Home › Healthcare Support › Massage Therapist
Data current as of August 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET
Average base salary
$66,000 / year
≈ $5,500 per month · $31.73 per hour
25th percentile
$45,000Average
$66,00075th percentile
$81,000
$45,000Average
$66,00075th percentile
$81,000
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Massage Therapist salary by state
Alabama$58,000
Alaska$125,500
Arizona$67,500
Arkansas$46,000
California$57,500
Colorado$71,000
Connecticut$67,000
Delaware$65,500
District of Columbia$78,500
Florida$55,500
Georgia$57,000
Hawaii$127,000
Idaho$65,500
Illinois$62,500
Indiana$63,000
Iowa$64,500
Kansas$58,500
Kentucky$67,500
Louisiana$39,500
Maine$76,000
Maryland$67,500
Massachusetts$75,500
Michigan$67,500
Minnesota$72,000
Mississippi$53,000
Missouri$70,000
Montana$61,500
Nebraska$65,000
Nevada$62,500
New Hampshire$82,000
New Jersey$55,500
New Mexico$52,000
New York$70,000
North Carolina$69,000
North Dakota$77,500
Ohio$60,000
Oklahoma$55,000
Oregon$85,000
Pennsylvania$65,000
Rhode Island$83,500
South Carolina$58,500
South Dakota$50,500
Tennessee$59,500
Texas$67,500
Utah$68,500
Virginia$75,000
Washington$90,500
West Virginia$50,000
Wisconsin$63,000
Wyoming$62,500
About this role
Massage Therapist is a professional role within the function in the Healthcare Support job family.
Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Massage Therapists do
Typical education: Post-Secondary Certificate
- Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful.
- Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance.
- Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment.
- Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body.
- Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used.
Top skills: Speaking Active Listening Social Perceptiveness Service Orientation Judgment and Decision Making Writing
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Massage Therapist pay by experience level
Entry level$35,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$45,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$60,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$81,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$103,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+15.4%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
24,700
projected openings per year
Growing faster than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Massage Therapist salary by industry
Personal and Laundry Services
50,480 workers
$62,000Personal Care Services
49,750 workers
$62,500Ambulatory Health Care Services
32,460 workers
$73,000Offices of Other Health Practitioners
30,840 workers
$73,500Accommodation
9,400 workers
$61,500Traveler Accommodation
9,390 workers
$61,500Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
3,460 workers
$68,500Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
3,420 workers
$69,000Offices of Physicians
760 workers
$58,000Hospitals
720 workers
$74,000National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Massage Therapist pays 32% above the average across 19 roles in the Healthcare Support job family (family average $50,000).
Similar-paying roles in Healthcare Support
Physical Therapist Assistant$71,000
Endoscopy Technician$52,500
Dental Assistant$52,000
Medical Assistant$47,500
Phlebotomist$47,000
Occupational Therapy Aide$45,500
Nursing Assistant$44,000
Medical Transcriptionist$43,000
Orderly$42,000
Careers related to Massage Therapist
Physical Therapist Assistant$71,000
Recreational Therapist$70,000
Physical Therapist Aide$37,500
Skincare Specialist$53,500
Occupational Therapy Aide$45,500
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Massage Therapist make?
The average base salary for a Massage Therapist in the United States is $66,000 per year, or about $31.73 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $45,000 and $81,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Healthcare Support roles?
The Healthcare Support job family averages $50,000 across 19 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Put this data to work
Need Massage Therapist pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
Request an analysisWant to see what this salary looks like after taxes? Estimate your take-home pay →
