Massage Statistics

Massage statistics that are found on most job websites and the Bureau of Labor are not very accurate. Part of the problem is that most massage therapists start their own business so that is not included in any salary or career statistics. The other thing is that most massage therapist only work what are considered in most careers to be part time hours because of the physical demands of the profession. Most massage therapists work 20-30 hours. Rarely does any massage therapist actually do 40 hours of hands on massage.

The most accurate statistics come from the massage professions surveys and the Federation of State Massage Boards Job task analysis results.

More women are massage therapists than men, leaving men as a minority in the massage profession. That does not mean there are not career opportunities for men. There are many men in the field who do all sorts of massage. The massage profession actually does need more men in its ranks to start decreasing the gender issues that are often associated with becoming a massage therapist.

ABMP reports:

# Close to 83 percent are women and 54.5 percent are married.

# Massage therapists had an average of 14.4 client contact hours (12 hours median) in the week prior to the survey, according to the ABMP member study.

Average massage-related income for massage therapists in 2005 was $18,950, with a median income of $14,500 (2005 ABMP Member Survey).

The number of massage therapists in the US is also controversial. Massage Statistics vary so much that a real survey really needs to be done that includes all massage therapists.

ABMP reports that:"The number of massage therapists in the United States continues to rise. According to ABMP’s analysis, there were 241,058 massage therapists in the United States as of January 2006, up from 137,390 in January 1999."

This chart provided by ABMP (pdf file) shows the number of massage therapists in each state and the population of each state.

ABMP estimates some 50,000 massage therapists leave the profession each year.

The Average age of professional massage therapists is 45 meaning that people seek out a career in massage later in life. Most massage schools are geared towards teaching adults with more life experience. The AMTA reports that "Seventy-six percent (76%) started practicing massage therapy as a second career."

There are approximately 1,500 massage schools. ABMP also reports that:

"Enrollment has declined 9.8 percent from 73,933 entrants in 2004 to 66,653 in 2006, the analysis showed. Graduates from massage therapy programs in 2006 totaled 62,784, versus 71,272 graduates in 2004, a decline of slightly less than 12 percent."

www.massagetherapy.com Professional Metrics Section for the Associated Bodywork and Massage Profesionals(ABMP)

American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) industry fact sheet

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