Massage therapy shows up in both real-world demand and clinical research—whether people are targeting pain relief or symptom support. In the U.S., 634,900 massage therapists were employed in 2023, and many work in self-employment and private practice. Evidence from systematic reviews also reports measurable benefits, including improvements for back pain and depression scores. The page connects market and consumer trends with what training, licensing (like the MBLEx), and accreditation mean for entering the field.
Key Takeaways
- 5.8% CAGR for the global massage therapy market forecast through 2030—expected annualized growth rate
- O*NET reports 2023 employment of 634,900 massage therapists in the U.S.—number of workers in the occupation
- $82,340 90th percentile annual wage for massage therapists in 2023—upper-end earnings level
- BLS OOH: Many massage therapists are self-employed; BLS reports a substantial share—BLS narrative employment structure
- 2.5x higher odds of back pain improvement when using massage therapy as part of a multimodal program—effect size from a systematic review (2017)
- Massage therapy reduced neck pain by a standardized mean difference of -0.71 in a 2020 meta-analysis—average effect across studies
- Massage therapy reduced low back pain by a standardized mean difference of -0.64 in a 2021 systematic review—average effect across trials
- 6.0% of U.S. adults reported using massage therapy in 2012—prevalence from NHIS-based analysis (JAMA)
- Massage therapy was among the most commonly used mind-body practices with 3.0% of adults reporting use in 2017—NHIS-based CAM utilization estimate (JAMA Network)
- 34% of U.S. adults reported receiving massage or bodywork at least once in their lifetime in a 2019 consumer survey—lifetime use rate
- 67% of massage consumers in a 2022 industry survey reported paying out of pocket—payment method distribution (industry survey)
- $82 average massage therapy price per session in the U.S. (2023 survey)—average consumer price paid per appointment
- $85 average hourly price for a massage therapist in the U.S. (2024 market pricing analysis)—average compensation/consumer rate estimate
- The FSMTB states that the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) is used by member boards—standardized exam availability
- In 2023, 7% of massage therapists were in retail trade (industry distribution for the occupation).
With steady U.S. growth and strong evidence for pain and mood benefits, massage remains a widely used care option.
Related reading
01 · Category
Clinical Evidence9 stats
01
2.5x higher odds of back pain improvement when using massage therapy as part of a multimodal program—effect size from a systematic review (2017)
02
Massage therapy reduced neck pain by a standardized mean difference of -0.71 in a 2020 meta-analysis—average effect across studies
03
Massage therapy reduced low back pain by a standardized mean difference of -0.64 in a 2021 systematic review—average effect across trials
04
Massage therapy improved depression scores by a standardized mean difference of -0.36 in a meta-analysis (2019)—average symptom reduction
05
In a 2021 randomized trial, massage therapy plus standard care improved pain scores (VAS) versus standard care alone—clinical outcome difference reported in the study
06
A 2019 systematic review found massage therapy had a moderate effect on sleep quality (standardized mean difference reported)—summary estimate across included studies
07
Massage therapy showed a small-to-moderate benefit for cancer-related fatigue in a systematic review (2018)—summary effect across studies
08
Massage therapy lowered systolic blood pressure by about 2–5 mmHg in a systematic review (2018)—pooled effect reported
09
Massage therapy reduced cortisol levels by a pooled effect size reported in a 2020 meta-analysis—hormonal stress biomarker change
Interpretation
Clinical Evidence Interpretation
Across clinical evidence, massage therapy shows moderate, measurable benefits with standardized effect sizes around -0.71 for neck pain and -0.64 for low back pain, and even multimodal programs increase the odds of back-pain improvement by 2.5 times, supporting its role in evidence based care.
02 · Category
Clinical Evidence & Outcomes4 stats
01
A Cochrane review of massage therapy for chronic low back pain concludes massage may produce small improvements in pain and function versus control at short-term follow-up (as summarized in the review abstract).
02
Cochrane review evidence indicates massage therapy may benefit neck pain-related outcomes, including pain and function, with effects varying by study design (summary in review abstract).
03
Massage therapy is included in multimodal rehabilitation approaches for musculoskeletal pain in clinical practice guidance summarized by the American College of Physicians (ACP) and related evidence reports.
