Massage Therapists
Perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints. May assist in the assessment of range of motion and muscle strength, or propose client therapy plans.
- O*NET-SOC code
31-9011.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$58,450
Employment, U.S.98,790
Median hourly wage$28.10
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $33,640 | $43,480 | $58,450 | $78,320 | $100,200 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 600 | $48,930 | 0.45 |
| Alaska | 570 | $134,930 | 2.78 |
| Arizona | 2,530 | $62,400 | 1.23 |
| Arkansas | 430 | $39,990 | 0.52 |
| California | 14,600 | $45,970 | 1.26 |
| Colorado | 3,950 | $61,060 | 2.16 |
| Connecticut | 700 | $62,260 | 0.65 |
| Delaware | 230 | $58,870 | 0.75 |
| District of Columbia | 120 | $64,110 | 0.27 |
| Florida | 9,280 | $49,680 | 1.47 |
| Georgia | 1,700 | $50,820 | 0.55 |
| Hawaii | 1,330 | $81,280 | 3.34 |
| Idaho | 170 | $60,420 | 0.31 |
| Illinois | 4,950 | $60,490 | 1.28 |
| Indiana | 1,480 | $55,590 | 0.73 |
| Iowa | 540 | $57,710 | 0.55 |
| Kansas | 780 | $49,990 | 0.85 |
| Kentucky | 780 | $59,790 | 0.61 |
| Louisiana | 890 | $36,480 | 0.72 |
| Maine | 370 | $73,290 | 0.91 |
| Maryland | 1,350 | $62,270 | 0.77 |
| Massachusetts | 2,830 | $63,390 | 1.23 |
| Michigan | 2,410 | $70,960 | 0.86 |
| Minnesota | 1,690 | $63,070 | 0.90 |
| Mississippi | 230 | $40,490 | 0.32 |
| Missouri | 1,500 | $62,050 | 0.80 |
| Montana | 200 | $53,540 | 0.60 |
| Nebraska | 270 | $53,950 | 0.42 |
| Nevada | 1,620 | $53,540 | 1.64 |
| New Hampshire | 270 | $80,360 | 0.62 |
| New Jersey | 2,890 | $50,150 | 1.06 |
| New Mexico | 360 | $37,840 | 0.66 |
| New York | 4,500 | $62,630 | 0.73 |
| North Carolina | 2,460 | $60,650 | 0.78 |
| North Dakota | 100 | $74,140 | 0.37 |
| Ohio | 1,760 | $55,990 | 0.50 |
| Oklahoma | 520 | $36,630 | 0.48 |
| Oregon | 2,250 | $86,970 | 1.80 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,990 | $58,300 | 0.78 |
| Rhode Island | 290 | $74,960 | 0.92 |
| South Carolina | 1,840 | $58,000 | 1.25 |
| South Dakota | 180 | $52,000 | 0.63 |
| Tennessee | 1,230 | $50,070 | 0.59 |
| Texas | 8,630 | $59,370 | 0.97 |
| Utah | 1,840 | $62,130 | 1.66 |
| Virginia | 2,730 | $62,220 | 1.04 |
| Washington | 3,740 | $87,360 | 1.66 |
| West Virginia | 250 | $46,600 | 0.57 |
| Wisconsin | 1,520 | $58,070 | 0.82 |
| Wyoming | 150 | $61,980 | 0.86 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing Assistants | 3 | 0.931 |
| 2 | Animal Caretakers | 1-2 | 0.930 |
| 3 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 3 | 0.930 |
| 4 | Chiropractors | 5 | 0.926 |
| 5 | Physical Therapists | 5 | 0.924 |
| 6 | Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors | 3 | 0.923 |
| 7 | Athletic Trainers | 5 | 0.923 |
| 8 | Occupational Therapy Assistants | 3 | 0.922 |
| 9 | Physical Therapist Aides | 1-2 | 0.921 |
| 10 | Acupuncturists | 5 | 0.918 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Massage Therapists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | Coordination | 1.00 | 0.902 |
| Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | Coordination | 0.88 | 0.896 |
| Dental Assistants | Instructing | 1.00 | 0.888 |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | Coordination | 1.00 | 0.885 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Massage Therapists, excluding software Massage Therapists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| MEDITECH software | 8 of 20 | 4.8x |
| Billing software | 5 of 20 | 10.5x |
| BioEx Systems Exercise Pro | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Epic Systems | 7 of 20 | 5.1x |
| eClinicalWorks EHR software | 6 of 20 | 5.8x |
| PointClickCare healthcare software | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| Prognosis Innovation Healthcare ChartAccess | 3 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Medical condition coding software | 5 of 20 | 5.8x |
| Medical procedure coding software | 5 of 20 | 5.1x |
| Electronic medical record EMR software | 4 of 20 | 5.8x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.96 | 4.39 |
| English Language | 3.14 | 2.86 |
| Biology | 3.11 | 3.18 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3.04 | 2.50 |
| Psychology | 2.86 | 3.43 |
| Education and Training | 2.79 | 3.29 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 2.67 | 2.44 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.44 | 2.74 |
| Administrative | 2.39 | 2.61 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.39 | 2.32 |
| Law and Government | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Administration and Management | 2.15 | 2.48 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.04 | 1.71 |
| Communications and Media | 1.93 | 1.33 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.89 | 1.75 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.89 | 1.46 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.85 | 1.22 |
| Computers and Electronics | 1.59 | 1.75 |
| Production and Processing | 1.56 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.54 | 1.04 |
| Mathematics | 1.52 | 0.89 |
| Physics | 1.44 | 0.93 |
| Chemistry | 1.43 | 0.89 |
| Telecommunications | 1.37 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.30 | not rated |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.29 | not rated |
| Mechanical | 1.22 | not rated |
| Transportation | 1.22 | not rated |
| Design | 1.21 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.11 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.11 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.04 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Strength | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.75 | 3.25 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Oral Expression | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.50 | 3.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Stamina | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Near Vision | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Information Ordering | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Static Strength | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Written Expression | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Originality | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Far Vision | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Time Sharing | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Visualization | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Number Facility | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Control Precision | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Auditory Attention | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Depth Perception | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Night Vision | 1.12 | not rated |
| Response Orientation | 1.12 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.00 | not rated |
| Reaction Time | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- AppointmentQuest Online Appointment Manager
- ICS Software SammyUSA
- Land Software Customer Pro-File
- Massage Suite
- Scheduling software
- WinCity Custom Software WinCity Massage SOAP Notes
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | 330 | 7.07 | $96,820 |
| Napa, CA | 250 | 5.11 | $39,330 |
| Anchorage, AK | 430 | 3.82 | Not available |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 390 | 3.63 | $61,770 |
| Boulder, CO | 420 | 3.40 | $71,870 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 630 | 3.15 | $60,030 |
| Bend, OR | 210 | 3.11 | $94,580 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | 320 | 2.92 | $55,160 |
| St. George, UT | 160 | 2.86 | $72,780 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 800 | 2.82 | Not available |