Healthcare support
Massage therapist
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.
Median pay
$58,450
Growth to 2035
+15%
much faster than average
Openings a year
20,400
Time to qualify*
12 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Massage therapist
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Exposure to disease
Massage therapist: 0% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance.
- Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body.
- Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful.
- Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment.
- Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes.
- Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used.
- Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises.
- Maintain treatment records.
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)
Outlook and AI
Massage therapists held 155,400 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 179,100 by 2035 (+15%, much faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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