Average Massage Therapist Salary

How Much Does a Massage Therapist Make?

On average, a Massage Therapist make $47,180 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $21,810, while the top-paid 10 percent made $80,630.

Annually National Average Salary: $47,180

$21K

$29K

$47K

$59K

$80K

10%

25%

50%

75%

90%

* Based on information from the May 2019 salary report from the BLS.

Salary by State

Annually

Monthly

Hourly

Annual Salary by State

State	10% Annual	25% Annual	Avg. Annual	75% Annual	90% Annual
Alabama	$18,870	$22,780	$35,650	$42,290	$52,160
Alaska	$21,350	$25,280	$77,080	$111,240	$126,520
Arizona	$24,450	$32,810	$45,410	$51,250	$72,570
Arkansas	$21,000	$28,630	$41,720	$51,670	$59,860
California	$24,610	$27,600	$43,690	$56,190	$75,810
Colorado	$22,630	$30,280	$45,380	$55,410	$64,830
Connecticut	$29,120	$35,450	$47,520	$56,530	$77,180
District of Columbia	$28,240	$28,260	$45,450	$57,120	$71,440
Florida	$19,610	$27,700	$47,470	$56,320	$92,400
Georgia	$16,460	$18,030	$35,240	$49,510	$68,430
Hawaii	$23,140	$43,640	$59,770	$71,750	$96,980
Idaho	$27,030	$32,110	$51,630	$62,840	$90,980
Illinois	$19,970	$35,410	$47,980	$59,710	$72,210
Indiana	$22,810	$29,890	$42,180	$51,370	$68,070
Iowa	$19,840	$27,670	$38,660	$46,790	$54,270
Kansas	$17,340	$19,240	$35,750	$43,650	$62,630
Kentucky	$18,010	$33,310	$51,080	$64,390	$87,320
Louisiana	$16,500	$17,790	$28,790	$33,350	$52,510
Maine	$27,540	$32,130	$53,540	$71,420	$86,540
Maryland	$21,840	$24,750	$46,030	$56,440	$86,430
Massachusetts	$31,880	$40,650	$57,530	$68,050	$99,900
Michigan	$20,680	$25,990	$45,830	$59,070	$68,850
Minnesota	$23,320	$34,510	$51,080	$66,130	$80,470
Mississippi	$17,060	$18,920	$31,770	$38,930	$47,510
Missouri	$18,980	$26,990	$40,990	$53,370	$65,720
Montana	$18,910	$27,000	$42,470	$57,150	$66,820
Nebraska	$33,520	$37,820	$52,320	$64,950	$76,710
Nevada	$17,470	$19,440	$36,540	$40,560	$83,150
New Hampshire	$28,220	$35,800	$50,150	$60,720	$79,300
New Jersey	$20,550	$35,040	$47,220	$58,160	$74,390
New Mexico	$20,840	$33,290	$47,450	$65,640	$78,140
New York	$25,510	$30,470	$52,700	$66,020	$92,830
North Carolina	$22,230	$33,970	$43,700	$49,840	$67,860
North Dakota	$18,340	$26,800	$41,280	$51,660	$62,700
Ohio	$19,510	$26,310	$42,300	$54,410	$66,070
Oklahoma	$19,840	$27,200	$42,450	$49,830	$68,340
Oregon	$29,210	$40,560	$62,130	$78,830	$98,120
Pennsylvania	$21,080	$30,640	$45,520	$54,590	$79,650
Rhode Island	$22,950	$24,820	$37,260	$47,520	$65,120
South Carolina	$17,840	$24,660	$37,860	$48,310	$60,200
South Dakota	$23,720	$27,610	$32,620	$36,440	$46,520
Tennessee	$18,000	$26,150	$41,490	$51,620	$68,480
Texas	$22,320	$34,670	$51,790	$60,920	$99,030
Utah	$18,860	$29,560	$45,350	$55,670	$68,970
Vermont	$24,060	$32,490	$47,670	$61,560	$89,940
Virginia	$18,570	$29,320	$40,100	$49,980	$59,140
Washington	$41,690	$55,590	$65,770	$77,510	$86,930
West Virginia	$20,000	$21,160	$39,690	$53,510	$69,520
Wisconsin	$18,760	$31,400	$42,730	$54,670	$63,180
Wyoming	$17,690	$19,910	$44,090	$57,110	$85,440
Guam	$17,840	$18,430	$25,430	$25,230	$48,090
Puerto Rico	$16,560	$17,710	$23,620	$26,360	$32,610

Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is Alaska, where the average salary is $77,080.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

Alaska - $77,080

Washington - $65,770

Oregon - $62,130

Hawaii - $59,770

Massachusetts - $57,530

Monthly Salary by State

State	10% Monthly	25% Monthly	Avg. Monthly	75% Monthly	90% Monthly
Alabama	$1,500	$1,833	$2,917	$3,500	$4,333
Alaska	$1,750	$2,083	$6,417	$9,250	$10,500
Arizona	$2,000	$2,667	$3,750	$4,250	$6,000
Arkansas	$1,750	$2,333	$3,417	$4,250	$4,917
California	$2,000	$2,250	$3,583	$4,667	$6,250
Colorado	$1,833	$2,500	$3,750	$4,583	$5,333
Connecticut	$2,417	$2,917	$3,917	$4,667	$6,417
District of Columbia	$2,333	$2,333	$3,750	$4,750	$5,917
Florida	$1,583	$2,250	$3,917	$4,667	$7,667
Georgia	$1,333	$1,500	$2,917	$4,083	$5,667
Hawaii	$1,917	$3,583	$4,917	$5,917	$8,000
Idaho	$2,250	$2,667	$4,250	$5,167	$7,500
Illinois	$1,583	$2,917	$3,917	$4,917	$6,000
Indiana	$1,833	$2,417	$3,500	$4,250	$5,667
Iowa	$1,583	$2,250	$3,167	$3,833	$4,500
Kansas	$1,417	$1,583	$2,917	$3,583	$5,167
Kentucky	$1,500	$2,750	$4,250	$5,333	$7,250
Louisiana	$1,333	$1,417	$2,333	$2,750	$4,333
Maine	$2,250	$2,667	$4,417	$5,917	$7,167
Maryland	$1,750	$2,000	$3,833	$4,667	$7,167
Massachusetts	$2,583	$3,333	$4,750	$5,667	$8,250
Michigan	$1,667	$2,083	$3,750	$4,917	$5,667
Minnesota	$1,917	$2,833	$4,250	$5,500	$6,667
Mississippi	$1,417	$1,500	$2,583	$3,167	$3,917
Missouri	$1,500	$2,167	$3,333	$4,417	$5,417
Montana	$1,500	$2,250	$3,500	$4,750	$5,500
Nebraska	$2,750	$3,083	$4,333	$5,333	$6,333
Nevada	$1,417	$1,583	$3,000	$3,333	$6,917
New Hampshire	$2,333	$2,917	$4,167	$5,000	$6,583
New Jersey	$1,667	$2,917	$3,917	$4,833	$6,167
New Mexico	$1,667	$2,750	$3,917	$5,417	$6,500
New York	$2,083	$2,500	$4,333	$5,500	$7,667
North Carolina	$1,833	$2,750	$3,583	$4,083	$5,583
North Dakota	$1,500	$2,167	$3,417	$4,250	$5,167
Ohio	$1,583	$2,167	$3,500	$4,500	$5,500
Oklahoma	$1,583	$2,250	$3,500	$4,083	$5,667
Oregon	$2,417	$3,333	$5,167	$6,500	$8,167
Pennsylvania	$1,750	$2,500	$3,750	$4,500	$6,583
Rhode Island	$1,833	$2,000	$3,083	$3,917	$5,417
South Carolina	$1,417	$2,000	$3,083	$4,000	$5,000
South Dakota	$1,917	$2,250	$2,667	$3,000	$3,833
Tennessee	$1,500	$2,167	$3,417	$4,250	$5,667
Texas	$1,833	$2,833	$4,250	$5,000	$8,250
Utah	$1,500	$2,417	$3,750	$4,583	$5,667
Vermont	$2,000	$2,667	$3,917	$5,083	$7,417
Virginia	$1,500	$2,417	$3,333	$4,083	$4,917
Washington	$3,417	$4,583	$5,417	$6,417	$7,167
West Virginia	$1,667	$1,750	$3,250	$4,417	$5,750
Wisconsin	$1,500	$2,583	$3,500	$4,500	$5,250
Wyoming	$1,417	$1,583	$3,667	$4,750	$7,083
Guam	$1,417	$1,500	$2,083	$2,083	$4,000
Puerto Rico	$1,333	$1,417	$1,917	$2,167	$2,667

