Massage Therapists in California

Considering a career as a Massage Therapist in California?

You’re in luck! Jobs for Massage Therapists in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Massage Therapists in California is growing faster than average.

• Massage Therapists in California earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Massage Therapist Career?

• Health Professions
• Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services
• Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage
• Asian Bodywork Therapy
• Somatic Bodywork

How Many Massage Therapists Work in California?

15,200 people worked as Massage Therapists in 2018 in this state.

There were 17,390 Massage Therapists employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 2,190 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 1,400 Massage Therapists working in it, which means California has more Massage Therapists than average.

Job Projections for California

Jobs for Massage Therapists in this state are growing at a rate of 29.0% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 26.3%.

California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates there will be 3,900 annual job openings, and 34,700 total jobs in 2026 for Massage Therapists in this state.

Nationwide, the prediction is 22,600 annual jobs and 202,400 total jobs in 2026.

What do Massage Therapists Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Massage Therapists ranged from $23,190 to $68,240 with $34,180 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $11.15 to $32.81. The median hourly rate was $16.43.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $17.62 an hour.

The hourly rate declined by $1.19.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top California Metros for Massage Therapists

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Massage Therapists.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	6,800	$33,450
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	2,160	$42,890
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	1,450	$25,810
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	1,080	$29,670
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	1,020	$47,210
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA	980	$33,340
Napa, CA	330	$25,920
Salinas, CA	190	$25,540
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	170	$33,410
Santa Rosa, CA	130	$54,580
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	50	$56,190
Visalia-Porterville, CA	40	$34,080
Redding, CA	40	$43,490
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA	40	$45,400

Top States for Massage Therapists Employment

The table below shows the states where most Massage Therapists work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	15,200	$34,180
Florida	9,620	$38,030
Texas	8,670	$42,740
Colorado	5,270	$45,750
Illinois	4,930	$44,730
Washington	4,830	$63,710
New York	4,770	$48,340
Pennsylvania	3,620	$41,910
Massachusetts	2,910	$49,220
North Carolina	2,850	$39,590
Virginia	2,770	$39,350
New Jersey	2,730	$42,500
Arizona	2,400	$38,800
Michigan	2,310	$40,260
Oregon	2,290	$62,780
Minnesota	2,280	$48,700
Georgia	2,260	$37,990
Ohio	2,110	$36,670
Wisconsin	1,980	$42,400
Nevada	1,850	$21,190

Below are the states where Massage Therapists get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Alaska	$93,410
Washington	$63,710
Oregon	$62,780
Hawaii	$57,740
Kentucky	$51,360
Massachusetts	$49,220
Minnesota	$48,700
New York	$48,340
Colorado	$45,750
Montana	$44,970

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.