Massage therapists can earn a 90th percentile wage of $87,030 in the U.S. and still be working in a field where 33% of practitioners are self employed. At the same time, consumers are reporting real-world outcomes like better sleep and lower anxiety, while employers and insurers vary widely in reimbursement and coverage. The mix of pay, market growth, and client effects is more uneven than most people expect, and it is worth looking at the full set of statistics side by side.
Key Takeaways
- $87,030 annual wage at the 90th percentile for massage therapists in the U.S. (2023)
- $2.2 billion U.S. massage therapy services revenue in 2023 (IBISWorld)
- $49.5 billion U.S. personal care services revenue in 2023 (includes massage services)
- 6.1% CAGR projected for the global massage therapy market (2024-2030)
- Massage therapists rank among the fastest-growing healthcare occupations in the U.S. with projected growth exceeding 10% (2022-2032)
- 78% of consumers say they use massage therapy to manage stress (2024)
- The 75th percentile hourly wage for massage therapists is $28.00 (2023)
- 33% of massage therapists are self-employed in the U.S. (2023)
- The professional median wage for personal care workers excluding massage therapists was $33.00 per hour (2023)
- 60% of massage clients report improved sleep after massage therapy (2022)
- 27% reduction in pain intensity was reported for massage therapy in a systematic review (mean effect, various conditions)
- 2.0 points decrease in anxiety scores (SMD) was reported for massage therapy in a meta-analysis (standardized mean difference)
- 19% of adults used yoga or exercise approaches including massage for musculoskeletal issues (2022)
- Massage therapy can be reimbursed by some private insurers; 37% of insurers in a 2023 survey offered partial coverage for massage therapy
- Massage therapy is included in Medicare coverage guidance for certain medically necessary therapeutic services in specific circumstances (2024)
With rising demand and strong outcomes, massage therapy careers offer growing income and broad consumer and insurer support.
Related reading
01 · Category
Compensation & Earnings1 stats
01
$87,030annual wage at the 90th percentile for massage therapists in the U.S. (2023)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319011.htm
Interpretation
Compensation & Earnings Interpretation
In the Compensation and Earnings category, massage therapists in the U.S. earned up to $87,030 per year at the 90th percentile in 2023, showing that top earners can reach relatively high wages.
02 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
$2.2 billion U.S. massage therapy services revenue in 2023 (IBISWorld)https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/massage-therapy-industry/
02
$49.5 billion U.S. personal care services revenue in 2023 (includes massage services)https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry-profile/personal-care-services/
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, U.S. massage therapy generated $2.2 billion in 2023, and that standalone figure sits within a much larger $49.5 billion personal care services market, showing how massage is a meaningful but smaller slice of overall consumer spending.
03 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
6.1% CAGR projected for the global massage therapy market (2024-2030)https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/08/23/2749323/0/en/Massage-Therapy-Market-to-Reach-4-3-Billion-by-2030-Forecast-by-IMARC-Group.html
02
Massage therapists rank among the fastest-growing healthcare occupations in the U.S. with projected growth exceeding 10% (2022-2032)https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/massage-therapists.htm
03
78% of consumers say they use massage therapy to manage stress (2024)https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/the-future-of-the-us-healthcare-system
04
52% of adults report they would pay out of pocket for stress-relief services (2024)https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2024/09/stress-survey
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
The industry trends point to strong momentum as the global massage therapy market is projected to grow at a 6.1% CAGR from 2024 to 2030, while in the U.S. massage therapists are expected to be one of the fastest-growing healthcare occupations with over 10% growth from 2022 to 2032.
04 · Category
Workforce & Employment3 stats
01
The 75th percentile hourly wage for massage therapists is $28.00(2023)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319031.htm
02
33% of massage therapists are self-employed in the U.S. (2023)https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045223
03
The professional median wage for personal care workers excluding massage therapists was $33.00per hour (2023)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes3310.htm
Interpretation
Workforce & Employment Interpretation
In the workforce and employment landscape, massage therapists earn a 75th percentile hourly wage of $28.00 in 2023 and 33% are self employed, suggesting a substantial portion of the field operates outside traditional payroll roles compared with personal care workers excluding massage therapists who have a median wage of $33.00 per hour.
More related reading
05 · Category
Clinical Outcomes8 stats
01
60% of massage clients report improved sleep after massage therapy (2022)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8882803/
02
27% reduction in pain intensity was reported for massage therapy in a systematic review (mean effect, various conditions)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5816130/
03
2.0 points decrease in anxiety scores (SMD) was reported for massage therapy in a meta-analysis (standardized mean difference)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6516956/
04
Sustained-release massage interventions produced a small but statistically significant effect on pain compared with control in a meta-analysis (2019)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6628018/
05
Massage therapy showed improvement in range of motion with a standardized mean difference of 0.45 in a meta-analysis (2018)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6123019/
06
In a randomized trial, massage therapy reduced systolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg vs control (2017)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5598861/
07
In a systematic review, massage therapy improved health-related quality of life (SMD 0.4) (2016)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5010970/
08
3.8% of massage therapy clients report experiencing an adverse event after treatment (2019 systematic review)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6909021/
Interpretation
Clinical Outcomes Interpretation
Clinical outcomes data suggest massage therapy offers measurable benefits across multiple domains, with 60% of clients reporting improved sleep and meta-analytic effects such as a 0.45 standardized mean difference improvement in range of motion and a 2.0-point reduction in anxiety scores, while adverse events remain low at 3.8% in a 2019 systematic review.
06 · Category
Market Size & Demand1 stats
01
19% of adults used yoga or exercise approaches including massage for musculoskeletal issues (2022)https://www.nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics
Interpretation
Market Size & Demand Interpretation
In 2022, 19% of adults used yoga or exercise approaches including massage for musculoskeletal issues, signaling a meaningful and ongoing demand pull for massage within the broader health and movement market.
07 · Category
Regulation & Certification2 stats
01
Massage therapy can be reimbursed by some private insurers; 37% of insurers in a 2023 survey offered partial coverage for massage therapyhttps://www.thinkadvisor.com/2023/05/10/insurers-offer-coverage-for-alternative-therapies-study/
02
Massage therapy is included in Medicare coverage guidance for certain medically necessary therapeutic services in specific circumstances (2024)https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/
Interpretation
Regulation & Certification Interpretation
From a regulation and certification angle, 37% of private insurers in a 2023 survey already offer partial reimbursement for massage therapy, and by 2024 it is also recognized in Medicare guidance for certain medically necessary therapeutic services.
08 · Category
Workplace & Employment1 stats
01
Massage therapists have a work environment with a median of 0.4 work-related injury incidents per 100 workers (national occupational injury rates)https://www.bls.gov/iif/
Interpretation
Workplace & Employment Interpretation
From a Workplace and Employment perspective, massage therapists show a relatively low national occupational injury rate with a median of 0.4 work-related incidents per 100 workers.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Massage Therapist Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/massage-therapist-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Massage Therapist Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/massage-therapist-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Massage Therapist Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/massage-therapist-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)