Bodywork & Therapeutic Services

Types of Degrees Bodywork & Therapeutic Services Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many somatic bodywork & therapeutic services graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

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

What Bodywork & Therapeutic Services Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to somatic bodywork were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

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

somatic bodywork majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• 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

A major in somatic bodywork will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• 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 Bodywork & Therapeutic Services 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 Bodywork & Therapeutic Services?

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. This major is dominated by women with about 75% of recent graduates being 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

Students from other countries are interested in Somatic Bodywork, too. 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 Bodywork & Therapeutic Services 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 Bodywork & Therapeutic Services

Some careers associated with somatic bodywork require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

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 Bodywork & Therapeutic Services 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 Bodywork & Therapeutic Services 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 Bodywork & Therapeutic Services

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.