Massage therapy is a widely used complementary approach in the United States, with survey estimates showing higher use in 2021–2022 than in 2002. The available data also describe why people seek massage, how therapists work, and what selected clinical research has measured.
Key Massage Therapy Statistics
The following figures summarize the most useful measurements across U.S. massage therapy use, consumers, providers, employment, and research:
- In 2022, 10.9% of U.S. adults reported using massage therapy in the past year in the National Health Interview Survey.
- In 2002, 4.8% of U.S. adults reported using massage therapy in the National Health Interview Survey.
- For the 2021 reference year, 11.1% of U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adults visited a massage therapist in a peer-reviewed analysis of the 2022 survey.
- For the 2021 reference year, 6.0% of U.S. adults saw a massage therapist for pain.
- For the 2021 reference year, 8.5% of U.S. adults saw a massage therapist to restore overall health.
- In 2022, 53.4% of U.S. massage users reported using massage for pain.
- In the AMTA survey period reported in its 2026 fact sheet, 34% of respondents with household income of at least $100,000 received a massage in the last year.
- In the same survey, 14% of respondents earning $50,000 or less received a massage in the last year.
- In the 2025 AMTA survey, 71% of massage consumers used massage for a health or medical reason in the prior 12 months.
- In the 12 months ending June 2025, 29% of massage consumers had a massage for pain relief or management.
- In the 2025 AMTA survey, 91% of respondents viewed massage as beneficial to overall health and wellness.
- In the 2025 AMTA survey, 94% of respondents believed massage can be effective in reducing pain.
- In 2025, 155,400 massage-therapist jobs were counted in the United States by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- For 2025–2035, BLS projects 15% employment growth for massage therapists in the United States.
- For 2025–2035, BLS projects about 20,400 massage-therapist openings per year on average.
- In 2025, the median annual wage for massage therapists was $58,450 in BLS-covered U.S. employment.
- In 2025, 36% of massage-therapist jobs were held by self-employed workers in the BLS profile.
- In the 2012 reference year, 30.4% of office-based U.S. physicians recommended massage therapy in the prior 12 months.
- In a 2016 meta-analysis of trials published through February 2014, massage reduced pain versus sham treatment by a standardized mean difference of -0.44.
- In the same meta-analysis, massage reduced pain versus no treatment by a standardized mean difference of -1.14.
Contents
- How many U.S. adults use massage therapy
- Who uses massage therapy and what they seek
- Massage therapy for pain, wellness, and health care
- The massage therapist workforce and outlook
- Massage practice settings, sessions, and earnings
- What research says about massage therapy use and outcomes
How Many U.S. Adults Use Massage Therapy?
National survey estimates differ slightly because they use different reference years, definitions, and analytical methods. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that 10.9% of U.S. adults used massage therapy in 2022, compared with 4.8% in 2002; these are self-reported NHIS measures of past-year or survey-defined use. NCCIH, Massage Therapy: What You Need To Know
| Measure | Period | Result | Population and definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massage therapy use | 2002 | 4.8% | U.S. adults; NHIS self-report |
| Massage therapy use | 2022 | 10.9% | U.S. adults; NHIS self-report |
| Visit to a massage therapist | 2021 reference year | 11.1% | U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adults |
| Visit for pain | 2021 reference year | 6.0% | U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adults |
| Visit to restore overall health | 2021 reference year | 8.5% | U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adults |
The peer-reviewed analysis of the 2022 NHIS estimated that 11.1% of U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adults had visited a massage therapist in the prior year for the 2021 reference year. It also estimated 6.0% had done so for pain and 8.5% to restore overall health; the purpose categories may overlap and describe reasons for use, not efficacy. Prevalence and determinants of massage therapy use in the U.S.
Among adults who used massage in 2022, 53.4% reported using it for pain. This conditional measure is the share of massage users reporting that purpose, not the share of all adults and not a measure of pain relief. NCCIH, Pain: Considering Complementary Approaches
Who Uses Massage Therapy and What Do They Seek?
AMTA survey results provide a consumer-oriented view of participation and motivations, but the public fact sheet gives limited sampling detail. In that survey, 23% of men and 19% of women received a massage in the last year, while consumers with children under 18 at home were 10% more likely to get a massage than consumers without children at home. AMTA, Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet
Income differences were also visible in the same survey: 34% of respondents with household income of at least $100,000 received a massage in the last year, compared with 14% of respondents earning $50,000 or less. These figures describe survey groups and do not establish that income caused the difference.
Reported reasons included both physical and mental-health-related goals:
- 49% cited soreness, stiffness, or spasms.
- 42% cited chronic pain relief or management.
- 36% cited injury recovery or rehabilitation.
- 43% cited relaxation or stress reduction.
Multiple reasons could be reported, so these percentages should not be added together. The AMTA fact sheet also reports that respondents received an average of 2.7 massages in the preceding 12 months; that is a survey average, not a national utilization estimate. AMTA, Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet
Massage Therapy Statistics for Pain, Wellness, and Health Care
The 2025 AMTA consumer survey separates reported purpose from belief and outcome. Among massage consumers, 71% used massage for a health or medical reason in the prior 12 months, and 29% had a massage for pain relief or management in the 12 months ending June 2025.
