Massage Therapy Industry Statistics 2026: Pay, Jobs, and Clients
There were about 155,400 massage therapist jobs in the US in 2025, and the government expects that number to grow 15% over the next decade. That’s much faster than the average for all occupations. Here’s what the latest government and industry data says about pay, clients, and where the work is.
If you run a massage practice, rent a room, or are thinking about going out on your own, these numbers help you set prices, plan your schedule, and decide where to work. They show who books massages and why, how pay changes by setting and state, and how the picture looks in Canada. Every figure links to its original source, so you can check it or quote it.
Key Massage Therapy Industry Statistics at a Glance
- There were about 155,400 massage therapist jobs in the US in 2025, counting both employees and the self-employed.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - Massage therapist jobs are projected to grow 15% by 2035, to 179,100, with about 20,400 openings a year.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - 36% of massage therapists are self-employed, the single biggest group in the profession.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - The median massage therapist earned $58,450 a year ($28.10 an hour) in May 2025.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - The top 10% of massage therapists earned more than $100,200 a year, while the bottom 10% earned less than $33,640.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - Massage therapists in chiropractic offices earn a median $72,800, versus $56,230 in personal care services such as spas.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 - Median massage therapist pay rose 5.7% in two years, from $55,310 in May 2023 to $58,450 in May 2025.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2024 and 2026 - Alaska paid massage therapists the most, a mean $100,670 a year, in May 2023, the latest state data we could access.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2024 - Massage parlors, day spas, and similar businesses with employees earned $14.3 billion in 2022, nearly three times the $4.8 billion of 2012.
Source: US Census Bureau, Service Annual Survey (via FRED), 2024 - 10.9% of US adults used massage in 2022, more than double the 4.8% who did in 2002.
Source: NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Health Interview Survey, 2024 - 23% of men and 19% of women got a massage in the past year, according to AMTA’s 2026 research.
Source: American Massage Therapy Association, Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet, 2026 - 34% of people in households earning $100,000 or more got a massage last year, compared with 14% of those earning $50,000 or less.
Source: American Massage Therapy Association, Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet, 2026 - Soreness, stiffness, or spasm (49%) is the top reason for a massage, ahead of relaxation and stress reduction (43%).
Source: American Massage Therapy Association, Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet, 2026 - Massage consumers received an average of 2.7 massages in the past 12 months, and 71% used massage for a health or medical reason in that period.
Source: American Massage Therapy Association, Consumer Views and Use of Massage Therapy, 2025 - Canada had about 45,000 massage therapists in 2023, and employment is projected to grow 2.5% a year through 2033, about twice the national average.
Source: Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System, 2025
How Big Is the Massage Therapy Industry?
The Census Bureau doesn’t publish revenue for massage businesses on their own. The closest official series covers “other personal care services” (NAICS 812199), the category that holds massage parlors and day spas, along with tattoo parlors, tanning salons, and a few others. Watch the steady climb, the 2020 dip, and how fast the category came back.
Source: US Census Bureau, Service Annual Survey, Total Revenue for Other Personal Care Services, Employer Firms (via FRED), data through 2022.
Employer businesses in this category took in $14.3 billion in 2022, up from $4.8 billion in 2012, an average gain of about 11.4% a year. Revenue fell 14.7% in 2020, to $8.3 billion, but 2022 finished 47.3% above 2019. Two caveats: the series includes businesses that aren’t massage, and it leaves out solo therapists with no employees, who make up a big share of the profession. Read it as a signal of direction: revenue in this group of body-care services has grown fast and recovered quickly after 2020.
How Many Massage Therapists Are There in the US?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counts massage therapists two ways. Its Occupational Outlook Handbook counts every job, including the self-employed. Its wage survey, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), counts only employees on a payroll. Look at how much of the profession works for itself.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Massage Therapists, 2025 data, updated August 27, 2026. “Other” is the remainder not listed among the largest employers.
Massage therapists held about 155,400 jobs in 2025, and 36% of them were self-employed. The OEWS survey counted 98,790 massage therapists on payrolls in May 2025, up 6.6% from 92,650 in May 2023. The gap between the two counts, roughly 56,600 jobs, is close to the 36% self-employed share (about 55,900 jobs). Among employers, personal care services such as spas and massage businesses lead with 33% of jobs, followed by offices of other health practitioners (12%), chiropractic offices (7%), and hotels and resorts (6%). If you’re an independent therapist, you’re in the largest single group in the profession, and your competition for clients is mostly other small operators.
Massage Therapist Pay by Workplace
Where a massage therapist works changes what they earn more than almost anything else. Compare the health care settings with spas and hotels.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Massage Therapists, May 2025 wage data, updated August 27, 2026.
