Massage Therapy Careers

WRITTEN BY Sarah Mattie | UPDATED ON 02/14/2025

Massage therapy may be right for you if you enjoy spending time with people and helping others feel their best. It also may be the perfect time to join this field, as the number of massage therapy jobs is rapidly growing, with pay being higher than the national average for all fields.

Plus, you can begin working in massage therapy reasonably quickly, with programs typically taking only a few months to complete.

Here, you can learn about massage therapy careers, including what massage therapists do, specialties you could enter, and the details about pay and career growth.

One of the most frequent comments massage therapists make about their occupation is, "I feel fortunate to have found work I love."– American Massage Therapy Association

What Massage Therapists Do

Massage therapists use their hands, arms, elbows, and specialized tools to manipulate people's joints and soft tissues to promote wellness. Wellness can include everything from a need to unwind from stress to providing healthcare services to assist those with injuries, illnesses, and other medical needs.

Being able to do the physical work isn't enough, though. Effective massage therapists have a solid understanding of the science and theories behind their work.

For instance, while you don't need to be a medical professional, you need to understand anatomy and physiology as they pertain to your work – and be able to explain the basics to clients. Medical massage therapists need to understand these subjects on a deeper level.

Regardless of your massage therapy specialty or workplace, you can generally expect to spend your days working with a variety of clients with different needs. The interactions will be before, during, and after the massage itself. Customer service skills – even if you work in a medical office – are key.

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Massage Therapy Specialties

Massage therapists can be generalists or specialize in a specific type of treatment or medical issue. In fact, one survey showed that, as of 2024, only 31% of people think massage is exclusively for pampering!

Of course, providing massage therapy for pampering purposes and the relief of typical aches and pains is a valuable form of care. In that same survey, 42% of recipients said their last massages were for health and wellness (including basic pain relief, stiffness, and general wellbeing), pregnancy, or general wellbeing.

Sixty-two percent of respondents said they had gotten a massage for a health or medical purpose between June 2023 and June 2024, and 86% said that massage therapy should be considered healthcare.

Let's look at a few popular massage specialties.

Medical Massage

Medical massage can be a valuable tool for patients with pain, inflammation, digestive issues, nerve problems, and other health challenges. Increasingly, medical providers consider massage therapy a valuable complement to traditional medical care. Just a few fields of massage therapists focusing on medical care are:

Arthritis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Chiropractic Needs
Fibromyalgia
Headaches
Hypertension
Muscle Strains
Sciatica
Sprains
Tendonitis

If you enter a career in medical massage, you could find employment in a wide variety of workplaces, such as:

Chiropractic offices
Home healthcare
Hospitals
Medspas
Nursing homes
Physical therapy offices
Rehabilitation centers
Pain clinics
Mental health facilities

Many medical massage workplaces care for people who need assistance in their daily lives, so you may deal with families or caregivers in addition to the patients and medical professionals.

While you may not legally have to get specialized training to work as a medical massage therapist, taking that step could make you more employable and confident. You may be able to find relevant training through a local school or organization or via a resource like the American Medical Massage Association.

sponsored content, school availability varies by location

Spa Massage

Spa massage therapists tend to focus on relaxation over physical ailments – though they may still provide pain and inflammation relief on a more basic level. If you work as a spa massage therapist, you could provide fairly general services. Or, you may choose to specialize further, picking one or two types of massage to develop expertise in. Some popular massage techniques in spas are:

Aromatherapy
Deep tissue massage
Hot stone massage
Reflexology
Shiatsu
Swedish massage
Thai massage

You could also focus on sports or prenatal massage, meaning you may work at spas or medical facilities.

As with medical massage, completing additional training may be advisable if you want to specialize in a specific technique.

Spa massage therapists work, of course, in spas. However, in addition to standalone facilities, spas can be found in a variety of places:

Cruise lines
Gyms
Hotels and resorts
Retirement homes
Salons
Wellness centers
Yoga studies

There are also relaxation-focused workplaces that aren't necessarily spas but still employ massage therapists. These could include airports, chair massage companies that travel to events, and more.

A typical day may involve seeing several clients back-to-back. When a new client comes to your spa, you must discuss their treatment goals and relevant medical history. Once their session begins, you need to communicate with them regularly to ensure they're comfortable with what's happening or if they want you to make alterations. Like other people in the beauty industry, you might be a listening ear about whatever is on a client's mind – or you could be asked to be largely silent during a session!

Once the session is over, you need to talk to the patron about their experience and try to schedule their next massage session.

Customer service doesn't stop with individual client services, either. When you're not working with a client, you may be tasked with answering phones or emails, handling budgetary issues, checking clients for other therapists, and other administrative tasks.

Self-Employed Massage Therapy

Self-employed massage therapists work for themselves. However, this doesn't necessarily mean working out of your home or a mobile spa – you have many options.

A typical route self-employed massage therapists take is that of an independent contractor. Massage therapy independent contractors work out of others' facilities, but they are in charge of their hours, clients, supplies, and other tools of the trade. Barring reasonable restrictions (e.g., hours of operation for the business as a whole or health and safety issues), the facility owner can't tell independent contractors when to work, who their clients are, or the rates they may set.

If you want to work out of your home or at clients' locations, ensure you meet all state requirements for those jobs. For instance, you may need access to a bathroom that doesn't require your clients to enter your home if they come to your place. Of course, you should also ensure you stay safe while working with individuals without immediate access to others.

In addition to earning whatever massage license your state requires, stay on top of business licensure, insurance, taxes, and so forth. Consider taking a relevant business class or two – which you could find online or at a local community college – and bringing on an accountant and lawyer, at least initially.

Is a Massage Therapy Career Right for Me?

If you're considering a career in massage therapy, you should ask yourself a few questions:

Am I comfortable touching people over the majority of their bodies?
Can my legs and back handle me being on my feet most of the day?
Can my hands, elbows, and wrists withstand constant use?
Am I good at customer service?
Am I comfortable discussing medical issues?
Am I sensitive to skincare products or scents like those produced by aromatherapy products?
Can I see well in dim lighting?

In most cases, a "no" doesn't necessarily mean you can't work in massage therapy. You can grow your comfort levels with touch, customer service, and discussing medical issues. Skincare product and aromatherapy sensitivities and challenges with seeing dim lighting could be overcome if you find a school or workplace that can accommodate your needs.

However, if your body can't handle the physical needs of the job, you may be better suited to another career that can promote wellness without extra stress on your joints and muscles. For instance, working as an esthetician involves many of the same wellness goals without being on your feet all day.

Massage Salary and Career Outlook

Now may be a great time to begin your massage therapy career, as the field is growing rapidly – by 18% between 2023 and 2033 – and pays higher than average.

As of 2023, massage therapists saw a median salary of $55,310 per year ($26.59 per hour). However, this estimate may not show the whole picture. When looking strictly at self-employed massage therapists, ZipRecruiter estimates an average salary of $71,679 per year ($34 per hour) as of February 2025.

Your pay potential can be affected by several factors, like location, years of experience, training, specialty, and workplace. The BLS found that massage therapists employed by others earned the most in chiropractic offices ($63,450), and those who worked in hotels and other accommodations made the least ($36,520).

Massage Therapy School Requirements

Before beginning your massage therapy career, you likely need to attend massage school. As of 2024, most states require massage licensure; even if yours doesn't, training is advisable. Would you want an untrained person to manipulate your muscles and joints? Training may also allow you to quickly earn a license if you move to a new state or increase your employability.

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