How much do massage therapists make?

Massage Therapist salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Massage Therapists (SOC 31-9011) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Massage therapists in the US earned a median of $58,450 a year ($28.10 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $43,480 to $78,320.

Median annual pay: $58,450; Mean $63,830
Median hourly pay: $28.10; Mean $30.69
Typical range (10th–90th): $33.6K–$100K; $33,640 to $100,200
US jobs: 98,790; +15.3% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a massage therapist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Alaska

Massage Therapist pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$33,640
25th percentile$43,480
Median$58,450
75th percentile$78,320
90th percentile$100,200

Half of all massage therapists earned more than $58,450 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $33,640; the top 10% made over $100,200. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $43,480 to $78,320.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$33,640	$16.17	$2,803
25th	$43,480	$20.91	$3,623
Median (50th)	$58,450	$28.10	$4,871
75th	$78,320	$37.66	$6,527
90th	$100,200	$48.17	$8,350
Mean (average)	$63,830	$30.69	$5,319

Massage Therapist salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for massage therapists by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. Alaska $134,930
2. Washington $87,360
3. Oregon $86,970
4. Hawaii $81,280
5. New Hampshire $80,360

Lowest-paying states

50. Louisiana $36,480
49. Oklahoma $36,630
48. New Mexico $37,840
47. Arkansas $39,990
46. Mississippi $40,490

Best after cost of living: Alaska. Its median of $134,930 is worth about $131,820 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$48,930	43	$55,087	38	$23.52	600	0.29
Alaska	$134,930	1	$131,820	1	$64.87	570	1.76
Arizona	$62,400	14	$61,980	18	$30.00	2,530	0.78
Arkansas	$39,990	47	$45,999	46	$19.23	430	0.33
California	$45,970	45	$41,519	48	$22.10	14,600	0.80
Colorado	$61,060	21	$59,252	31	$29.36	3,950	1.37
Connecticut	$62,260	16	$60,091	25	$29.93	700	0.41
Delaware	$58,870	27	$58,983	32	$28.30	230	0.47
District of Columbia	$64,110	10	$58,334	34	$30.82	120	0.17
Florida	$49,680	42	$48,040	43	$23.88	9,280	0.94
Georgia	$50,820	38	$52,776	41	$24.43	1,700	0.35
Hawaii	$81,280	4	$73,924	7	$39.08	1,330	2.12
Idaho	$60,420	24	$63,271	16	$29.05	170	0.20
Illinois	$60,490	23	$60,515	23	$29.08	4,950	0.81
Indiana	$55,590	33	$59,563	29	$26.72	1,480	0.46
Iowa	$57,710	31	$65,757	13	$27.75	540	0.35
Kansas	$49,990	41	$55,503	37	$24.03	780	0.54
Kentucky	$59,790	25	$66,316	12	$28.75	780	0.39
Louisiana	$36,480	50	$41,357	49	$17.54	890	0.46
Maine	$73,290	8	$75,518	6	$35.23	370	0.58
Maryland	$62,270	15	$59,328	30	$29.94	1,350	0.49
Massachusetts	$63,390	11	$59,939	26	$30.48	2,830	0.78
Michigan	$70,960	9	$73,750	8	$34.11	2,410	0.55
Minnesota	$63,070	12	$63,952	15	$30.32	1,690	0.57
Mississippi	$40,490	46	$46,565	44	$19.47	230	0.20
Missouri	$62,050	19	$68,324	10	$29.83	1,500	0.51
Montana	$53,540	35	$56,569	36	$25.74	200	0.38
Nebraska	$53,950	34	$59,876	27	$25.94	270	0.27
Nevada	$53,540	36	$53,551	40	$25.74	1,620	1.04
New Hampshire	$80,360	5	$77,147	5	$38.63	270	0.39
New Jersey	$50,150	39	$46,092	45	$24.11	2,890	0.67
New Mexico	$37,840	48	$41,036	50	$18.19	360	0.42
New York	$62,630	13	$58,033	35	$30.11	4,500	0.46
North Carolina	$60,650	22	$64,298	14	$29.16	2,460	0.50
North Dakota	$74,140	7	$83,342	3	$35.65	100	0.23
Ohio	$55,990	32	$60,351	24	$26.92	1,760	0.32
Oklahoma	$36,630	49	$41,699	47	$17.61	520	0.30
Oregon	$86,970	3	$84,142	2	$41.81	2,250	1.14
Pennsylvania	$58,300	28	$59,751	28	$28.03	2,990	0.49
Rhode Island	$74,960	6	$73,289	9	$36.04	290	0.58
South Carolina	$58,000	30	$61,867	19	$27.88	1,840	0.80
South Dakota	$52,000	37	$58,700	33	$25.00	180	0.40
Tennessee	$50,070	40	$54,501	39	$24.07	1,230	0.38
Texas	$59,370	26	$61,170	22	$28.54	8,630	0.61
Utah	$62,130	18	$62,844	17	$29.87	1,840	1.06
Vermont	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Virginia	$62,220	17	$61,541	21	$29.91	2,730	0.66
Washington	$87,360	2	$81,635	4	$42.00	3,740	1.05
West Virginia	$46,600	44	$52,069	42	$22.40	250	0.36
Wisconsin	$58,070	29	$61,714	20	$27.92	1,520	0.52
Wyoming	$61,980	20	$66,867	11	$29.80	150	0.55

