How much does a massage therapist make?
a year · about $28 an hour
A typical massage therapist in the United States makes $58,450 a year, about $28 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
A therapist greets a client, asks about their health and sore spots, then uses hands or forearms to work tense muscles and suggest stretches. Between appointments, they clean the table, update notes, and prepare the room.
Did you know? Many massage therapists cannot give massages for eight hours a day, five days a week—the work takes a lot of strength and endurance.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $33,640 and $100,200How do you become one?
In the U.S., finish high school and complete a massage-therapy program with classroom lessons and hands-on practice. Then pass the required state exam (often the MBLEx) and get licensed; rules and training lengths vary by state.
School needed: Vocational school or a few years' experience
Good for people who like helping and teaching and building and doing
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can vary with experience, licenses or certification, location, and workplace: BLS data show differences among health-care offices, personal-care businesses, and hotels. Appointment-based or part-time hours affect how much they earn, and a specialty or good reputation may help attract returning clients.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Alaska ($134,930), lowest in Louisiana ($36,480).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $33,640 | $58,450 | $100,200 | about 99,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $134,930 | about 570 |
| Washington | $87,360 | about 4,000 |
| Oregon | $86,970 | about 2,000 |
| Michigan | $70,960 | about 2,000 |
| Massachusetts | $63,390 | about 3,000 |
Official definition: 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.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/massage-therapists.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/31-9011.00
- fsmtb.org/consumer-information
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY