How much should I pay a massage therapists in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Massage Therapists is $58,448 to $78,333 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows health care wages growing about 3.6% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a massage therapists?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $43,493 is below market, $58,448 to $78,333 is competitive, and above $78,333 is above market for Massage Therapists.

How is massage therapists pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 0.9% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.6% wage growth of Health Care & Social Assistance (BLS ECI). Health Care & Social Assistance is running a 5.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.9% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.1% down to 5.3%).

Massage Therapists Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 31-9011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$58,448

$28.10/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Massage Therapists salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$34K

P25$43K

P50$58K

P75$78K

P90$100K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

🔥

Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- health care job openings are running at 5.3% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in health care are rising about 3.6% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.2-3.7% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $58,448 to $78,333 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Massage Therapists pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 0.9% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.6% wage growth of Health Care & Social Assistance (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Health Care & Social Assistance is running a 5.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.9% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.1% down to 5.3%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 3.0 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings fell from 5.9% to 5.3% (down 147K), the sharpest monthly cooling this year, though still the second-tightest market.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.6% per year, the fastest of any major sector. Health benefit costs rose 6.0% nationally.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Massage Therapists is $58,448 per year ($28.10/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $43,493 and $78,333 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $100,194 per year. There are approximately 98,790 massage therapists employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+15.4%

Much faster than average

Annual openings

25K

per year, on avg

Workforce today

168K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

10% from new growth90% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

Postsecondary nondegree award

Experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Personal Care Services NAICS 812100	50K	$56,230
Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300	31K	$67,140
Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100	9K	$43,710
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900	3K	$51,010
Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100	760	$48,850

Wage range across top 5 industries: $43,710 to $67,140 (54% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$16.17	$33,634
P25	$20.91	$43,493
P50MEDIAN	$28.10	$58,448
P75	$37.66	$78,333
P90	$48.17	$100,194

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · health sector

Hot

Openings Rate

5.3%

Quits Rate

1.9%

Health Care & Social Assistance openings fell 147K to 1.35M in June, rate down from 5.9% to 5.3% -- the sector's biggest monthly cooling this year, though it remains the second-tightest market. Quits edged up to 1.9%; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average massage therapists salary?

The national median salary for Massage Therapists is $58,448 per year ($28.10/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $43,493 and $78,333 annually.

How much do top-earning massage therapists make?

The 90th percentile salary for Massage Therapists is $100,194 per year ($48.17/hr). The 75th percentile is $78,333 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for massage therapists?

Entry-level Massage Therapists (10th percentile) earn approximately $33,634 per year ($16.17/hr). The 25th percentile is $43,493 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations

Home Health and Personal Care Aides31-1120$36K/yr Nursing Assistants31-1131$42K/yr Medical Assistants31-9092$46K/yr Dental Assistants31-9091$48K/yr Phlebotomists31-9097$45K/yr Browse all 770+ occupations →

Massage Therapists Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California14,600 workers Florida9,280 workers Texas8,630 workers Illinois4,950 workers New York4,500 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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