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (Vermont). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for massage therapists

237 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Fairbanks-College, AK	$130,590	$126,531	50
Pittsfield, MA	$102,120	$107,375	50
Kahului-Wailuku, HI	$96,820	$88,507	330
Salem, OR	$96,080	$92,697	160
Grants Pass, OR	$94,610	$96,778	40
Bend, OR	$94,580	$91,287	210
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$94,220	$84,781	2,230
Bozeman, MT	$85,670	$83,572	40
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$84,730	$80,373	1,580
Yakima, WA	$84,100	$88,021	60

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	5,680	$43,530	$38,330
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	5,420	$50,600	$44,953
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	3,890	$61,200	$59,076
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	2,930	$59,010	$57,241
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	2,740	$48,370	$42,372
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	2,230	$94,220	$84,781
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	2,180	$75,160	$69,422
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	1,930	$59,150	$59,972
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	1,890	$60,490	$57,184
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	1,890	$63,080	$61,055

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves massage therapist pay: employers and settings

Massage therapists earn a median of $58,450, with the 10th percentile at $33,640, and the 90th at $100,200, a wide spread shaped by setting, hours and whether a therapist works for themselves.

Setting is a large factor. Chiropractic, physical therapy and other health practitioner offices pay the highest median, $67,140; spas, salons and massage franchises in personal care services pay $56,230; and hotels and resorts pay $43,710. Physician offices pay $48,850.

Many employers pay per massage or a share of the service price rather than by the hour, so the number of booked sessions matters, and tips can add meaningfully to income in spas and hotels. Self-employed therapists, who are more than a third of the field, keep more of each fee but pay for rent, linens, insurance and marketing, and earn nothing during gaps in their schedule.

Specialties such as sports, medical or prenatal massage can support higher rates. Location matters a lot: Alaska's median is $134,930, followed by Washington at $87,360, and Oregon at $86,970, while Louisiana's is $36,480. Adjusted for living costs, Alaska still leads at $131,820 adjusted.

Where massage therapists work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Personal Care Services	50.4%	$56,230
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	31.2%	$67,140
Traveler Accommodation	9.5%	$43,710
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries	3.5%	$51,010
Offices of Physicians	0.8%	$48,850
Other Personal Services	0.7%	$37,410

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	98,320	$58,470
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	140	$48,650
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	330	$44,730

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Massage Therapist pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$58.5K $38.0K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $38,040 in 2015 to $58,450 in 2025, up 54% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $51,423 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 14% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What massage therapists do

A massage therapist uses hands, forearms and sometimes tools to work the muscles and soft tissue of the body, to ease pain, tension and stress or to help someone recover from injury. Most licensed massage therapists (LMTs) give Swedish and deep tissue massage, and many add specialties such as sports, prenatal, trigger point, myofascial or lymphatic work.

A session starts with a short intake: what hurts, health conditions, medications and what the client wants. The therapist then chooses techniques and pressure, works for 30 to 90 minutes, and gives simple advice on stretching or posture. In medical and chiropractic offices, massage may be part of a treatment plan and requires notes like any other therapy.

