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Bodywork & Therapeutic Services

Types of Degrees Bodywork & Therapeutic Services Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Bodywork & Therapeutic Services may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	3,654
Associate’s Degree	440
Bachelor’s Degree	13
Master’s Degree	7,090

What Bodywork & Therapeutic Services Majors Need to Know

Studies in Bodywork & Therapeutic Services build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Bodywork & Therapeutic Services graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Bodywork & Therapeutic Services emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Bodywork & Therapeutic Services program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Bodywork & Therapeutic Services careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Bodywork & Therapeutic Services graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	3.9 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Bodywork & Therapeutic Services professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Dental software	Medical software	—
Articulate Rapid E-Learning Studio	Computer based training software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
EcoLogic ADAM Indoor Air Quality and Analytical Data Management	Data base user interface and query software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Material safety data sheet MSDS software	Compliance software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Adobe Presenter	Computer based training software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Bodywork & Therapeutic Services graduates include:

• Veterinary Medicine Teacher
• Home Care and Home Health Aides Teacher
• Clinical Professor
• Nutrition Teacher
• Medical Pathology Teacher
• Clinical Full Professor
• Toxicology Teacher
• Dentistry Teacher
• Dental Hygiene Instructor
• Optometry Professor
• Dental Laboratory Technology Teacher
• Inhalation Therapy Teacher
• Health Assessment and Treatment Teacher
• Public Health Teacher
• Medicine Teacher

What Can You Do With a Bodywork & Therapeutic Services Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Bodywork & Therapeutic Services commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Massage Therapists	7.4%	$44,831	$38,675–$50,988

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Bodywork & Therapeutic Services graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	31.5%
Master’s degree	21.3%
Doctoral degree	14.7%
Post-doctoral training	11.3%
Bachelor’s degree	9.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.5%
Some college courses	3.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Bodywork & Therapeutic Services?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75.1% of Bodywork & Therapeutic Services degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	8,404	75.1%
Men	2,793	24.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Bodywork & Therapeutic Services graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,547	40.6%
Asian	491	4.4%
Hispanic or Latino	2,908	26.0%
Black or African American	1,903	17.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	81	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	56	0.5%
Two or More Races	504	4.5%
Race Unknown	634	5.7%
International Students	73	0.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Bodywork & Therapeutic Services Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Bodywork & Therapeutic Services graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$20,348
4 years	$22,219
5 years	$24,335

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $24,335 — roughly 20% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Bodywork & Therapeutic Services Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Bodywork & Therapeutic Services graduates earn a median of $22,219 four years after completion — about 42% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Health Care Professions	994,689
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	311,372
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants	99,987
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	90,379
Health and Medical Administrative Services	90,166
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	80,693
Public Health	41,086
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General	38,201
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	33,946
Medicine	29,737
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	29,603
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions	24,761

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.