Massage therapists in chiropractic offices earn a median $72,800 a year, $16,570 more than the $56,230 median in personal care services. Offices of other health practitioners pay $65,350, while hotels and resorts pay just $43,840. In this data, health care settings pay more than spas and hotels. For a solo therapist, that’s an argument for building referral relationships with chiropractors and physical therapists and for pricing therapeutic sessions above relaxation work.
How Much Do Massage Therapists Make?
The median tells you what a typical therapist earns. The spread tells you what’s possible. Compare the bottom, middle, and top of the pay range across two years of BLS data.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (May 2025) and OEWS, Massage Therapists (May 2023).
The median massage therapist earned $58,450 in May 2025, or $28.10 an hour, up 5.7% from $55,310 in May 2023. The top 10% earned more than $100,200, about three times the bottom 10% (under $33,640). The median hourly wage is also about 15% above the $24.51 median for all US occupations. Hours matter as much as rate here: BLS notes that part-time work is common, and many therapists can’t give massages eight hours a day, five days a week. That makes a steady, full book of well-priced sessions a big part of reaching the higher end of the range.
Massage Therapist Pay by State
State pay gaps are wide. State figures are from May 2023, the latest state data we could access.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, Massage Therapists, May 2023 data, released April 2024.
Alaska led with a mean wage of $100,670, followed by Vermont ($86,740), Washington ($80,960), Oregon ($76,600), and New Hampshire ($72,970). The biggest markets are elsewhere. California employed the most massage therapists, about 1 in 6 of the national total.
| State | Massage therapists employed | Mean annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 15,070 | $56,680 |
| Florida | 8,920 | $52,410 |
| Texas | 5,490 | $50,420 |
| New York | 4,830 | $70,930 |
| Colorado | 4,380 | $60,460 |
Big states have more clients but also more therapists competing for them. In Florida and Texas, mean pay sits more than $10,000 below the $62,560 national mean. If you work in a crowded market, your edge comes from filling your schedule reliably and keeping clients coming back rather than from undercutting on price.
How Many People Get Massages?
The National Health Interview Survey asks US adults which complementary health approaches they’ve used in the past year. Compare massage with the category as a whole over 20 years.
Source: NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, analysis of the National Health Interview Survey (Nahin, Rhee, and Stussman, JAMA), published January 2024.
10.9% of US adults used massage in 2022, up from 4.8% in 2002. That’s more than a doubling in 20 years, and massage was one of the fastest-growing approaches along with yoga and meditation. Overall use of the seven approaches tracked rose from 19.2% to 36.7%. AMTA’s own 2026 research puts it higher, at 23% of men and 19% of women getting a massage in the past year, but the two surveys use different samples and questions, so their figures aren’t directly comparable. Either way, the share of adults getting massages has more than doubled, and BLS points to growing demand for massage in its job projections.
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Why People Get Massages
The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) surveys consumers and therapists every year. Look at how many of the top reasons are about the body rather than the mood.
Source: American Massage Therapy Association, Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet (2026 Massage Profession Research Report), 2026.
Soreness, stiffness, or spasm (49%) is the most common reason, ahead of relaxation and stress reduction (43%), chronic pain relief (42%), and injury recovery (36%). About 26% cite mental health. AMTA’s July 2025 consumer survey found that 71% of massage consumers used massage for a health or medical reason in the 12 months ending June 2025, and consumers averaged 2.7 massages in the past year. Money plays a part too: 34% of people in households earning $100,000 or more got a massage last year, compared with 14% of those earning $50,000 or less. For your marketing, lead with outcomes like less pain and better movement, and make rebooking easy. A client who comes 2.7 times a year is a client you can turn into a monthly regular with a reminder and a reason. Our guide to booking more massage appointments online has practical ideas.
Where Massage Therapists Work
AMTA also asks therapists where they give massages. Many work in more than one setting, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Source: American Massage Therapy Association, Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet (2026 Massage Profession Research Report), 2026.
40% of therapists work in their own office, but 37% work in clients’ homes and 25% in their own home. Only 20% work in a spa or salon, and 13% in a franchise. Mobile and home-based work is mainstream, which means travel time, scheduling, and last-minute cancellations hit harder: an empty slot at a client’s house costs you the drive as well as the fee. Referrals matter, too. AMTA reports that 74% of therapists receive referrals from other massage therapists, 64% from other health care professionals, and 60% from chiropractic offices. Automated appointment reminders and a clear cancellation policy protect your time when you’re on the road.
Massage Therapy Job Outlook
BLS projects employment for every occupation over a 10-year window. Massage therapy sits well above the average.
