Medical Massage Therapist salary

Medical massage can help reduce pain.

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Massage therapists use various types of touch and manipulation to help clients relax and feel better, including sports massage or deep tissue massage. Some practitioners specialize in medical massage and work in hospitals, chiropractors' offices or clinics, helping help patients recover from injuries and illnesses. Wages for medical massage depend on the type of employer, but the specialty generally pays better than work in personal care environments, such as spas.

Average Massage Therapist Wages

The average hourly wage for all massage therapists was $19.40 in 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2010, approximately three-fourths of massage therapists worked part time, and their paid hours each week usually depend on the number of appointments. For a full year of 40-hour weeks however, the average hourly wage is equivalent to $40, 350 annually. The lowest-paid 10 percent of massage therapists earned $8.85 per hour or less, while the highest-paid 10 percent earned $33.72 per hour or more in 2012.

Major Employers

The second-largest employer of massage therapists is the BLS category of other health practitioners, which includes chiropractors' offices. In 2012, massage therapists in these alternative health offices averaged $20.87 per hour, or $43, 410 per year, full-time. By way of comparison, general massage therapists working for the largest industry, personal care services, averaged only $18.26 per hour in 2012, or $37, 980 for a full-time year.

Related Reading: The Salary of Chiropractic Massage Therapists

Physicians Offices and Ambulatory Care

Massage therapists working in doctors offices and for ambulatory care facilities had even higher pay on average in 2012. Hourly wages for medical massage therapists in physicians offices averaged $24.29, or $50, 520 annually – full-time, according to the BLS. Those in ambulatory care services received an average of $28.92 per hour, or $60, 150 annually – full-time.

Hospitals

Some hospitals also employ medical massage therapists. Therapists in general medical and surgical hospitals had average hourly pay of $22.14 as of 2012, or full-time annual wages of $46, 060, according to the BLS. In specialty hospitals, medical massage therapists received higher average pay of $24.22 per hour, or $50, 380 annually.