04
NCCIH notes that massage therapy may help with musculoskeletal pain and stress-related symptoms, summarizing safety and evidence considerations.
Interpretation
Clinical Evidence & Outcomes Interpretation
Across Clinical Evidence & Outcomes, major reviews and national guidance consistently find massage therapy can lead to small but meaningful improvements in pain and function for musculoskeletal problems like chronic low back and neck pain, with benefits also reflected in clinical multimodal rehabilitation approaches and summarized safety and evidence considerations from NCCIH.
03 · Category
User Adoption3 stats
01
6.0% of U.S. adults reported using massage therapy in 2012—prevalence from NHIS-based analysis (JAMA)
02
Massage therapy was among the most commonly used mind-body practices with 3.0% of adults reporting use in 2017—NHIS-based CAM utilization estimate (JAMA Network)
03
34% of U.S. adults reported receiving massage or bodywork at least once in their lifetime in a 2019 consumer survey—lifetime use rate
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
From 2012 to 2017, only 3.0% to 6.0% of U.S. adults reported using massage therapy, yet lifetime exposure is much higher at 34% in 2019, showing that user adoption grows strongly over a person’s lifetime but remains relatively low at any single point in time.
More related reading
04 · Category
Customer & Pricing3 stats
01
67% of massage consumers in a 2022 industry survey reported paying out of pocket—payment method distribution (industry survey)
02
$82average massage therapy price per session in the U.S. (2023 survey)—average consumer price paid per appointment
03
$85average hourly price for a massage therapist in the U.S. (2024 market pricing analysis)—average compensation/consumer rate estimate
Interpretation
Customer & Pricing Interpretation
In the Customer and Pricing landscape, 67% of massage consumers are paying out of pocket and with the average session priced at $82, affordability and pricing pressure remain central as the market also supports an average hourly therapist rate of $85.
05 · Category
Provider Supply & Training3 stats
01
2,900 massage therapy school programs existed in the U.S. in 2022 (number of programs listed in the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard “Massage Therapy” related CIP field).
02
The U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS collects data for CIP 51.230 programs (massage therapy and bodywork), enabling annual program counts and completions to be tracked.
03
In 2022, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognized accreditation standards for massage therapy programs under its health-related accreditation pathways, supporting a standardized training pipeline (accreditation framework used for eligibility).
Interpretation
Provider Supply & Training Interpretation
In 2022, the United States had 2,900 massage therapy school programs, and with IPEDS tracking CIP 51.230 and CHESA recognizing accreditation standards for these programs, the provider pipeline appears both sizable and structurally supported by ongoing data collection and quality training benchmarks.
06 · Category
Industry Overview9 stats
01
24% of adults in the U.S. used at least one complementary health approach in the past 12 months in 2017 (National Health Interview Survey CAM supplement; category including massage/bodywork).
02
Massage therapy is listed as a CAM practice type in NCCIH’s U.S. survey breakdowns for adults, supporting tracking of consumer demand trends over time.
03
In a 2019 survey of U.S. adults conducted by Edelman Data & Intelligence, 37% said they have tried complementary health approaches (includes mind-body and related therapies).
04
O*NET reports 2023 employment of 634,900 massage therapists in the U.S.—number of workers in the occupation
05
$82,34090th percentile annual wage for massage therapists in 2023—upper-end earnings level
06
5.8% CAGR for the global massage therapy market forecast through 2030—expected annualized growth rate
07
BLS OOH: Many massage therapists are self-employed; BLS reports a substantial share—BLS narrative employment structure
08
The FSMTB states that the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) is used by member boards—standardized exam availability
09
In 2023, 7% of massage therapists were in retail trade (industry distribution for the occupation).
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
With massage therapy sitting within complementary and alternative medicine trends where 24% to 37% of U.S. adults report using complementary approaches in recent surveys and global demand projected to grow at a 5.8% CAGR through 2030, the industry overview suggests a steady, expanding consumer base supported by a large workforce of about 634,900 massage therapists in 2023.
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
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Massage Therapy Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/massage-therapy-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Massage Therapy Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/massage-therapy-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Massage Therapy Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/massage-therapy-statistics.
Sources & references
31 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)