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Massage Therapists

Uses touch to relieve pain, speed recovery and reduce stress.

Typical education to startPostsecondary nondegree award
Job outlook2025–2035: +15%
Median pay$58,450 a year (2025)
Interest codeSRI Social, Realistic, Investigative

Read the full guide

Massage therapists work with clients' muscles and soft tissue to ease pain, help injuries heal and reduce stress. They work in spas, clinics, chiropractic and physical therapy offices, sports teams and their own practices.

Open the massage therapist guide

The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.

High school courses that build toward it

  • Physical Education · Health and PE

    Builds working with customers and clients, which this job uses.

  • Child Development · Career and Technical

    Builds teaching and training, which this job uses.

  • Anatomy and Physiology · Science

    Builds biology, which this job uses.

  • Psychology · Social Studies

    Builds psychology, which this job uses.

  • English 10 · English

    Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.

Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.

Massage Therapists on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.