320 | $52,130 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.00 | $17.93 | $24.33 | $37.25 | $48.04 | $29.75 | 5,420 | 0.57 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $37,280 | $50,600 | $77,470 | $99,920 | $61,880 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $16.24 | $22.61 | $29.42 | $37.29 | $39.91 | $29.22 | 3,890 | 0.86 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $33,770 | $47,020 | $61,200 | $77,550 | $83,000 | $60,770 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $16.87 | $24.42 | $28.37 | $36.54 | $49.41 | $30.00 | 2,930 | 0.72 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $35,100 | $50,800 | $59,010 | $76,000 | $102,760 | $62,390 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $14.55 | $18.82 | $23.25 | $28.51 | $38.14 | $25.06 | 2,740 | 0.97 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $30,260 | $39,150 | $48,370 | $59,300 | $79,330 | $52,120 | ||||
Top industries employing massage therapists
Personal Care Services employ 50.4% of massage therapists nationally (49,750 jobs) at a median $56,230 a year ($27.03 an hour), followed by Offices of Other Health Practitioners (31.2%) and Traveler Accommodation (9.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Care Services NAICS 812100 | 49,750 | 50.4% | $56,230 | $27.03 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300 | 30,840 | 31.2% | $67,140 | $32.28 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 9,390 | 9.5% | $43,710 | $21.02 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900 | 3,420 | 3.5% | $51,010 | $24.53 |
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 760 | 0.8% | $48,850 | $23.49 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (98,790). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $46,910 for massage therapists in May 2021 and $58,450 in May 2025, with employment of 81,030 and 98,790.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,910 | $22.55 | 81,030 |
| May 2022 | $49,860 | $23.97 | 86,270 |
| May 2023 | $55,310 | $26.59 | 92,650 |
| May 2024 | $57,950 | $27.86 | 96,040 |
| May 2025 | $58,450 | $28.10 | 98,790 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska profile | $64.87 | $134,930 | $34,140 | $161,400 | 570 | 1.76 | 2.78 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $42.00 | $87,360 | $61,850 | $115,800 | 3,740 | 1.05 | 1.66 |
| 3 | Oregon profile | $41.81 | $86,970 | $47,270 | $103,630 | 2,250 | 1.14 | 1.80 |
| 4 | Hawaii profile | $39.08 | $81,280 | $36,660 | $166,730 | 1,330 | 2.12 | 3.34 |
| 5 | New Hampshire profile | $38.63 | $80,360 | $36,500 | $114,400 | 270 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| 6 | Rhode Island profile | $36.04 | $74,960 | $43,480 | $126,150 | 290 | 0.58 | 0.92 |
| 7 | North Dakota profile | $35.65 | $74,140 | $34,120 | $110,870 | 100 | 0.23 | 0.37 |
| 8 | Maine profile | $35.23 | $73,290 | $32,450 | $119,580 | 370 | 0.58 | 0.91 |
| 9 | Michigan profile | $34.11 | $70,960 | $32,610 | $89,950 | 2,410 | 0.55 | 0.86 |
| 10 | District of Columbia profile | $30.82 | $64,110 | $44,130 | $134,110 | 120 | 0.17 | 0.27 |
| 11 | Massachusetts profile | $30.48 | $63,390 | $40,420 | $104,510 | 2,830 | 0.78 | 1.23 |
| 12 | Minnesota profile | $30.32 | $63,070 | $28,320 | $97,870 | 1,690 | 0.57 | 0.90 |
| 13 | New York profile | $30.11 | $62,630 | $33,280 | $110,210 | 4,500 | 0.46 | 0.73 |
| 14 | Arizona profile | $30.00 | $62,400 | $37,800 | $90,780 | 2,530 | 0.78 | 1.23 |