Neither figure shows whether symptoms improved. AMTA, Consumer Views & Use of Massage Therapy
| 2025 AMTA measure | Result | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial to overall health and wellness | 91% | Respondent belief |
| Massage can reduce pain | 94% | Respondent belief |
| Used massage for pain relief | 29% | Self-reported use |
| Massage should be considered health care | 86% | Respondent attitude |
| Last massage primarily health/wellness or stress-related | 79% | 49% health/wellness; 30% stress-related |
Among consumers who discussed massage with a doctor, 51% discussed pain relief or management. Among consumers who discussed massage with a doctor or medical provider, 22% were referred to a massage therapist; these are conditional self-reports, and referral is not a treatment outcome. AMTA, Consumer Views & Use of Massage Therapy
The U.S. Massage Therapist Workforce and Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 155,400 massage-therapist jobs in 2025 and projects 179,100 jobs in 2035. That projected increase is 23,700 jobs, or 15% employment growth, with about 20,400 openings per year on average from 2025 through 2035; the openings include replacement needs and the projection is a forecast. BLS, Massage Therapists: Occupational Outlook Handbook
| BLS workforce measure | 2025 observed | 2035 projection or period |
|---|---|---|
| Massage-therapist jobs | 155,400 | 179,100 projected |
| Additional jobs | — | 23,700 projected, 2025–2035 |
| Employment growth | — | 15%, 2025–2035 |
| Average annual openings | — | 20,400, 2025–2035 |
The 2025 median annual wage was $58,450 in BLS-covered U.S. employment. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,640, while the highest-paid 10% earned more than $100,200; these are occupational wage thresholds, not prices paid by consumers.
BLS excludes self-employed, agricultural, and private-household workers from the wage figures.
Massage Practice Settings, Sessions, and Earnings
Self-employment is a substantial part of the occupation: 36% of massage-therapist jobs were held by self-employed workers in the 2025 BLS profile. By industry, personal-care services accounted for 33% of jobs, offices of all other health practitioners 12%, chiropractors’ offices 7%, and accommodation 6%. BLS, Massage Therapists: Occupational Outlook Handbook
AMTA’s practice survey shows that therapists may work across several settings. Forty percent reported working in their own office, 37% in clients’ homes, and 25% in the therapist’s home; respondents could practice in multiple settings, so the percentages are not mutually exclusive. AMTA, Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet
| Practice or work measure | Result | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Own office | 40% | AMTA responding therapists |
| Clients’ homes | 37% | AMTA responding therapists |
| Therapist’s home | 25% | AMTA responding therapists |
| Median wage in chiropractors’ offices | $72,800 | May 2025, BLS-covered employment |
BLS reports that chair massages may last 5–10 minutes, while table massages typically last 30–90 minutes. These are examples in the occupation profile, not national averages, consumer prices, or evidence that one session format produces a particular outcome.
The May 2025 median annual wage for massage therapists in chiropractors’ offices was $72,800. It is an occupational wage measure and should not be interpreted as the price of a massage session or as take-home income for an independent practitioner.
What Research Says About Massage Therapy Use and Outcomes
Physician recommendations provide one measure of integration into health-care conversations. In the 2012 reference year, 30.4% of office-based U.S. physicians recommended massage therapy in the prior 12 months, making it the most commonly recommended individual complementary approach in that analysis, ahead of chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation at 27.1%. U.S. Physician Recommendations to Their Patients About the Use of Complementary Health Approaches
Among general and family-practice physicians, 52.6% recommended massage therapy, while 53.1% of office-based physicians recommended at least one complementary approach. Female physicians had 1.76 times the adjusted odds of recommending massage therapy compared with male physicians, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.40–2.20; this is an association, not causation.
Clinical evidence depends on the comparator and population. A 2016 meta-analysis of randomized trials involving adults with musculoskeletal pain found the following pooled effects for trials published through February 2014:
| Comparison or outcome | Estimated effect | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Pain versus sham treatment | -0.44 SMD; 95% CI -0.84 to -0.05 | Heterogeneous trials |
| Pain versus no treatment | -1.14 SMD; 95% CI -1.94 to -0.35 | Four comparisons; pooled evidence |
| Pain versus active comparators | -0.26 SMD; 95% CI -0.53 to 0.003 | Confidence interval crosses zero |
| Anxiety versus active comparators | -0.57 SMD | Outcome scales and certainty vary |
| Health-related quality of life versus active comparators | 0.14 SMD | Outcome scales and certainty vary |
Negative standardized mean differences favored massage for the pain comparisons. These pooled estimates are not general-population prevalence figures, and the active-comparator pain interval crosses zero, so they should not be treated as proof of a universal effect. Use of Massage Therapy for Pain, 2018–2023: A Systematic Review
The available statistics therefore describe several different questions: how many people report using massage, what they seek, how the workforce is structured, what physicians recommend, and what selected trials estimate. Survey percentages are self-reported and use different periods and definitions, while BLS wage figures and employment forecasts measure the occupation rather than consumer costs; no reliable national consumer massage-price series is included here.