Careers / Massage Therapists

Massage Therapists — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$58,450

United States, 2025

Employment

98,790

United States, 2025

Typical education

Not recorded

Job Zone 3

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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.

O*NET code
31-9011.00
Job zone
3
Experience required
None

Typical tasks

  • Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body.
  • Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance.
  • 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.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$33,640
10th
$43,480
25th
$58,450
Median
$78,320
75th
$100,200
90th

10th percentile

$33,640

25th percentile

$43,480

75th percentile

$78,320

90th percentile

$100,200

Most important skills

  • Active Listening3.6
  • Speaking3.5
  • Social Perceptiveness3.1
  • Service Orientation3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.0
  • Reading Comprehension3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Monitoring2.9
  • Complex Problem Solving2.9
  • Writing2.8
  • Active Learning2.8
  • Time Management2.8

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 7 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

7

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Speaking3.53.4Not selected3.4
Active Listening3.63.1Not selected3.1
Service Orientation3.13.1Not selected3.1
Social Perceptiveness3.13.0Not selected3.0
Reading Comprehension3.03.1Not selected3.1
Critical Thinking3.03.1Not selected3.1
Judgment and Decision Making3.02.9Not selected2.9

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

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How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
AK$134,9305702025
Fairbanks, AK$130,590502025
Pittsfield, MA$102,120502025
Kahului, HI$96,8203302025
Salem, OR$96,0801602025
Grants Pass, OR$94,610402025
Bend, OR$94,5802102025
Seattle, WA$94,2202,2302025
WA$87,3603,7402025
OR$86,9702,2502025
Bozeman, MT$85,670402025
Portland, OR$84,7301,5802025
Yakima, WA$84,100602025
Eugene, OR$83,8801802025
Bellingham, WA$83,7901402025
Sheboygan, WI$83,200402025
Bremerton, WA$82,690602025
State College, PA$82,490402025
Medford, OR$82,3701502025
Wilmington, NC$81,3901202025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Massage Therapists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.