About half of massage therapists work in personal care settings such as massage franchises and day spas. Others work in chiropractic and physical therapy offices, hotels, resorts, cruise ships and gyms, and more than a third are self-employed, renting a room or traveling to clients' homes. The work is physical: therapists stand for hours and use their hands all day, so many work fewer than 40 hands-on hours a week.

A typical day

Talk with each client about pain, health history and goals before the session
Give massages using Swedish, deep tissue, sports or other techniques
Adjust pressure and positioning for pregnancy, injuries or medical conditions
Change linens, sanitize tables and keep the treatment room ready between clients
Write session notes, and in medical settings document treatment for the provider
Book appointments, process payments and market a private practice if self-employed
Suggest stretches, self-care and how often to come back

Also called: bcmt (board certified massage therapist), bodywork therapist, certified massage therapist (cmt), clinical massage therapist, licensed massage practitioner (lmp), licensed massage therapist (lmt), medical massage practitioner, mmt (medical massage therapist).

How to become a massage therapist

Full guide

To become a massage therapist you complete a state-approved massage program, usually 500 to 1,000 hours depending on the state, then pass the licensing exam (most often the MBLEx) and apply for a state license. Most people finish in 6 months to 2 years.

Typical time: 9-15 months; Fastest: About 6 months
Minimum education: Diploma or certificate from a state-approved massage therapy program (commonly 500-1,000 clock hours)
License: Required in most states (license, certification or registration); a few states do not regulate massage at the state level
Typical training cost: $5.0K–$9.4K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a massage therapist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 9-15 months; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $5.0K–$9.4K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $58,450; $7,470 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 9–16%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($7,470 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year to 1.3 years after training ends (9-15 months in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for massage therapists

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +15.3%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 155,400; 179,100 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 20,400; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 35.6%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects massage therapist jobs to grow 15.3% from 2025 to 2035, from 155,400 to 179,100, more than four times the 3.5% average for all jobs. That works out to about 20,400 openings a year, most of them to replace therapists who change careers or retire.

The growth comes from more people using massage regularly for stress, sore muscles and general wellness, and from wider acceptance of massage as a drug-free way to manage pain alongside chiropractic and physical therapy care.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Massage Therapist salary FAQ

How much do massage therapists make an hour?

The median hourly wage for massage therapists was $28.10 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $16.17 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $48.17. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays massage therapists the most?

Alaska has the highest median pay for massage therapists, $134,930 a year, followed by Washington ($87,360) and Oregon ($86,970). After adjusting for each state's price level, Alaska comes out ahead at about $131,820 in national-average dollars.

Do massage therapists make six figures?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of massage therapists earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $58,450, and the top 10% earn more than $100,200. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What does LMT stand for?

LMT means licensed massage therapist: someone who has met a state's requirements, usually an approved training program, an exam such as the MBLEx and a background check, and holds a current state license. Some states use other titles, such as certified or registered massage therapist. Using the title or practicing without the required credential is illegal in states that regulate massage.

Do massage therapists get tips?

Often, especially in spas, resorts and massage franchises, where tipping is customary. Medical settings such as physical therapy and chiropractic offices usually do not expect tips. Ask employers how pay works: some pay a flat amount per massage plus tips, others an hourly wage, and the mix can change your take-home pay a lot.

Is being a massage therapist hard on your body?

It can be. Therapists stand for long periods and use their hands, wrists, shoulders and back all day, so overuse injuries are a real risk. Good body mechanics, an adjustable table, varied techniques and limits on back-to-back deep tissue sessions help. Part-time schedules are common, partly because few therapists can sustain a full 40 hands-on hours a week.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 31-9011
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (31-9011.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Massage Therapists: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
MBLEx FAQs, Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards · checked October 28, 2026
Licensed Massage Therapist, Florida Board of Massage Therapy · checked October 28, 2026
Massage Therapy License Requirements, New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions · checked October 28, 2026
Minimum Requirements for Board Approved Massage Schools, Florida Board of Massage Therapy · checked October 28, 2026
Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, COMTA · checked October 28, 2026
MBLEx Requirements & Process, Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards · checked October 28, 2026
Board Certification, National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork · checked October 28, 2026
Regulated States, Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards · checked October 28, 2026

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