Massage Therapist Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

Approximately 118,000 massage therapists can be found working in the US. Recent data shows that compared to other careers this occupation has a very low level of unemployment. Employees without jobs represent 1% of the total.

Area Job Conditions

The most jobs per capita are found in Napa (California), Olympia (Washington), and Ithaca (New York), and the least jobs per capita are found in Little Rock (Arkansas), Louisville (Kentucky), and Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania).

The salary for this career is highest in Anchorage (Alaska), Bremerton (Washington), and Olympia (Washington) and lowest in Dayton (Ohio), New Orleans (Louisiana), and Reno (Nevada).

Training and Education

Most people pursuing this career path get a postsecondary vocational award. Among massage therapists, 32% have a four year degree. Some 49% of workers started college but did not get a four year degree. A high school diploma was enough for 19% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Massage therapists in part-time roles are about 43% of the total. Self-employed workers are about 64% of the total.

Massage Therapists: An Introductory Video

Massage Therapists Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of massage therapists compared to other locations (that is, jobs per population). Single or double up or down arrows indicate the relative popularity in that location. Within each state listing, metro areas are sorted by the actual number of jobs for massage therapists.

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$85,000	190

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Phoenix	$41,000	1,070
Tucson	$36,000	440

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Hot Springs	$20,000	50
Little Rock	$37,000	30

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
San Francisco	$50,000	1,220
San Diego	$44,000	970
Santa Ana	$35,000	780
Riverside	$47,000	710
San Jose	$56,000	480
Sacramento	$38,000	460
Santa Rosa	$43,000	240
Napa	$43,000	240
Oakland		220
Oxnard	$36,000	190
Salinas	$46,000	180
Vallejo	$28,000	110
Fresno	$41,000	90
Stockton	$37,000	80
Santa Barbara	$41,000	80
Redding	$39,000	50
Santa Cruz	$29,000	50

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Denver	$39,000	980
Boulder	$35,000	190

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Bridgeport		260
Hartford	$45,000	180
New Haven	$43,000	90
Norwich	$49,000	40

Delaware

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wilmington	$55,000	90

District of Columbia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Washington	$49,000	560

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Orlando	$40,000	740
West Palm Beach	$37,000	500
Fort Lauderdale	$35,000	500
Tampa	$31,000	490
Miami	$46,000	370
Sarasota	$44,000	240
Jacksonville	$45,000	180
Cape Coral	$36,000	170
Naples	$48,000	140
Deltona	$39,000	110
Palm Bay	$51,000	40
Pensacola	$24,000	30
Lakeland	$46,000	30

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Atlanta	$37,000	1,610
Savannah	$24,000	50

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$43,000	430

Idaho

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boise	$33,000	90

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Chicago	$43,000	2,050

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Indianapolis	$35,000	380
Gary	$29,000	120
Fort Wayne	$27,000	80

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Davenport	$28,000	110
Sioux City	$28,000	30

Kansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wichita	$34,000	120

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Louisville	$43,000	40

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New Orleans	$23,000	150
Baton Rouge	$28,000	50
Shreveport	$43,000	40
Lafayette	$29,000	30

Maine

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$49,000	70

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Baltimore	$34,000	480
Bethesda	$38,000	290
Hagerstown	$34,000	50

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boston	$45,000	520
Pittsfield	$28,000	40
Haverhill	$42,000	40

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Detroit	$32,000	210
Grand Rapids	$29,000	140
Lansing	$40,000	80
Ann Arbor	$38,000	60

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Minneapolis	$39,000	740
Rochester	$43,000	40

Mississippi

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Gulfport	$22,000	30

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
St Louis	$38,000	550
Kansas City	$38,000	470
Columbia		60
Springfield	$44,000	40

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$37,000	230
Lincoln		130

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Las Vegas	$24,000	1,330
Reno	$16,000	50

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Edison	$41,000	640
Newark	$36,000	390
Camden	$62,000	170
Atlantic City	$49,000	160

New Mexico

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Santa Fe	$22,000	50

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New York	$57,000	1,600
Nassau	$45,000	290
Buffalo	$26,000	140
Rochester	$28,000	80
Syracuse		80
Ithaca	$49,000	60
Albany	$45,000	60

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Raleigh	$47,000	250
Charlotte	$29,000	240
Asheville	$34,000	120
Greensboro	$54,000	100
Durham	$38,000	50
Winston Salem	$33,000	40

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cleveland	$34,000	540
Cincinnati	$28,000	260
Columbus	$34,000	230
Toledo	$34,000	130
Akron	$32,000	90
Dayton	$26,000	70
Canton	$29,000	50

Oklahoma

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Tulsa	$31,000	110

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$55,000	750
Bend	$56,000	50
Eugene	$68,000	40
Salem	$33,000	30

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Philadelphia	$38,000	420
Pittsburgh	$25,000	60
York	$51,000	60
Reading	$51,000	60
Allentown	$49,000	50
Lancaster	$39,000	40

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$30,000	150

South Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Charleston	$53,000	120

South Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Sioux Falls	$35,000	60

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Memphis		320
Knoxville	$44,000	120
Clarksville	$27,000	40

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Dallas	$35,000	930
Houston	$34,000	610
San Antonio	$36,000	470
Austin	$26,000	300
Fort Worth	$35,000	110
El Paso	$28,000	50

Utah

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Salt Lake City	$32,000	300
Provo		60

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Richmond	$36,000	170
Virginia Beach	$23,000	110
Charlottesville	$35,000	50

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Seattle	$59,000	950
Olympia	$62,000	160
Spokane	$51,000	90
Bremerton	$64,000	60
Kennewick	$60,000	60
Wenatchee	$44,000	50
Bellingham	$55,000	50

West Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Huntington	$33,000	60
Charleston	$32,000	40
Morgantown	$33,000	40

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Milwaukee	$29,000	300
Oshkosh		30
Janesville		30

Our massage therapist career and school information is provided by CTI Career Search.