Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage

Types of Degrees Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many massage therapy/therapeutic massage graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	7,098
Undergraduate Certificate	2,858
Associate Degree	478
Bachelor’s Degree	11

What Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, massage therapy/therapeutic massage 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 Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage Majors

Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage majors often go into careers in which the following 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 Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage Majors

massage therapy/therapeutic massage 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 Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage Majors

As a massage therapy/therapeutic massage major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• 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 Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with massage therapy/therapeutic massage:

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

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage?

The major attracts more women than men. About 76% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of massage therapy/therapeutic massage majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	47
Black or African American	65
Hispanic or Latino	118
White	179
International Students	7
Other Races/Ethnicities	62

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage, too. About 1.5% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage 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 Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage

Some degrees associated with massage therapy/therapeutic massage may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to massage therapy/therapeutic massage have obtained the following education levels.

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 Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage 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)	189	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	84	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 Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage Worth It?

The median salary for a massage therapy/therapeutic massage 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 Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to massage therapy/therapeutic massage.

Major	Number of Grads
Asian Bodywork Therapy	124
Somatic Bodywork	52
Other Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services	1

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.