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Massage Therapist

$58,450
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Treat clients by manipulating muscles and soft tissue to ease pain, stress, and injury.

Where you work

Spas, clinics, and studios; quiet rooms, hands-on, on your feet.

The hours

Full-time and part-time; evenings and weekends are common.

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$58,450
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~24,700
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+15%
Much faster than average
Working in the U.S.
coming soon

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Certificate program

Training path: License program (~600 hours).

License or certification

Most states require a license after training and an exam.

What it takes

Physical staminaEmpathyCommunicationManual dexterity

The honest take

Healthcare-adjacent growth without healthcare-length training.

Standard Occupational Classification 31-9011. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.