Perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints. May assist in the assessment of range of motion and muscle strength, or propose client therapy plans.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Massage Therapists is licensed or registered in 47 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 10 professional certifications to Massage Therapists. 6 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB), Holistic Health Care Practitioner Certification, Lymphedema Technician Certification, Medical Massage Therapy Certification, Practical Acupuncture Safety Certification. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. For 87.6% of workers the job requires light strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (over 99.5%), and are exposed to the outdoors (under 0.5%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round massage therapists ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $36,500 with a high school diploma or GED, $45,700 with some college or an associate's degree and $42,600 with a bachelor's degree (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of massage therapists work in Other Services (except Public Administration) (83%), Health Care and Social Assistance (10%), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (4%) and Accommodation and Food Services (2%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most massage therapists are Personal Care Services (51% of the jobs counted, median pay $56,230), Offices of Other Health Practitioners (32% of the jobs counted, median pay $67,140), Traveler Accommodation (10% of the jobs counted, median pay $43,710), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (3% of the jobs counted, median pay $51,010) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Offices of Other Health Practitioners ($67,140), Personal Care Services ($56,230), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries ($51,010). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
What workers studied. Among massage therapists with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Psychology (9%), Physical Fitness Parks Recreation and Leisure (7%), Business Management and Administration (5%) and General Business (4%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For massage therapists, employers reported 67.1 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 12 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Healthcare support", which includes this career, 8.7% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $884 for union members and $777 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to massage therapists.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Service", which includes this career, 52% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 51% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 70% had paid sick leave, 60% paid vacation and 59% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to massage therapists, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $27.17 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Service" in June 2026 ($19.59 in wages and salaries and $7.58 in benefits, 27.9% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for massage therapists are: freedom to make decisions (100%), determine tasks, priorities and goals (96%), spend time standing (93%), spend time making repetitive motions (86%), indoors, environmentally controlled (86%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (85%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (36% of 28 respondents) was "none"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (33% of 27 respondents) was "none"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (41% of 27 respondents) was "anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to massage therapists in the work done and the skills used: Physical Therapist Assistants, Recreational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapist Aides, Skincare Specialists, Occupational Therapy Aides, Respiratory Therapists, Radiation Therapists (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what massage therapists earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Massage Therapists salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare massage therapists with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
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