Massage therapist vs bodywork therapist

The differences between massage therapists and bodywork therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a massage therapist has an average salary of $53,935, which is higher than the $48,428 average annual salary of a bodywork therapist.

The top three skills for a massage therapist include customer service, cleanliness and strong customer service. The most important skills for a bodywork therapist are patient care, , and .

Massage therapist vs bodywork therapist overview

	Massage Therapist	Bodywork Therapist
Yearly salary	$53,935	$48,428
Hourly rate	$25.93	$23.28
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	34,262	26,550
Job satisfaction	4.6	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 26%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

Massage therapist vs bodywork therapist salary

Massage therapists and bodywork therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Massage Therapist	Bodywork Therapist
Average salary	$53,935	$48,428
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $92,000	Between $25,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	Arlington, MA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Huntington Hospital	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between massage therapist and bodywork therapist education

There are a few differences between a massage therapist and a bodywork therapist in terms of educational background:

	Massage Therapist	Bodywork Therapist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 26%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Somatic Bodywork	Somatic Bodywork
Most common college	-	-

Massage therapist vs bodywork therapist demographics

Here are the differences between massage therapists' and bodywork therapists' demographics:

	Massage Therapist	Bodywork Therapist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4%	Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 11.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 11.7% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between massage therapist and bodywork therapist duties and responsibilities

Massage therapist example responsibilities.

Manage employees and office, administer payroll.
Manage confidential client health information in accordance with the HIPPA act.
Perform massage therapy and Reiki on palliative care patients
Work in a professional center performing massage therapy, energy therapies, hot stone therapy, and reiki.
Provide therapeutic massage, reflexology and relate services to enhance customer health and wellness
Provide massage therapy in various therapeutic settings including several chiropractic offices, in-home appointment (s) and at charity/sponsore events.

Bodywork therapist example responsibilities.

Manage confidential client health information in accordance with the HIPPA act.
Work as an on-call Thai Bodyworker therapist.
Maintain professionalism and cleanliness of assign therapy room and maintain the confidentiality and sensitivity to relate issues during all client interactions.
Provide exceptional customer experiences utilizing the Aveda points of difference.

Massage therapist vs bodywork therapist skills

Common massage therapist skills

Customer Service, 24%
Cleanliness, 14%
Strong Customer Service, 13%
Work Ethic, 7%
Wellness Benefits, 6%
Massage Therapy, 5%

Common bodywork therapist skills

Patient Care, 100%

Massage Therapist vs. similar jobs

Massage Therapist related careers

Massage Therapist related jobs

Massage Therapist jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Support Industry
Massage Therapist
Massage Therapist vs Bodywork Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare support jobs