Massage Therapy major
Massage Therapy: courses, careers, and where to study
Massage Therapy trains you in hands-on techniques to manipulate muscles and soft tissue, for people who want a practical, touch-based path in wellness and clinical care.
Nationally, associate's graduates in Massage Therapy earn a median $29,755 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $15,098 to $47,894 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college
Massage Therapy teaches you to ease pain, tension, and stress and to support a client's well-being by working directly on skin, muscles, and connective tissue with your hands. You study how the body moves and where soft tissue sits, then learn a range of manual approaches: classic Swedish strokes, deep-tissue work, sports massage, trigger-point and myofascial techniques, and reflexology. Alongside the hands-on craft, you practice reading each client's needs through intake and assessment, positioning and draping for comfort and safety, recognizing when massage is not appropriate, and responding calmly if a session goes wrong. Coursework also covers professional ethics, boundaries, and the business side of running a practice or working within a clinic or spa.
This is most often a certificate or diploma program built around supervised hands-on hours rather than a longer degree, though some schools fold it into an associate program. Training is intensely practical: you log practice and clinical sessions in a teaching clinic or student spa, building stamina, body mechanics, and a working set of techniques before you treat the public on your own. Programmatic accreditation and a state credential may apply, so verify the rules where you intend to practice; in many states a massage therapist must pass a licensing or certification exam and meet a set amount of training before working. Unlike physical therapy, which requires a clinical doctorate and a state license to diagnose and direct rehabilitation, massage therapy centers on manual soft-tissue work for relief and relaxation. Graduates work in spas and wellness centers, chiropractic and physical-therapy offices, fitness and athletic settings, hotels and resorts, and independent or mobile practices.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of massage therapists, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $57,950 and projects employment to grow about 15.4% from 2024 to 2034; a postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Massage Therapy maps to CIP 51.3501, Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage, within the HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to provide relief and improved health and well-being to clients through the application of manual techniques for manipulating skin, muscles, and connective tissues. Includes instruction in Western (Swedish) massage, sports massage, myotherapy/trigger point massage, myofascial release, deep tissue massage, cranio-sacral therapy, reflexology, massage safety and emergency management, client counseling, practice management, applicable regulations, and professional standards and ethics.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Massage Therapy is awarded as
Of the 2,733 Massage Therapy credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:
- Certificate: 86%, 2,360 credentials.
- Associate: 14%, 372 credentials.
- Bachelor's: <1%, 1 credentials.
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology of muscles and connective tissue
- Swedish massage strokes and body mechanics
- Deep-tissue, sports, and clinical massage techniques
- Myofascial release and trigger-point therapy
- Reflexology and other manual soft-tissue approaches
- Client intake, assessment, positioning, and draping
- Contraindications, massage safety, and emergency response
- Supervised clinical and student-clinic practice hours
- Professional ethics, boundaries, and practice management
Typical careers
- Massage Therapist
- Sports Massage Therapist
- Clinical Massage Therapist
- Spa Therapist
- Medical Massage Therapist
- Bodywork Practitioner
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 massage therapists median $57,950).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
How much do Massage Therapy graduates earn?
Nationally, associate's graduates in Massage Therapy earn a median $29,755 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $15,098 to $47,894 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
| Credential | National median | Middle half of programs |
|---|---|---|
| Associate's | $29,755 | $15,098 to $47,894 |
| Undergraduate certificate | $29,652 | $15,873 to $44,404 |
Compare Massage Therapy programs in your state
Highest-earning associate's Massage Therapy programs
- ECPI University (VA): $34,557, median federal debt $15,971
- New York College of Health Professions (NY): $33,310, median federal debt $25,420
- Swedish Institute a College of Health Sciences (NY): $31,205, median federal debt $28,859
- CUNY Queensborough Community College (NY): $28,517
Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Massage Therapy, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $105,620 | 27,400 | +17.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Massage Therapists | $57,950 | 24,700 | +15.4% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 2 of these 2 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Massage Therapy does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Massage Therapy major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Massage Therapy program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Massage Therapy department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Massage Therapy program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Massage Therapy credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Northwest Career College, NV · 198 credentials
- Swedish Institute a College of Health Sciences, NY · 113 credentials
- WellSpring School of Allied Health-Kansas City, MO · 77 credentials
- Intellitec College-Grand Junction, CO · 67 credentials
- Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, AZ · 67 credentials
- Carrington College-Boise, ID · 55 credentials
- Arizona College-Glendale, AZ · 53 credentials
- Parker University, TX · 50 credentials
- Northwestern Health Sciences University, MN · 49 credentials
- Ivy Tech Community College, IN · 46 credentials
- Cuyahoga Community College District, OH · 45 credentials
- Gwinnett College-Lilburn, GA · 44 credentials
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Massage Therapy credentials were awarded
10 states have a distinct enough set of Massage Therapy colleges to be worth its own page.
Massage Therapy by state
Every Massage Therapy program with its own CampusPin page
6 programs in 4 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.
Massage Therapy programs in Florida, 1 program
- Jones Technical Institute Certificate, $23,496
Massage Therapy programs in Georgia, 1 program
- Gwinnett College-Sandy Springs Certificate, $27,272
Massage Therapy programs in New York, 2 programs
- New York College of Health Professions Associate's, $33,310
- Swedish Institute a College of Health Sciences Associate's, $31,205
Massage Therapy programs in South Carolina, 2 programs
- Southeastern College-Charleston Certificate, $30,756
- Southeastern College-Columbia Certificate, $31,928
Related majors
Kinesiology
Kinesiology studies human movement and exercise science, suiting students who want to work in fitness, rehabilitation, athletic training, or healthcare rather than treating disease.
Exercise Science
Exercise science studies how the body moves and adapts to physical activity, preparing students for clinical, rehabilitation, and athletic-performance careers.
Athletic Training
Athletic Training prepares students to prevent, evaluate, and rehabilitate injuries in physically active people, suiting those who want a hands-on clinical role in sports and orthopedic care.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy trains you to evaluate why movement breaks down after injury or illness and to restore function through hands-on treatment and guided exercise.
Health Sciences
Health Sciences is a broad pre-professional major for students preparing for medical, dental, PA, PT, or pharmacy school, combining biology, chemistry, and patient-care exposure.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Massage Therapy degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Healthcare Support careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Massage Therapy degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Massage Therapy path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.