Monthly Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is Alaska, where the average salary is $6,417.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

Alaska - $6,417

Washington - $5,417

Oregon - $5,167

Hawaii - $4,917

Massachusetts - $4,750

Hourly Salary by State

State	10% Hourly	25% Hourly	Avg. Hourly	75% Hourly	90% Hourly
Alabama	$9.07	$10.9	$17.14	$20.3	$25.0
Alaska	$10.2	$12.1	$37.06	$53.4	$60.8
Arizona	$11.7	$15.7	$21.83	$24.6	$34.8
Arkansas	$10.1	$13.7	$20.06	$24.8	$28.7
California	$11.8	$13.2	$21.01	$27.0	$36.4
Colorado	$10.8	$14.5	$21.82	$26.6	$31.1
Connecticut	$14.0	$17.0	$22.85	$27.1	$37.1
District of Columbia	$13.5	$13.5	$21.85	$27.4	$34.3
Florida	$9.43	$13.3	$22.82	$27.0	$44.4
Georgia	$7.91	$8.67	$16.94	$23.8	$32.9
Hawaii	$11.1	$20.9	$28.74	$34.5	$46.6
Idaho	$12.9	$15.4	$24.82	$30.2	$43.7
Illinois	$9.60	$17.0	$23.07	$28.7	$34.7
Indiana	$10.9	$14.3	$20.28	$24.7	$32.7
Iowa	$9.54	$13.3	$18.59	$22.4	$26.0
Kansas	$8.34	$9.25	$17.19	$20.9	$30.1
Kentucky	$8.66	$16.0	$24.56	$30.9	$41.9
Louisiana	$7.93	$8.55	$13.84	$16.0	$25.2
Maine	$13.2	$15.4	$25.74	$34.3	$41.6
Maryland	$10.5	$11.9	$22.13	$27.1	$41.5
Massachusetts	$15.3	$19.5	$27.66	$32.7	$48.0
Michigan	$9.94	$12.4	$22.03	$28.4	$33.1
Minnesota	$11.2	$16.5	$24.56	$31.7	$38.6
Mississippi	$8.20	$9.10	$15.28	$18.7	$22.8
Missouri	$9.13	$12.9	$19.71	$25.6	$31.6
Montana	$9.09	$12.9	$20.42	$27.4	$32.1
Nebraska	$16.1	$18.1	$25.15	$31.2	$36.8
Nevada	$8.40	$9.35	$17.57	$19.5	$39.9
New Hampshire	$13.5	$17.2	$24.11	$29.1	$38.1
New Jersey	$9.88	$16.8	$22.70	$27.9	$35.7
New Mexico	$10.0	$16.0	$22.81	$31.5	$37.5
New York	$12.2	$14.6	$25.34	$31.7	$44.6
North Carolina	$10.6	$16.3	$21.01	$23.9	$32.6
North Dakota	$8.82	$12.8	$19.85	$24.8	$30.1
Ohio	$9.38	$12.6	$20.34	$26.1	$31.7
Oklahoma	$9.54	$13.0	$20.41	$23.9	$32.8
Oregon	$14.0	$19.5	$29.87	$37.9	$47.1
Pennsylvania	$10.1	$14.7	$21.88	$26.2	$38.3
Rhode Island	$11.0	$11.9	$17.92	$22.8	$31.3
South Carolina	$8.58	$11.8	$18.20	$23.2	$28.9
South Dakota	$11.4	$13.2	$15.68	$17.5	$22.3
Tennessee	$8.66	$12.5	$19.95	$24.8	$32.9
Texas	$10.7	$16.6	$24.90	$29.2	$47.6
Utah	$9.07	$14.2	$21.80	$26.7	$33.1
Vermont	$11.5	$15.6	$22.92	$29.6	$43.2
Virginia	$8.93	$14.1	$19.28	$24.0	$28.4
Washington	$20.0	$26.7	$31.62	$37.2	$41.7
West Virginia	$9.62	$10.1	$19.08	$25.7	$33.4
Wisconsin	$9.02	$15.1	$20.54	$26.2	$30.3
Wyoming	$8.50	$9.57	$21.20	$27.4	$41.0
Guam	$8.58	$8.86	$12.22	$12.1	$23.1
Puerto Rico	$7.96	$8.51	$11.35	$12.6	$15.6

