Massage Therapist job description
292 verified openings in Allied Health & Therapy
Nearly three quarters of the massage therapists O*NET surveyed came in through a certificate program, and the ceiling on the pay is higher than that entry route suggests. The May 2025 median across 98,790 therapists was $58,450, with $33,640 at the tenth percentile and $100,200 at the ninetieth. O*NET's own description is short: therapeutic massage of soft tissues and joints, sometimes with an assessment of range of motion and muscle strength, or a proposed therapy plan.
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Before any hands-on work comes the conversation: medical history, where the stress or the pain is, and how massage will help most. Then the massage itself, kneading muscle and soft tissue for an injury, a medical condition, or general wellness, and applying finger and hand pressure to specific points. Therapists assess soft tissue condition, joint function, muscle strength, and range of motion, write treatment plans naming the techniques to be used, keep treatment records, sanitize and restock between clients, and teach posture, stretching, and rehabilitative exercise. Some travel to clients' homes and offices.
Common Skills and Technologies
Active listening and speaking rank equally at the front, ahead of social perceptiveness and service orientation. Software barely features: Excel and Word are the only Hot Technologies listed, with scheduling and medical records packages in the broader categories. The real kit is the table, the oils blended and applied, and complementary aids like infrared lamps, wet compresses, ice, and whirlpool baths.
Education, Training, and Career Path
The way in is a certificate program, held by 73% of working therapists, with an associate's degree a distant second at 12%. After that the learning is on the job, up to two years of it, working under people who already do this, which is the middle band of O*NET's five. Licensed Massage Therapist, Licensed Massage Practitioner, and Registered Massage Therapist all turn up among the reported titles, so the first thing to settle is which of those your own state issues.
Sources: O*NET 30.0, 31-9011.00 Massage Therapists, https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/31-9011.00. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, 31-9011, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319011.htm.