Massage therapist jobs are projected to grow 15% from 2025 to 2035, from 155,400 to 179,100, a gain of 23,700 jobs. BLS expects about 20,400 openings a year, counting new jobs plus therapists who retire or change careers. It points to wider acceptance of massage as a safe way to manage pain and to people using massage to stay healthy and manage stress. The typical entry path is a postsecondary nondegree award from a massage therapy program. For owners, fast growth cuts both ways: more clients, but also more new therapists opening practices nearby.
Massage Therapy Statistics in Canada
Canada’s Job Bank publishes earnings for massage therapists (NOC 32201) by province, based on the 2021 Census. Because so many therapists work part-time or for themselves, Job Bank reports annual earnings rather than hourly wages. Compare the provinces with the national figure.
Source: Government of Canada, Job Bank, Wages for Registered Massage Therapists, 2021 Census data, updated November 19, 2025. Territories not shown (no data). Alberta is not shown because Job Bank lists the same figure as the national median (C$32,867).
British Columbia leads with median annual earnings of C$43,600, ahead of Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan (both C$40,800) and Ontario (C$37,561). The national median is C$32,867. These are annual earnings, so they reflect part-time schedules as much as rates. The outlook is strong: Canada had about 45,000 massage therapists in 2023, and employment is projected to grow 2.5% a year through 2033, compared with 1.2% for all occupations. Employment and Social Development Canada expects 21,500 job openings and 22,200 job seekers over 2024–2033, and rates the occupation at moderate risk of shortage, after “moderate signs of shortage conditions” in recent years.
What These Numbers Mean for Your Business
- Price for outcomes. Chiropractic offices pay a median $16,570 more a year than personal care services like spas. If your clients come for pain and recovery, price and describe your sessions that way.
- Fill the book, don’t stretch the day. BLS says many therapists can’t massage eight hours a day. Your income depends on a full, predictable schedule of sessions you can sustain.
- Turn occasional clients into regulars. The average client books 2.7 massages a year. Massage therapist booking software with online booking and rebooking prompts makes it easy for them to come back sooner.
- Protect mobile time. With 37% of therapists working in clients’ homes, a no-show costs you the drive too. Use reminders, deposits, and a clear policy, and know what to say to no-show clients.
- Build referral partners. 64% of therapists receive referrals from other health care professionals and 60% from chiropractic offices, so relationships with local chiropractors and physical therapists are worth building.
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References and Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Massage Therapists, updated August 27, 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025, Table 1: National Employment and Wage Data by Occupation, 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: 31-9011 Massage Therapists, April 2024.
- US Census Bureau, Service Annual Survey: Total Revenue for Other Personal Care Services, Employer Firms (REVEF812199ALLEST), via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED, data through 2022.
- NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Use of Complementary Health Approaches for Pain by U.S. Adults Increased From 2002 to 2022, January 25, 2024 (Nahin RL, Rhee A, Stussman B, JAMA, 2024), and Massage Use: 20-Year Trends.
- American Massage Therapy Association, Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet, based on the 2026 Massage Profession Research Report, 2026.
- American Massage Therapy Association, Consumer Views and Use of Massage Therapy, 2025 consumer survey (July 2025).
- Government of Canada, Job Bank, Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) in Canada: Wages, updated November 19, 2025.
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System: Massage Therapists (2024–2033), January 30, 2025.
Methodology Note
US workforce and pay figures come from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025 job counts, May 2025 wages, and 2025–2035 projections, updated August 27, 2026) and OEWS for occupation 31-9011 Massage Therapists. The Handbook counts all jobs, including the self-employed; OEWS counts payroll employees only, which is why the two totals differ (155,400 vs 98,790). State pay and employment figures use May 2023 OEWS data, the latest state data we could access, and are labeled that way. Industry revenue uses the Census Bureau’s Service Annual Survey for NAICS 812199 Other Personal Care Services, republished by FRED; this category includes massage parlors and day spas but also tattoo parlors, tanning salons, and other services, and it excludes businesses without employees, so it is a proxy for the massage market rather than a direct measure. We did not use private research-firm market-size estimates. Consumer use comes from the National Health Interview Survey (2002 and 2022) as analyzed by NCCIH, and from AMTA’s 2026 fact sheet and 2025 consumer survey; AMTA’s older “fast facts” page reports different gender figures (1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men), so we used the newer 2026 fact sheet. AMTA reasons and work settings allow multiple answers. Canadian earnings are Job Bank figures from the 2021 Census in Canadian dollars, not converted; projections come from ESDC’s COPS 2024–2033. Percent changes and growth rates were calculated from the source figures and rounded to one decimal place.
About the Author
With over a decade of experience across startups, online publications, and agencies, Marcy is all about delivering content that connects brands with the audiences they're trying to reach.
