Massage Therapist job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

13

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$58,450

BLS May 2025

1. Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body. importance 4.8 of 5
3. Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful. importance 4.7 of 5
4. Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment. importance 4.5 of 5
5. Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes. importance 4.5 of 5
6. Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used. importance 4.3 of 5
7. Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises. importance 4.2 of 5
8. Maintain treatment records. importance 4.1 of 5
9. Assess clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion. importance 4.1 of 5
10. Refer clients to other types of therapists when necessary. importance 3.6 of 5
11. Perform other adjunctive therapies or treatment techniques in addition to massage. importance 3.6 of 5
12. Consult with other health care professionals, such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, physicians, and psychologists, to develop treatment plans for clients. importance 3.5 of 5
13. Prepare and blend oils and apply the blends to clients' skin. importance 3.4 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Performing General Physical Activities, Assisting and Caring for Others, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships and Making Decisions and Solving Problems.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Use complementary aids, such as infrared lamps, wet compresses, ice, and whirlpool baths to promote clients' recovery, relaxation, and well-being.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Biology and Medicine and Dentistry.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, ICS Software SammyUSA, Land Software Customer Pro-File, Massage Suite, WinCity Custom Software WinCity Massage SOAP Notes. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a massage therapist.

The most common answer among O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation is a post-secondary certificate (48%).

Job title: Massage Therapist
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Massage Therapist to perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance.
- Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body.
- Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful.
- Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment.
- Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes.
- Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used.
- Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises.
- Maintain treatment records.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, speaking and social perceptiveness
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $58,450 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $28.10. BLS estimates about 98,790 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of massage therapists to grow 15.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 20,400 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full massage therapist salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real massage therapist posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only massage therapist work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and speaking); massage therapist interview questions turns them into practice questions.