Hourly Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is Alaska, where the average salary is $37.06.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

Alaska - $37.06

Washington - $31.62

Oregon - $29.87

Hawaii - $28.74

Massachusetts - $27.66

Massage Therapists: Salary Overview

Massage therapists relieve pain, improve circulation, relieve stress, increase relaxation, and help heal injuries using touch.

Their job description usually includes talking with clients about their medical history and symptoms, locating the painful or tense areas in their clients’ bodies, manipulating muscles and other soft tissue using touch, educating clients on stretching and relaxation methods, and documenting their clients’ progress.

Massage therapists typically specialize in one or several massage techniques, such as Swedish massage, deep-tissue massage, or sports massage.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for massage therapists was $42,820 in May 2019, which means that half of them earned less than this amount while half earned more.

Salaries vary depending on a wide range of factors, including the therapist’s level of experience, education, the region, and their skills.

The lowest 10 percent earned less than $21,810 while the highest 10 percent made more than $80,630 a year.

Many massage therapists supplement their earnings with tips.

Those who have good technical and communication skills and provide high-quality services can earn more in tips than in their fixed salary.

Massage Therapist Salary by Industry

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, massage therapists held about 159,800 jobs in the United States in 2018, most of them working in the field of personal care services or as self-employed workers.

BLS report shows that the average annual wage reported by massage therapists in personal care services was $45,060 while those who were employed in offices of other health practitioners earned, on average, $50,700 a year.

The average annual wage was $47,050 for massage therapists in the travel accommodation industry and $44,860 for those in other amusement and recreation industries.

Massage therapists who worked in offices of physicians reportedly earned $47,340 a year as of May 2019.

The highest average annual salary was reported by massage therapists who worked for specialty hospitals (except psychiatric and substance abuse).

In this sector, the reported average annual wage was $67,560.

Salaries were also higher for massage therapists who were employed in the field of individual and family services.

In this sector massage therapists reportedly earned $62,210 on average.

The region of employment is another factor that may influence a massage therapist’s salary.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top-paying states for this profession were Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, and Massachusetts.

The average annual wage reported by massage therapists in Alaska was $77,080 as of May 2019, significantly higher than the national average.

Massage therapists in Washington reportedly earned $65,770 on average, while those in Oregon reported an average annual wage of $62,130.

Massage therapists in Mississippi, Lousiana, South Dakota, Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, South Carolina, Iowa, and Nevada, on the other hand, reported average annual salaries that were below the $40,000 mark.

Earning the National Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) certification can qualify you for licensure in any state.

There are many other factors that can influence your earnings as a massage therapist.

Having a few years of experience and completing your continuing education classes will help you improve your skills and learn new techniques.

If you’re able to practice multiple massage techniques you may have more clients and thus you will earn more.

Joining a professional organization is another way to find new clients and to build a reputation.

Job Prospects

Job prospects for massage therapists are looking good in the future.

As more people start to accept massage therapy as a way to treat illnesses and alleviate pain, the demand for massage therapists is projected to grow.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment for massage therapists is projected to grow 22 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.

* Based on information from the May 2019 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Massage Therapists. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.

* Employment conditions in your area may vary.