Somatic Bodywork

Types of Degrees Somatic Bodywork Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many somatic bodywork & therapeutic services graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	7,145
Undergraduate Certificate	2,939
Associate Degree	527
Bachelor’s Degree	11

What Somatic Bodywork Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, somatic bodywork majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Somatic Bodywork Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills for Somatic Bodywork Majors

When studying somatic bodywork, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Somatic Bodywork Majors

As you progress with your somatic bodywork degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Somatic Bodywork Major?

People with a somatic bodywork degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Massage Therapists	26.3%	$41,420

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Somatic Bodywork?

Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #35 out of all the trade school majors we track. In 2021, about 464 graduates completed their associate’s degree in this field. The major attracts more women than men. About 75% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of somatic bodywork majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	50
Black or African American	71
Hispanic or Latino	123
White	202
International Students	7
Other Races/Ethnicities	74

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Somatic Bodywork. About 1.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Mexico
• China
• United Kingdom
• Czech Republic
• Mongolia

How Much Do Somatic Bodywork Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Somatic Bodywork majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $45,880 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Somatic Bodywork

Some degrees associated with somatic bodywork may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for somatic bodywork careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	2.0%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	12.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	35.2%
Some College Courses	6.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	5.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	7.0%
Master’s Degree	14.4%
Doctoral Degree	10.0%
Post-Doctoral Training	7.7%

Online Somatic Bodywork Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	193	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	87	1
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Somatic Bodywork Worth It?

The median salary for a somatic bodywork grad is $45,880 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 15% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $119,600 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Somatic Bodywork

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to somatic bodywork.

Major	Number of Grads
Health & Medical Administrative Services	88,600
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants	85,339
Allied Health Professions	83,905
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services	83,587
Health Sciences & Services	36,762
Mental & Social Health Services	30,331
Dental Support Services	26,024
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science	18,884
Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies	1,818
Ophthalmic & Optometric Support Services	817
Energy & Biologically Based Therapies	89

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.