| 15 | Maryland profile | $29.94 | $62,270 | $35,360 | $96,440 | 1,350 | 0.49 | 0.77 |
| 16 | Connecticut profile | $29.93 | $62,260 | $34,010 | $97,870 | 700 | 0.41 | 0.65 |
| 17 | Virginia profile | $29.91 | $62,220 | $38,070 | $119,570 | 2,730 | 0.66 | 1.04 |
| 18 | Utah profile | $29.87 | $62,130 | $23,160 | $97,970 | 1,840 | 1.06 | 1.66 |
| 19 | Missouri profile | $29.83 | $62,050 | $43,680 | $101,900 | 1,500 | 0.51 | 0.80 |
| 20 | Wyoming profile | $29.80 | $61,980 | $18,570 | $98,090 | 150 | 0.55 | 0.86 |
| 21 | Colorado profile | $29.36 | $61,060 | $35,990 | $101,710 | 3,950 | 1.37 | 2.16 |
| 22 | North Carolina profile | $29.16 | $60,650 | $31,050 | $96,510 | 2,460 | 0.50 | 0.78 |
| 23 | Illinois profile | $29.08 | $60,490 | $33,770 | $82,910 | 4,950 | 0.81 | 1.28 |
| 24 | Idaho profile | $29.05 | $60,420 | $35,360 | $94,610 | 170 | 0.20 | 0.31 |
| 25 | Kentucky profile | $28.75 | $59,790 | $30,210 | $95,290 | 780 | 0.39 | 0.61 |
| 26 | Texas profile | $28.54 | $59,370 | $34,870 | $109,970 | 8,630 | 0.61 | 0.97 |
| 27 | Delaware profile | $28.30 | $58,870 | $46,250 | $98,220 | 230 | 0.47 | 0.75 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania profile | $28.03 | $58,300 | $31,000 | $110,770 | 2,990 | 0.49 | 0.78 |
| 29 | Wisconsin profile | $27.92 | $58,070 | $20,280 | $105,360 | 1,520 | 0.52 | 0.82 |
| 30 | South Carolina profile | $27.88 | $58,000 | $17,340 | $95,540 | 1,840 | 0.80 | 1.25 |
| 31 | Iowa profile | $27.75 | $57,710 | $37,560 | $91,570 | 540 | 0.35 | 0.55 |
| 32 | Ohio profile | $26.92 | $55,990 | $40,340 | $78,520 | 1,760 | 0.32 | 0.50 |
| 33 | Indiana profile | $26.72 | $55,590 | $38,140 | $83,140 | 1,480 | 0.46 | 0.73 |
| 34 | Nebraska profile | $25.94 | $53,950 | $47,360 | $93,390 | 270 | 0.27 | 0.42 |
| 35 | Montana profile | $25.74 | $53,540 | $25,020 | $96,740 | 200 | 0.38 | 0.60 |
| 36 | Nevada profile | $25.74 | $53,540 | $25,230 | $121,980 | 1,620 | 1.04 | 1.64 |
| 37 | South Dakota profile | $25.00 | $52,000 | $35,720 | $56,310 | 180 | 0.40 | 0.63 |
| 38 | Georgia profile | $24.43 | $50,820 | $19,010 | $83,130 | 1,700 | 0.35 | 0.55 |
| 39 | New Jersey profile | $24.11 | $50,150 | $33,280 | $81,930 | 2,890 | 0.67 | 1.06 |
| 40 | Tennessee profile | $24.07 | $50,070 | $36,960 | $95,260 | 1,230 | 0.38 | 0.59 |
| 41 | Kansas profile | $24.03 | $49,990 | $31,490 | $81,760 | 780 | 0.54 | 0.85 |
| 42 | Florida profile | $23.88 | $49,680 | $30,310 | $79,220 | 9,280 | 0.94 | 1.47 |
| 43 | Alabama profile | $23.52 | $48,930 | $22,250 | $91,260 | 600 | 0.29 | 0.45 |
| 44 | West Virginia profile | $22.40 | $46,600 | $22,450 | $82,950 | 250 | 0.36 | 0.57 |
| 45 | California profile | $22.10 | $45,970 | $34,320 | $89,880 | 14,600 | 0.80 | 1.26 |
| 46 | Mississippi profile | $19.47 | $40,490 | $28,820 | $103,020 | 230 | 0.20 | 0.32 |
| 47 | Arkansas profile | $19.23 | $39,990 | $24,180 | $74,530 | 430 | 0.33 | 0.52 |
| 48 | New Mexico profile | $18.19 | $37,840 | $29,430 | $91,730 | 360 | 0.42 | 0.66 |
| 49 | Oklahoma profile | $17.61 | $36,630 | $24,790 | $101,100 | 520 | 0.31 | 0.48 |
| 50 | Louisiana profile | $17.54 | $36,480 | $18,080 | $59,680 | 890 | 0.46 | 0.72 |
Part of Healthcare Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 31-9011 Massage Therapists.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 31-9011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 31-9011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.