SOC 31-9011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Massage Therapists — Kentucky
Kentucky · 2 metro areas compared
At $59,790, median pay for Massage Therapists in Kentucky tracks the national median of $58,450 closely.
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 Kentucky.
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
At $59,790, median pay for Massage Therapists in Kentucky tracks the national median of $58,450 closely. Pay ranges from under $30,210 at the tenth percentile to more than $95,290 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $47,470 to $85,060.
Employment stands at 780, or 0.4 jobs per thousand held locally. Kentucky ranks number 25th out of 50 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Lexington records the highest median at $76,250. Of the 699 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 314th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $30,210 | −48.3% |
| 25th | $47,470 | −18.8% |
| Median (50th) | $59,790 | +2.3% |
| 75th | $85,060 | +45.5% |
| 90th | $95,290 | +63.0% |
| Mean | $65,060 | +11.3% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Kentucky
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexington | $76,250 | 170 | |
| 2 | Louisville/Jefferson County | $68,230 | 380 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Kentucky run 9.8% below the national average, so the median of $59,790 goes as far as $66,286 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 13.4% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$59,790as reported by BLSLocal price level
90.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$66,286US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $59,790 a year, 2.3% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $30,210 to $95,290 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 780 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 25th of 50 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Lexington, at $76,250.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Massage Therapists in Kentucky?
The median annual wage is $59,790, or $28.75 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 Kentucky is 2.3% higher. 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 Kentucky earns more than $95,290 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $30,210 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 Lexington, at $76,250 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 780 jobs in this occupation in Kentucky. 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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