Q: Can you make good money as a massage therapist?

Yes, you can make good money as a massage therapist. Factors like location, industry, and whether you have your own private practice will determine how much you're able to earn. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top-paying industry is Individual and Family Services, with an annual mean wage of $63,220 in 2020. The second and third paying industries are Speciality Hospitals ($62,630) and Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals ($58,450).

Q: Do massage therapists get paid hourly?

Massage therapists can get paid hourly or on a percentage. Getting paid hourly is considered the more stable option. In one 8-hour workday, it is unlikely that a massage therapist will be working with a client every hour as it can be physically exhausting. So, getting paid hourly will allow you to get paid during the non-massage time. This means you're generally considered an employee.

Question 1

How much does a massage therapist make?

Accepted Answer

The average massage therapist salary in the United States is $53,935. Massage therapist salaries typically range between $31,000 and $92,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for massage therapists is $25.93 per hour.

Massage therapist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Massage therapists earn the highest average salary in Alaska.

Question 2

What state pays Massage Therapists the most?

Accepted Answer

Alaska pays Massage Therapists the most in the United States, with an average salary of $69,287 per year, or $33.31 per hour.

Question 3

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a massage therapist?

Accepted Answer

You know if you are being paid fairly as a massage therapist if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Massachusetts you should be paid close to $62,420 per year.

Question 4

What is a good starting salary for a Massage Therapist?

Accepted Answer

A good starting salary for a massage therapist is $21,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a massage therapist in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for massage therapists is $47,245, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a massage therapist can vary by state.

Question 5

Can you make good money as a massage therapist?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can make good money as a massage therapist. Factors like location, industry, and whether you have your own private practice will determine how much you're able to earn.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top-paying industry is Individual and Family Services, with an annual mean wage of $63,220 in 2020. The second and third paying industries are Speciality Hospitals ($62,630) and Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals ($58,450).

Question 6

Do massage therapists get paid hourly?

Accepted Answer

Massage therapists can get paid hourly or on a percentage.

Getting paid hourly is considered the more stable option. In one 8-hour workday, it is unlikely that a massage therapist will be working with a client every hour as it can be physically exhausting. So, getting paid hourly will allow you to get paid during the non-massage time. This means you're generally considered an employee.

Question 7

Is massage therapy a good career?

Accepted Answer

Massage therapy is a good career if you like a stable job, working with people, and the potential flexibility.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job is projected to grow 32 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations at eight percent. Additionally, more people and healthcare providers are recognizing massage therapy to treat pain and improve overall wellness. So, it is expected that job openings for massage therapists will increase.

Question 8

What is the highest-paid massage therapist?

Accepted Answer

The salary of a massage therapist varies greatly, depending on many different factors. On average, a massage therapist will make around $49,000 per year. This figure can greatly be affected based on location, experience, and self-marketing.

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Maine	$61,570	$29.60
2	Pennsylvania	$59,872	$28.78
3	New Hampshire	$62,363	$29.98
4	New Jersey	$61,197	$29.42
5	Vermont	$62,082	$29.85
6	North Dakota	$54,504	$26.20
7	Alaska	$69,287	$33.31
8	Rhode Island	$62,394	$30.00
9	Massachusetts	$62,420	$30.01
10	Delaware	$59,215	$28.47
11	Ohio	$54,970	$26.43
12	New York	$61,566	$29.60
13	Connecticut	$62,070	$29.84
14	Washington	$57,594	$27.69
15	Michigan	$56,898	$27.35
16	Wisconsin	$54,631	$26.26
17	Indiana	$52,466	$25.22
18	Oregon	$58,218	$27.99
19	Nevada	$55,212	$26.54
20	Iowa	$51,665	$24.84
21	Maryland	$57,836	$27.81
22	Montana	$52,553	$25.27
23	West Virginia	$54,255	$26.08
24	Minnesota	$54,272	$26.09
25	Idaho	$53,327	$25.64
26	Illinois	$53,143	$25.55
27	California	$56,085	$26.96
28	Nebraska	$50,262	$24.16
29	Kentucky	$51,011	$24.52
30	Kansas	$49,325	$23.71
31	Virginia	$55,153	$26.52
32	District of Columbia	$57,326	$27.56
33	North Carolina	$51,023	$24.53
34	Missouri	$49,957	$24.02
35	Texas	$49,646	$23.87
36	Tennessee	$49,251	$23.68
37	Arizona	$52,952	$25.46
38	South Dakota	$51,545	$24.78
39	Utah	$51,262	$24.65
40	Oklahoma	$48,725	$23.43
41	Colorado	$49,484	$23.79
42	Arkansas	$48,613	$23.37
43	Wyoming	$50,130	$24.10
44	New Mexico	$51,281	$24.65
45	Georgia	$48,151	$23.15
46	Hawaii	$48,975	$23.55
47	Alabama	$47,991	$23.07
48	South Carolina	$48,796	$23.46
49	Louisiana	$48,497	$23.32
50	Mississippi	$48,129	$23.14
51	Florida	$46,229	$22.23

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Arlington, MA	$62,450	$30.02
2	Portland, ME	$61,805	$29.71
3	New York, NY	$61,541	$29.59
4	San Jose, CA	$58,808	$28.27
5	Portland, OR	$58,047	$27.91
6	Seattle, WA	$58,036	$27.90
7	Washington, MI	$57,491	$27.64
8	Washington, DC	$57,330	$27.56
9	Arlington, VA	$57,283	$27.54
10	Las Vegas, NV	$54,538	$26.22
11	Minneapolis, MN	$54,259	$26.09
12	Columbus, OH	$54,094	$26.01
13	Chicago, IL	$53,526	$25.73
14	Charleston, WV	$53,072	$25.52
15	Phoenix, AZ	$53,009	$25.49
16	Indianapolis, IN	$52,114	$25.05
17	Durham, NC	$51,854	$24.93
18	Sioux Falls, SD	$51,677	$24.84
19	Salt Lake City, UT	$51,065	$24.55
20	Omaha, NE	$50,523	$24.29

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$92,000	$7,667	$44
75th Percentile	$71,000	$5,917	$34
Average	$53,935	$4,495	$26
25th Percentile	$40,000	$3,333	$19
10th Percentile	$31,000	$2,583	$15

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Huntington Hospital	$113,964	$54.79
2	Sharp HealthCare	$94,977	$45.66
3	Montage Health	$90,148	$43.34
4	Sutter Health	$90,048	$43.29
5	Park Nicollet Medical Center Inc	$88,752	$42.67
6	Southcoast Health	$88,283	$42.44
7	Baxter International	$87,254	$41.95
8	Hospice Buffalo	$86,215	$41.45
9	West Tennessee Healthcare	$84,231	$40.50
10	Palomar Health	$82,943	$39.88
11	Nebraska Medicine	$81,708	$39.28
12	GPAC	$81,159	$39.02
13	Mount Sinai Health System	$81,005	$38.94
14	Wellpath	$78,879	$37.92
15	Oregon Health & Science University	$78,647	$37.81
16	Mahaska Health	$78,516	$37.75
17	Baptist Health Home Care	$78,222	$37.61
18	NCH Healthcare System	$78,068	$37.53
19	Johnston Memorial Hospital Corporation	$77,211	$37.12
20	Valley View Hospital	$76,915	$36.98

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$53,900	$25.93	+1.8%
2024	$52,900	$25.45	+3.3%
2023	$51,200	$24.62	+3.5%
2022	$49,400	$23.77	+0.3%
2021	$49,300	$23.70	+4.6%

Massage therapist salary

Average massage therapist salary

$53,935

Average Massage Therapist Salary

Where Can a Massage Therapist Earn More?