SOC 31-9011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Massage Therapists — Fresno
Fresno, CA · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage for Massage Therapists in Fresno, CA is $49,290 per year, 15.7% below the national median of $58,450.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +15.4%
- Openings per year
- 24,700
- Typical entry-level education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
41.9% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Fresno, CA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Massage Therapists in Fresno, CA is $49,290 per year, 15.7% below the national median of $58,450. Half of workers earn between $36,570 and $58,490. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $34,320 and the ninetieth at $78,930.
The area has 190 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.4 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Chico records the highest median at $63,290. Of the 527 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 348th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,320 | −41.3% |
| 25th | $36,570 | −37.4% |
| Median (50th) | $49,290 | −15.7% |
| 75th | $58,490 | +0.1% |
| 90th | $78,930 | +35.0% |
| Mean | $53,070 | −9.2% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chico | $63,290 | 40 | |
| 2 | Salinas | $61,400 | 240 | |
| 3 | San Luis Obispo | $60,640 | 120 | |
| 4 | Vallejo | $58,870 | 100 | |
| 5 | Santa Cruz | $58,050 | 110 | |
| 6 | Bakersfield | $57,300 | 90 | |
| 7 | Sacramento | $51,980 | 720 | |
| 8 | Redding | $50,690 | 40 | |
| 9 | Santa Rosa | $50,620 | 310 | |
| 10 | Oxnard | $50,240 | 210 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Fresno run 2.2% above the national average, so the median of $49,290 buys what $48,229 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 17.5% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$49,290as reported by BLSLocal price level
102.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$48,229US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $49,290 a year, 15.7% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $34,320 to $78,930 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 190 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Chico, at $63,290.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Massage Therapists in Fresno, CA?
The median annual wage is $49,290, or $23.70 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $58,450, so pay in Fresno, CA is 15.7% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Fresno, CA earns more than $78,930 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $34,320 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Chico, at $63,290 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 190 jobs in this occupation in Fresno, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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